The Interior Design Programme for Self Builders

Design Your Home
From the Start

Self Build Master Guide shows you exactly when to make every interior design decision during your self build — and how to get each one right, so you don't miss the window or regret the outcome.

Join the Waitlist
As seen in & featured on
Irish Times RTÉ Build Magazine Property District Grand Designs The Independent
First Intake Opens
MAY 12, 2026
Waitlist closes in
47Days
09Hours
22Mins
41Secs
Join the Waitlist
About the Programme

So, what exactly is
Self Build Master Guide?

Self Build Master Guide is an online, self-paced interior design programme built specifically for people going through a self build. It focuses on one thing the construction process never tells you — how to design the interior of your home, and when each decision needs to be made.

"You don't just learn about interior design — you learn how to apply it at exactly the right moment in your build."

Miss a decision window on a self build and it becomes expensive or impossible to fix. This programme maps every key interior design choice — from layout and lighting to materials and finishes — to the exact stage of your build when it needs to happen.

€40k
Average saving reported by members
47k+
Online followers across all platforms
Member Stories

What Members
Are Saying

★★★★★

I finally feel in control of my build. The ceiling strategy module alone changed how I approached every conversation with my architect. I can't recommend this highly enough.

SC
Siobhán C.
Programme Member · Co. Galway
★★★★★

The materials and finishes module is worth the price alone. I finally understand why certain things weren't working in my scheme and I've completely changed my approach. Brilliant.

RL
Rachel L.
Programme Member · Surrey, England
★★★★★

We were completely overwhelmed before joining. Within two weeks we had a clear vision for every room and finally felt calm about the whole project. Genuinely life-changing.

JH
James & Tracy H.
Programme Members · Co. Down, Northern Ireland
★★★★★

I had no idea how many interior decisions needed to be locked in before the walls even went up. This programme completely changed how I'm approaching my build.

DR
David R.
Programme Member · Manchester, England
★★★★★

Worth every penny. The lifestyle mapping exercise gave me more clarity than six months of scrolling Pinterest. I now have a proper brief and a clear design direction.

AM
Anna M.
Programme Member · Co. Mayo
★★★★★

I wish I'd found this before we got planning permission. The flow and circulation module made me realise our layout had a serious problem — caught it just in time.

KS
Kate S.
Programme Member · Edinburgh, Scotland
Join the Waitlist
What's Included

Here's What You Get Inside
Self Build Master Guide

Downloadable Workbook
Downloadable Workbook

A dedicated workbook to complete alongside every module — keeping all your lifestyle mapping, zone planning, material decisions, and room-by-room notes in one organised place.

Decision Guides & Templates
Decision Guides & Templates

Room-by-room decision checklists, moodboard templates, and a full specification schedule — the same practical tools used on real high-end projects, adapted for self builders.

Join the Waitlist
Full Curriculum

Here's What
You'll Learn

The complete curriculum across all phases of Self Build Master Guide.

Phase 1 — Planning Your Home
Understanding how you live and translating that into a home that works for you
  • 01Lifestyle Mapping — Daily Routines, Zones & Future-Proofing
  • 02Flow, Circulation & Light — How a Home Actually Works
  • 03Ceiling Strategy — The Decision Most Self-Builders Miss
Phase 2 — Technical Decisions
Understanding your drawings and locking in the right decisions before it's too late
  • 04Mastering the Tech Pack — Lighting, Plumbing, Tiles & Finish Schedules
  • 05Functional Architecture & Joinery — Storage, Underfloor Heating & Floor Layers
  • 06Furniture Placement — Scale, Proportion & Spatial Reality Checks
Phase 3 — Lighting Strategy
Designing layered lighting that responds to how each space is actually used
  • 07Ambient, Task & Accent Lighting — Briefing Your Electrician Properly
Phase 4 — Design Direction
Turning your vision into a cohesive, build-ready aesthetic
  • 08Cohesive Design Direction — Moodboards, References & Aesthetic Identity
  • 09Signature Palette — Colour Psychology, Undertones & Natural Light
  • 10Materials & Finishes — Anchor Materials, Durability & Layering
  • 11Window Treatments — Planning Ahead for Privacy & Light Control
  • 12Internal Doors — Why This Is One of the Most Common Self-Build Regrets
  • 13Flooring Transitions — Avoiding the Detail That Fragments a Home
Budgeting & Closing
Protecting your design when reality arrives — on site and in meetings
  • 14How to Budget for a Design-Led Self-Build — Hierarchy, Contingency & False Economies
  • 15Closing — How to Hold Your Ground & Brief Like a Designer
Join the Waitlist
Is This Right for You?

This is for you if…

Join the Waitlist
Shania Mackin
Meet Your Instructor

Meet
Shania Mackin

I'm an interior designer working on million-pound homes across the UK. My clients come to me at the start of a build with a vision and trust me to turn it into a home that functions beautifully and looks considered in every detail.

What I kept seeing — even among people with large budgets and good architects — was the same problem. Interior design decisions being made too late, out of sequence, or under pressure. Costly mistakes that were entirely avoidable with the right thinking at the right time.

Self Build Master Guide is built on the exact process I use with my own clients. The lifestyle mapping, the zoning, the ceiling strategy, the materials approach — all of it comes directly from how I design at the highest level, translated into a format that any self-builder can follow. Self Build Master Guide is built on the exact process I use with my own clients — translated into a format that any self-builder can follow.

47k+
Online Followers
€40k
Avg. Member Saving
Common Questions

Frequently Asked
Questions

Have further questions about enrolment? Reach out to us

The programme is entirely self-paced — you can move through the content as quickly or slowly as your project demands. Many members find it useful to work through the relevant modules just ahead of each construction stage.
Not at all. The Foundation Course is designed to be accessible for complete beginners and starts from first principles. The programme has been completed by people with no prior construction knowledge who went on to successfully manage their own builds.
The programme is ideal for people planning a self build, those who have already started and want to get more organised, and anyone who wants to understand their project well enough to make confident, informed decisions throughout.
Once you purchase the course you have lifetime access to all modules, templates, and resources.
As the course is delivered digitally and access is immediate upon purchase, we are unable to offer refunds. Please read the full course description carefully before enrolling to ensure it is the right fit for you.
The course launches at £495, giving you lifetime access to all modules, templates, and resources.
Ready to Build?

Start Building
With Confidence

Design your home with intention — and know exactly when every decision needs to be made.

Join the Waitlist