INDEPENDENT INTERIOR DESIGN EXPERTISE
Expert Witness for Dispute Resolution
When an interior project has gone wrong, the situation can quickly become stressful, expensive and difficult to untangle. I provide independent, evidence-led professional opinion on matters within my interior design expertise, helping to clarify the issues, narrow the points in dispute and support a constructive route forward.
For homeowners, legal professionals, suppliers and contractors. Independent opinion only; no outcome-based fees.
Are you dealing with an interior design dispute?
A home project can become contentious when the finished interior does not match what was agreed, a supplier has not delivered as expected, or there is disagreement about design decisions, specifications, workmanship, products, payments or responsibility. You may be facing questions such as:
Does the finished work reflect the agreed interior design, specification or approved changes?
Do the supplied furniture, fittings, finishes or bespoke items match the documentation and representations made?
Has the interior work been coordinated, installed or completed to an appropriate professional standard?
Which parts of the issue fall within interior design expertise, and where is another specialist required?
What does the project evidence show when the parties’ accounts differ?
An independent report cannot guarantee a settlement or determine legal liability. It can, however, give the parties a clearer, properly reasoned view of the interior-design issues. That may help them make informed decisions, negotiate a resolution or prepare appropriately if a formal dispute process becomes necessary.
Independent expertise for the interior elements of your home
Katie Malik is the founder and Creative Director of Katie Malik Design Studio, an award-winning luxury residential interior design practice established in 2014. Her professional background includes study at Chelsea College of Art, Cambridge University and the National Design Academy, followed by work in high-end London design studios. The studio is publicly presented as accredited by the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) and the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID).
Katie’s expert work is strictly limited to the aspects of a case that fall within her own interior design knowledge, training and experience. Her role is not to advocate for the party who instructs her. Her role is to provide an objective, independent opinion that can be explained and supported by the relevant documents, observations and professional reasoning.
Katie is a registered interior designer with both the Society of British & International Interior Design (SBID) and the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID). Her interior-design qualifications include a Diploma in Interior Design (NVQ Level 3) from the National Design Academy and an Interior Design Diploma from Chelsea College of Art, University of the Arts London. She also holds an MPhil in Linguistics with a final dissertation in the field of Forensic Phonetics from the University of Cambridge; this is an academic research qualification and is not presented as legal-advice expertise. Katie has also completed RICS Expert Witness Certificate Training.
Matters that may fall within Katie’s interior design expertise
Depending on the instruction and available evidence, Katie may be able to consider:
- the design brief, agreed scope of work and interior design deliverables;
- interior drawings, room schemes, specifications, schedules and product selections;
- furniture, fittings and equipment (FF&E), finishes, decorative lighting, window treatments, bespoke joinery and other relevant interior elements;
- quotations, orders, invoices, delivery information, supplier documentation and product information;
- project correspondence, approvals, variations and records of decision-making;
- whether the interior work observed is consistent with the relevant agreed documentation and professional interior-design practice; and
- whether the information supports a clear opinion, or whether a separate specialist is needed.
Important scope boundary
Katie does not offer legal advice or decide who is legally liable. She will not give opinions outside her own expertise, including structural, electrical, plumbing, gas, drainage, building-control, fire-safety, surveying, quantity-surveying or other specialist issues unless the exact competence is independently established and expressly accepted in writing. Where a case needs further expertise, this will be identified clearly.
What I review during the process
Every instruction is different. The work is tailored to the specific questions that need answering, rather than following a generic template. Subject to the scope of instruction, I may review:
01
The brief and the issue in dispute
What was agreed, what each party says happened, and the precise interior-design questions on which an independent opinion is sought.
02
The project records
Proposals, terms, drawings, schedules, specifications, product information, quotations, purchase orders, invoices, programmes, emails, meeting notes and variation approvals.
03
The physical interior evidence
A site visit, photographs, measurements and observations of the relevant interior elements, where appropriate and agreed.
04
The relationship between design intent and delivery
The extent to which the relevant interior work, goods or installation appear consistent with the documents, approvals and stated scope.
05
Professional reasoning and limitations
The evidence relied upon, the assumptions that must be made, the conclusions that can properly be drawn, and any questions that sit outside my expertise.
The output is a clear written report suited to the agreed purpose. Where a report is intended for court use, its content and format will be agreed with the instructing legal team and prepared in accordance with the applicable procedural requirements.
What an independent interior design review can achieve
A well-defined expert instruction is often valuable before a dispute reaches court. An early, objective review may:
- identify the documents and facts that matter most;
- distinguish an evidence-based issue from a misunderstanding or untested assumption;
- clarify the difference between the agreed design, any approved changes and the work or goods actually delivered;
- help the parties focus on the points that genuinely remain in dispute; and
- provide a professional foundation for direct discussion, negotiation, mediation or legal advice.
If the matter proceeds to litigation, formal expert evidence is governed by the applicable court rules and directions. In civil proceedings in England and Wales, the expert’s overriding duty is to assist the court on matters within their expertise, even though the expert is instructed and paid by one of the parties. The opinion must remain objective and independent.1 2
How to work with Katie
1. Initial enquiry and conflict check
Send a short outline of the dispute, the parties involved, the property location and the questions you need answered. Before discussing the merits, Katie will check whether there is a conflict of interest and whether the proposed work is within her expertise and capacity.
2. Define the role and scope
Together, we establish whether the instruction is for an early independent advisory review, a report to assist resolution, or formal expert evidence for a dispute process. The written scope identifies the questions to be addressed, the documents required, likely site work, timescale, fees and any material limitations.
3. Provide the relevant material
The instructing party supplies the relevant project information in an organised format. This normally includes the agreed scope, design documentation, communications, procurement records, photographs and a chronology. Formal legal instructions should be sent by the instructing solicitor or other authorised representative.
4. Investigation and independent analysis
Katie reviews the evidence, carries out an inspection where it is necessary and within scope, and tests the information against her professional interior design knowledge and experience. Material that may not support the instructing party’s position is also considered.
5. Written opinion or report
You receive a clear, reasoned document explaining the material considered, observations, assumptions, scope, conclusions and limitations. A formal expert report is addressed to the court or tribunal rather than written as advocacy for the client.2
6. Supporting resolution or the next stage
The report may help the parties focus negotiations or mediation. If proceedings are under way, Katie may also respond to properly framed questions, attend an experts’ discussion or provide oral evidence where this has been agreed and is required. The exact role is always defined in the appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Katie’s work is limited to interior design matters. This can include disputes about the agreed interior scheme, drawings and specifications, FF&E, finishes, bespoke joinery, supplier-provided items, relevant installation and coordination, project documentation, changes and professional interior-design practice. The initial conflict and scope review will confirm whether the actual questions are within her expertise.
It may help, but it cannot guarantee that result. An early independent opinion can clarify what the documents and physical evidence support, identify the key points that still need resolving and give the parties a more informed basis for negotiation or mediation. Some disputes resolve after the issues are properly defined; others still require a formal process.
No. An early expert advisory review may be useful while you are trying to understand the position or explore a negotiated solution. If you need evidence to rely on in court, speak to your solicitor about the appropriate form of instruction. A court’s permission is generally required before a party can rely on an expert’s report as evidence, and the court may direct that one jointly instructed expert is used for a particular issue.1
Katie can consider instructions from any of these parties, provided there is no conflict of interest and the issue is within her expertise. Her conclusions do not change according to who has instructed or paid for the work. In a formal expert-witness role, her overriding duty is to the court or tribunal, not to the instructing party.1 2
Please start with a concise chronology, the names of all parties, the property location, a summary of the questions you need answered and the key documents. Useful material often includes the scope of work, design proposals, drawings, schedules, specifications, quotations, invoices, emails, photographs and records of approved changes. Please do not send privileged or ‘without prejudice’ material through a general website form; your legal adviser should advise on the appropriate route for sensitive documents.
Fees are agreed in writing before work begins and reflect the defined scope, document volume, inspection requirements, report preparation and any later questions, meetings or attendance. Expert work is never offered on a conditional, contingency or outcome-based basis. The fee arrangement does not affect the independence of the opinion.
Need a clear, independent view of an interior design dispute?
Start with an initial scope review. If the issue is within my expertise and there is no conflict of interest, I will explain the appropriate next step and the information required.
