8th August 2025 | IN DESIGN ADVICE | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn The SBID UK Interior Design Icons were selected to recognise leading design practices throughout the UK who have consistently displayed exceptional standards within our esteemed industry network. This week’s instalment of the SBID Icon Insights series features Diane Berry Kitchens. They create kitchen designs where style meets function and culinary aspirations come to life. Diane Berry Kitchens What steps do you take to stay at the forefront of the design industry? We are always researching online, we visit trade shows in Milan and Germany, we visit all our suppliers in Germany and research all the time, we watch the SBID awards entries and spend time looking and learning in cities and towns as we all travel. I’ve seen amazing ideas on cruise ships and hotels, Vegas was an eye opener and it carries on like that. I find myself watching TV and studying the sets too. If you love design, you never stop seeing ideas and thinking where and when can I use that. My team and I weekly share images we find and challenge each other to find a client that will love it. Diane Berry Kitchens What trends do you see shaping the future of interior design? I think wellbeing is key, rather than a style or colour trend. Covid made us all realise how important our homes are and being locked in them for months on end made us really focus on the bits we hated and loved. Decluttering and organisation is a key part of a calm home and then easy to clean and maintain too. Pay a little more and make it last is a motto I have lived by, this in return is sustainable. Avoid buy cheap buy twice mentality and this will be such a great thing for us to do for our world. Diane Berry Kitchens How do technology and innovation influence your work? Technology had a huge impact on how we present out work but we are still a very touchy feely company as we love our stunning award winning studio as people do buy what they see. Long may this continue as meeting people in the studio helps us read them and their needs, keeping us presenting what is truly best for them. Diane Berry Kitchens What advice would you give to emerging designers? Make sure you truly care about people, this job is 25% design and 75% business. So many people talk about the fun part of the materials and textures and rarely talk about the detail and work that goes into the detail. I know so much about plumbing, electrics, lighting, ventilation, damp courses, pad stones etc. I know this is design but the part people think about is putting that paper with that paint, a nice natural wood floor and a cute handle. Honestly this part is so small once the design bit is done it needs sourcing and costing accurately! So be ready for maths and lonely computer work, late nights and weekends too. If a builder needs electrical drawings on Monday it won’t wait! And this goes on all the time. Diane Berry Kitchens What has been your company’s proudest achievement so far? Opening our flagship studio. We bought the derelict building when it was full of asbestos and pigeons and now we have an iconic building presenting seven huge room sets with all appliances working. We are able to host cookery events for all our brands and have a happy environment for our team to work in. Diane Berry Kitchens How do you collaborate with other professionals, such as architects and engineers? We love working with architects, builders and designers, they love our studio. We also work closely with lots of interior specialist like fireplaces designers, blinds and curtain specialist etc. We know what we are good at and respect others are better at their area of expertise than us, so we have lots of people we work closely with especially lighting design as this is a constantly moving technology. Diane Berry Kitchens Do you have key partnerships with suppliers, manufacturers, or brands? We work with two kitchen furniture brands: Eggersmann and Rempp, then appliance brands: Miele, Siemens, Neff, Bora and Fisher and Paykel, Quooker for their amazing taps and too many to mention worktop brands. We love Arte wall coverings and have a list of lighting and flooring brands. Our trade is very much about brand loyalty as we need to know what we sell inside and out and be able to guide our clients to what meets their needs on technology and function as well as budgeting. About Diane Berry Kitchens Diane started her career in all things interior design in 1980 learning all aspects of buildings and construction first, moving straight into spatial design focusing on Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms and fireplaces. Taking the step in 2002 to open her own studio which has gone from strength to strength now employing a team of fourteen and installing several million pounds of Kitchens a year. 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.