17th July 2025 | IN DESIGN ADVICE | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn Kate Lovejoy, Founder & Creative Director of Kate Lovejoy Interiors, has given her insights into the industry. I started in film, designing sets for major productions after an MA in Film Production Design at the Royal College of Art. It was always about story and atmosphere, how a space holds a person’s world. After ten years of working on screen, I set up my interior design studio in 2009. Since then, I’ve worked with over 200 clients across homes of every shape and size. What’s stayed constant is the way I design: through collaboration, colour and calm practicality. I help people create homes that feel like theirs. Kate Lovejoy Interiors Why did you want to work in the interior design profession? It was always about the story. In film, I worked with directors to shape characters’ worlds through detail and mood. Interior design felt like the natural next step. Same storytelling, but with real people, real homes, and a lot more lasting impact. Helping someone feel at home in their space still feels like the best part. Kate Lovejoy Interiors Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most? That early design phase, where things are still forming, is always energising. Helping someone get clear on what they really want and seeing the relief when it starts taking shape is a good feeling. I also love problem-solving around layout and flow. When we get that right, everything else comes together more easily. Kate Lovejoy Interiors What has been your most memorable career highlight from the past year? There’s a home we completed last year, a 1920s house in the Berkshire countryside. The clients had lived there for years but wanted to adapt it for how they live now. The result is layered, grounded and warm. Not flashy. Just a home that finally reflects who they are. Kate Lovejoy Interiors Kate Lovejoy Interiors What are your favourite types of projects to work on and why? I really enjoy projects where I’m brought in early. Full renovations or new builds where we can look at layout and mood from the start. That’s where we can create something cohesive, not just decorative. And I have a soft spot for returning clients. Picking up where we left off and continuing the story always feels good. Kate Lovejoy Interiors What are the most challenging aspects of working in interior design? There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes. Timelines, budgets, constant decision-making. Clients often underestimate just how many moving parts are involved. My job is to hold that for them so they don’t have to. It’s part logistics, part design, part calm in the chaos. Kate Lovejoy Interiors What do you wish you knew before working in the field? That design is only half the job. The rest is communication. Listening properly. Explaining the process clearly. Creating a structure so clients feel supported as they make decisions. You can have a brilliant concept, but without trust and clarity, it doesn’t land. Kate Lovejoy Interiors If you could give one tip to aspiring designers, what would it be? Ask better questions. And listen longer than you think you need to. The best designs come from understanding how someone lives and what really matters to them, not from assumptions or trends. How do you see the interior design industry evolving in the year ahead? People are craving simplicity. Not in the minimalist sense, but in how they make decisions. They want support. They want calm. I think we’ll see more homes designed with longevity and feeling in mind, not for show but for life. Kate Lovejoy Interiors Kate Lovejoy, Founder & Creative Director of Kate Lovejoy Interiors What does being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer mean to you? It’s a marker of professionalism. It shows there’s a process behind the creativity and a code of conduct that guides the work. Clients know they’re in safe hands, and that matters, especially on complex or longer-term projects. About Kate Lovejoy Interiors At Kate Lovejoy Interiors, design begins with how you want to live and how you want to feel while doing it. With roots in film, where story is told through light, colour and frame, we bring that same creative intelligence into the way we shape homes. Since 2009, we’ve helped clients translate their lives into spaces that feel personal, intentional and beautifully lived-in. Visit Profile If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.