My interest in Interior Design goes back to when I was a child. I grew up in a 19th Century cottage that my parents spent a lot of time renovating and remodelling. As a child we were always decorating or helping build walls, replace flooring, and generally being involved as my parents did all the work themselves and never employed anyone else to do it. Because of this, our house was always such a personal place, and everything was a labour of love for the whole family. Everything that was done in that house was considered and beautiful. My parents wanted to work with the age of the property to make the most of it and so we had exposed beams, open fires, wooden stairs, and a handcrafted pine kitchen that my father built. This is where I got my love of beautiful design and a passion for creating something yourself that makes you feel proud. My mother influenced my love of art, crafting and furniture restoration and I still have many items that we have worked on or discovered together. I have always loved art, particularly crafting, and designing and as a teenager I studied a GCSE in Art and Textiles and then gained and A Level in Art and Design. Alongside this was an interest in the history of art and design and discovering the impact historical events have had on art and design movements over the centuries and how these have then influenced interior design and fashion. My main area of study was 20th Century history and my style choices over the years have reflected this with Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Mid-Century Modern influences in my choices of furniture and décor.
I have always taken every opportunity to decorate my homes, even if just with accessories and soft furnishings. I like to make the most of any space, using and updating existing furniture to create a new and fresh look. I have also submitted design concepts and bedroom design to Foyr Neo as well as being in contact with a company in the USA to take on 3D render work when required. I continue to work on my own passion projects and use current colour and style trends to try new design concepts for myself. I like to incorporate a mix of styles, colour and texture in my designs and so build up a portfolio of ideas that I can hopefully implement in the future. I long for the day when I can move on from military woodchip and magnolia and so until this day comes, I like to lose myself in my design software and create beautiful spaces for others to want to live in! My design style has been influenced by Mid-Century Modern, Traditional and Maximalist design. I like to use colour and pattern in my rooms and tend to lean away from minimalist design.
I am quite brave with my colour choices, and I am willing to try new techniques to push the boundaries depending on the room that I am working with. Trying out new styles, colours, patterns, and textures is something that I enjoy doing and I like to experiment with designs and styles outside of my comfort zone. I like my designs to be inviting but with a wow factor. This is sometimes achieved through wallpaper, artwork or by using retro, or upcycled pieces. I enjoy making each room individual in a home but bring the design together with a particular colour or pattern. It is important for me to understand and use original features of a room and take advantage of these, such as fireplaces, bay windows, bare brick, industrial features or high ceilings and exposed flooring.
My interest in history and art means that I am sympathetic to building styles and their background. I like to be able to use this to lead my design as well as help make decisions on the furniture style, lighting, and overall aesthetic of the finished design.
It is important for me to tell a story in each design by using the architecture and history of the building as well as the owner or people that will be living there and utilising the space.
