SpeakEasy with Hill House Interiors
In collaboration with SBID, Grant Pierrus, founder of Pierrus Agency interviews some of the biggest names in the interior design industry for the new podcast series. The latest episode will feature a conversation with the extraordinary design-duo and SBID Accredited Designers; Helen Bygraves and Jenny Weiss.
Launching their multi-award-winning design practice almost 20 years ago, Jenny and Helen are the founders of Hill House Interiors. Today, with a team of over 20 designers, architects and craftspeople, their enthusiasm for high-end couture interiors and positive energy bring their diverse projects to life.
Bringing us up to date with how they have adapted to the new norm of working from home, and how their extensive brand building and social media presence has helped provide a strong foundation to win business and continue work as usual during these challenging times, Hill House share their perspectives on the deeper implications of Covid-19.
Jenny and Helen comment on how they can see this dramatic shift in daily lifestyles influencing interior design in the longer term, and what clients may want or need from their homes in the future. “On a smaller level, we’re finding that people are wanting to utilise under-used rooms in their house … We’ve also seen quite a big move from people living in central London wanting to get more space out of London as well – I think that is because they get that variety of rooms in their own home and grounds … Gardens and outside space is becoming hugely important.”
Tune in to the whole conversation to discover more.
Jenny Weiss
Jenny’s illustrious design philosophy was born from a fascination with nature, culture, fashion and colour that was first cultivated over the years she spent undertaking refurbishments on the interiors of her properties in her early twenties. Her noticeably unique creative flair resulted in a number of requests for private commissions that lead to formal training at Chelsea School of Art.
Helen Bygraves
With her unique experience and arts background, Helen’s passion for quality and drive to always improve is matched by her love of contemporary, high impact interiors.Known for her personable nature, Helen has helped to nurture the skills of the 20+ strong Hill House team, ensuring their talent and imagination is captured and celebrated through the brand’s recognisable designs.
SBID delved behind the scenes with SBID Accredited Designer, Katie Malik, founder and creative director of Katie Malik Interiors to find out about her journey in the interior design industry, and how proper training and experience helped her get there.
What is your current job?
I’m a creative director at Katie Malik Interiors. I manage a small team of passionate, dedicated design experts, who help me bring our clients dreams to the reality.
What is your background and how did you get into interior design?
My background is in linguistics, but as a daughter of a very talented furniture designer and maker, design has always been a big part of my life, My career in interior design started in 2011 when I decided to retrain. I have always wanted to run my own business, but I knew I needed to train first and gain hands-on knowledge and experience, so important in the design industry. After I gained my qualifications at Chelsea College of Art, I was lucky to have my first internship in a high-end interior design studio based in Mayfair. After that, the door to other interior design studios opened to me, and I was offered the second internship and then a position at 1508London, which specialises in high end residential and hospitality interiors. Then, I was ready to move on to work on residential projects under my own brand: Katie Malik Interiors.
Describe an average day in your job role..
I typically start my day with a good breakfast at home, and of course with an Instagram flick through and Inbox check for anything requiring urgency or priority. I typically arrive in the studio quite early, as I like to make a head start. Then it’s the order of the day, setting tasks, checking the order of priorities, communicating with my team, and depending on the day, it could be a lot of very focused designing, building schemes, client meetings, site meetings, procurement etc.
Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?
I love everything that being an interior designer encompasses, but there are two parts I enjoy the most, one of them being designing, coming up with design solutions to meet and exceed clients’ expectations, and the second one being the final project installation, when the designs become the reality and our clients’ dreams come true.
Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?
We are working on a number of exciting projects at the moment, and each of them being very different, provides a lot of creative stimulation, but I am also very excited about finalising my first book ‘Love your space’ which I have been collecting the material for for the last 4 years.
What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?
I would say the job itself is quite challenging, which I enjoy, but one of the most challenging aspects is managing procurement aspect of the job, ensuing everything arrives on time, in the right condition, and is installed correctly; there’s a lot of time involved in this part of the process, and however wonderfully rewarding, it’s also one of the most challenging aspects for someone who is a perfectionist.
What do you wish you knew before working in the field?
That being an interior designer is so much more than the design, and that in order to run a business, one must also learn about how to become a businessman/businesswoman.
What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?
Follow your path and what you love doing for hours without looking at the clock- that is your true calling.
What has been your favourite project to work on?
I really don’t have a favourite one because all my projects make me genuinely proud and I enjoy working on all of them. However, if I had to chose one, I would say a redesign of a kitchen with dining and a conservatory which gained quite a lot of attention and landed its own editorial in the Ideal Home magazine in February 2016 and on Houzz in April 2017.
I also loved working on a costal redesign project, which was a refurbishment of the whole property located in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. The project received a UK Property Award 2019 for the Best Interior Design Residence in the South East.
What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?
I think there’s a lot of misconception about the profession and what interior design experts can do for homeowners and business owners. Also, I believe there’s a lot of potential issues that can arise in connection with products that interior designers specify from trusted trade sources and which homeowners can find online for less.
If you were inspired by Katie’s story, click here to learn more about the role of an interior designer.
Want to become SBID Accredited? Click here for more information.
Interior design studio manager of SBID Accredited Design Practice, Rigby & Rigby, James Ashfield highlights what he believes to be the two biggest challenges the interior industry faces today, and tells us how he forged his successful career in interior design.
I manage the interior design studio at Rigby & Rigby, overseeing all interior design projects and the creative vision for the studio.
I always had a passion for art and technology, so architecture and interior design was a great fit for my creative and practical interests, which led me to study Interior Architecture.
I now have 15 years industry experience. My first role was for a small architecture, interior and development practice and I’ve since held positions at leading London architecture and interior design practices including the Harrods Interior Design Studio.
A typical day consists of multiple client meetings and presentations with our team across many disciplines. There might be a site visit to a Prime Central London site to inspect progress or a coordination meeting for a landmark residence Rigby & Rigby are developing in Knightsbridge.
Sometimes my job takes me overseas if clients are based outside of the UK. For example, I worked in the Middle East for two and a half years where I acted as a client advisor on all architecture, interior and development projects for an UHNWI who was based there.
The most rewarding element is the design journey with the client, whose lifestyle we try to facilitate through the delivery of creative solutions and beautiful interiors.
I also have the pleasure to work on some of the finest and most incredible homes, with the multi-disciplinary support from our architectural, construction and marketing teams and a young and energetic interior design team. It’s always exciting to see a project come to life.
I love the scope of what I do and where it can take me. Currently I am working on a 17,000 sq ft landmark private residence in Knightsbridge, a 50,000 sq ft private development in Asia, and a 300sq ft Chairman’s office in Central London.
The most challenging aspects of my job are the logistics. Our suppliers come from all over the world, and sometimes there are unavoidable delays which can create challenges caused by anything from the weather to an international event. To combat this, we have to create contingency plans.
I think it’s useful to know that success can be found in all ways, not necessarily the obvious routes. I think it’s important to also have an understanding of growth opportunities in your chosen career, and evaluate these against your skills and values.
That working hard and putting in the hours does pay off.
The landmark residence in Knightsbridge and a modern ski chalet on a remote island in Japan.
I think the two biggest issues are sustainability and quality. We are very conscious of our impact to the environment and should make sure our materials are sustainably-sourced as much as possible.
There are many re-purposed materials that can be used in interior design. I think designers need to look at alternatives very carefully while ensuring they are giving the best to their clients, particularly when there are trade-offs to consider.
As for quality, our construction team are often asked to turnaround another contractor or designer’s project that has not been satisfactorily completed. I find it very reassuring to be part of a design and construction business where you can fully rely on the project team.
Which people do you admire the most in the industry and why?
As a practice we admire the French interior designer Jean Louis Deniot who delivers elegant, minimal and sophisticated interiors. We are also fans of the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma with whom we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating together on two overseas projects.
If you were inspired by James’ story, click here to learn more about the role of an interior designer.
Want to become SBID Accredited? Click here to find out more.
SBID founder, Vanessa Brady OBE shared her thoughts on how lifestyle influences interior trends with Studio magazine in their latest edition of Design Influencers.
“At a recent SBID event, hosted at House of Harth in London, I was delighted to join Henrietta Thompson, founder of Harth, and Maryanne Cartwright, design manager at Graham & Brown to discuss what influences design trends…
It was suggested that social media is a main influencer and I agree that whilst Instagram has become the ‘directory of public WCs’, the biggest influence on trends is the way we live. As more jobs are for a three to five year term instead of for life, people are more willing to move around the world to accept improving career opportunities. This transient lifestyle means that more interim, short-term furniture is purchased rather than quality pieces for life. Think of the rise of IKEA and its range of affordable ready-to-assemble furniture.”
Vanessa continues to discuss other important influencers such as multi-country trading, fashion, demographics, key social trends and of course, climate change as key factors influencing interior design.
Click here to read the full feature.
The featured article was written by Vanessa Brady for Studio Magazine.
SpeakEasy with Vanessa Brady OBE
The SBID teamed up with Pierrus Agency to launch the new ‘SpeakEasy’ podcast series. Hosted by founder, Grant Pierrus, we’ll be sitting down for insightful and thought-provoking conversations with leading design professionals across the field of interior design, from international interior designers to innovative product suppliers to uncover their unique perspectives on the industry, the key factors driving industry change, and what they intend to do about it!
Grant gets candid over a coffee with some of the biggest names in the interior design industry. The first episode in the new ‘SpeakEasy‘ series will feature a conversation with award-winning interior designer and founder of SBID, Dr Vanessa Brady OBE, where she sheds light on how climate change is effecting the interior design and construction industries.
Vanessa comments on how she can see the design sector unfolding in the next decade; driven by the newly emerging consumer attitudes which weren’t so prominent in the 90’s, where people were more concerned with showing off their wealth.
“For very first time designers, and people in general, have a conscience … and that conscience says people are interested in how things are made. Obviously if you’re in business you have to be looking at the bottom line – but it’s not the only driver. It’s a social conscience on the things that are involved in making a business tick – giving back, looking after other people, being decent again, and I think that did get lost a little bit in the past.”
Armed with over 30 years expertise in the design industry, she continues to share her thoughts on the broad topic sustainability, how integral this will become for the future of design and what role technology, innovation and manufacturing will need to play in this process.
Highlighting important considerations for designers, whether of interiors or of products, she adds “Sustainability is something that effects everything, from the beginning of the idea to the end user, so it is a sort of cradle to grave process. And I think it’s not just during the use of a product … it’s when its use is over. What happens then?”
Upcoming episodes will feature the talented founders of Hill House Interiors, Helen Bygraves and Jenny Weiss, as well as director of Life Kitchens, Oliver Stephenson.
Stay up to date with the latest episodes and click here to find out more.
We delved behind the scenes with SBID Accredited Interior Designer, Annette Frommer, Founder of Israeli-based design studio, Annette Frommer Interior Design. Serving an international client base and specialising in interior design in Jerusalem, Annette stresses the importance of staying inspired to keep designs fresh and original, and shares how essential our smart phones have become when it comes to doing business!
Can you describe your current job?
I am an interior designer based in Tel-Aviv, Israel. My clients are from abroad and looking to have a second home in Israel whether in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.
I was born and raised in Belgium and have been living in Israel for the past 35 years. I am fluent in six languages which certainly helps when interacting with my international clients. I always knew that I was going to somehow be involved in a creative profession and admired beauty and design, whether in architecture, art, or fashion.
Luckily I do not need too many hours of sleep in order to function, and I can honestly say that I spend most of my day working. Yes, I am a workaholic. I get up very early, prepare my coffee and then straight to the computer. I receive many mails at every hour imaginable since my clients, and some suppliers, are located in many different time zones. I like to feel that I start the day with a relatively clean slate.
I then go to my office, another cup of coffee, and meet with the team. We go over projects and other matters at hand. Next is the field. I am a great believer in being hands on in every project, so I visit all my projects on a weekly basis meeting with the builder, other professionals, etc. There are days of course dedicated to “shopping” and “choosing” – those I love the most.
I usually return home at about 7pm and after a quick bite, it is back to work. Again I answer mails, go over plans and documents, gather samples, and prepare all that is necessary for the next day. I don’t know how we once worked without a computer and without a smart phone.
The world today moves at an incredible pace. We are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information. I believe that most of us wish for homes that are serene, tranquil and that provide a sense of safety. Rewarding to me is seeing my clients happy with the result of my work – with the way I planned the space, chose the colour palette, textiles, lighting etc. Often times I am given ‘carte blanche’ and make all the decisions on behalf of the client. So it is definitely rewarding to see a big smile on their face.
No matter what the style, I always endeavor to achieve beauty, harmony and elegance. Elegance is key and it is achieved when there is cohesion, softness, subtlety, so that the final result appears to be effortless.
Yes. There is one project where I am planning and designing 5 apartments with the same layout for 5 siblings. It is a challenge designing each apartment unlike the other and making sure each sibling feels that his apartment is unique and designed especially for him!
Another project is a 1,000sq townhouse for a single family – with many bedrooms. The challenge here will be to make this vast space with so many bedrooms feel like a home, and not a hotel.
Coming across problems in the field, and coming up with solutions that are exceptional and actually make the space look even better.
We were commissioned to review the plans and bring a halted project (a stunning mansion located in the suburbs of Jerusalem) to completion utilising the existing layout and partitions. The basement was especially problematic as the space was long, narrow, dreary and windowless with very low ceilings, and we had to transform it to be a prominent billiard room with facilities.
The final result includes an elegant billiard room, an inviting and relaxing bar/ lounge area complemented by an adjoining decorative wrought iron cellar door that leads to a state-of-the-art wine cellar, with walls covered in authentic old bricks and floors with reclaimed ancient stones.
The Italian woodwork is finely designed and crafted with onyx backlit ceiling panels cleverly disguising a maze of pipes and ducts; creating the illusion of height.
As for the mansion: the result is characterised by ornate and neoclassical décor that is opulent and lavish. The rich woodwork, the gold and silver gilt-accented furniture, the layered textures in muted pinks, light blue and aqua hues define the formal ambience of this home. The grand entrance with refined marble flooring embodies elegance and romance.
I think that as a designer, it is extremely important to continuously be inspired, be creative, and to strive for quality and distinction. The biggest problem is when I see more of the same, when I see copy/paste designs. It is challenging to remain fresh, original and timeless.
There are a few which stand out to me! Andree Putman; a scion of her time, her projects are very classical and designed to perfection. India Mahdavi, for her creative use of colours and shapes; and lastly, Peter Marino whose work is fearless, bold and non-conformist!
If you were inspired by Annette’s story, click here to learn more about the role of an interior designer.
Created to inform and inspire the many professionals working in residential design – architects, interior designers, property developers, manufacturers, retailers and educators, Studio magazine interviewed the SBID President and founder of Chicago-based design studio Marquardt+, Tom Marquardt about his experience in the industry, greatest achievements and where he finds inspiration.
When was the business founded and why?
This is our 32nd year! To practice as a truly pioneering interdisciplinary design studio starting in the 1980s, I knew we had to make it happen ourselves, and so we did.
What is your latest significant achievement or project of note?
Still leading and evolving an even more progressive and in demand interdisciplinary practice, after 31 years! All our projects are significant to those who use them, so calling out one feels unfair.
I’ve just discovered…
The Atlas I Masland Contract Rug Program that is part of a new client’s offering. Their designs are stunning and applicable to residential, corporate and hospitality (we do not see silos at Marquardt+) and the customisation capabilities are endless…it’s a one stop rug source!
I’ve always been a fan of…
British high-tech architecture and interior design, the natural evolution of 2nd Chicago School modernism. Unfortunately we in the states were distracted with post-modernism at the time and lost our way.
This article was written by Matt Balmer for Studio Magazine.
SBID Accredited Interior Designer, Ana Engelhorn of Ana Engelhorn Interior Design reveals how her interest in interior design evolved into a professional career after starting her journey with a background in business administration and hospitality. Now running her own design practice, she shares her thoughts on the challenges the industry faces when it comes to perception – and Pinterest!
I run an interior design studio in London, working on residential and commercial projects across the UK and Europe. Taking a ‘perfectly imperfect’ approach, we celebrate imperfections found in natural building materials, antiques or pieces of furniture, mixing old with new pieces to create a fresh, timeless look. We also love introducing art and colour into our clients’ interiors.
I grew up in Switzerland but with a Spanish mother and German father, I was influenced by many different cultures. My parents bought distinctive properties and turned them into hotels and restaurants, so I always surrounded by beautiful, unique interiors. Watching these transformations unfold, I valued, above everything else, the authenticity that came through. My father has always been very traditional style-wise. If something was originally designed or made to be in a certain style, he wanted it to remain that. Therefore, if previous owners had modernised a building, he restored it, returning it to its origins. One of the hotels they bought and redid had no heating, so in winter the pipes have to be drained (so they didn’t freeze) and the hotel closed – he really took ‘original features’ to the extreme!
I knew I wanted to run a business but wasn’t sure what, so I initially studied Business Administration and worked in hospitality. However, I was buying and refurbishing and redecorating houses on the side, even gaining critical acclaim in the industry for some of the work I did. Therefore, when I became pregnant with my second child, it felt like the right time to go back to school to become an interior designer and turn my passion into my profession.
My days constantly change depending on the projects I have on and the people I am working with. Interior design involves a lot of admin, but if you run your own business, there is even more. With a background in business administration, however, I actually enjoy looking after all aspects of the business, ensuring that what I am doing benefits the whole.
I love the process of discovery I go through with clients. It starts from the moment we meet, form impressions, create a rapport and go through their brief. For me, it’s important to make a real connection with clients and to be honest and open – keeping open lines of communication. I then go away and create an interior design that brings their vision to life. I live for that magic moment where I’ve presented my design to the client and (if all goes to plan!) I can see that I have understood what they want. That amazing feeling I get when they love how I’ve designed their space is what makes my job so rewarding!
I have a full house renovation planned in Chiswick. It is very exciting as it is my first full house project in the UK (the others have been mostly in Spain). The CDM, Fire and Environmental steps you have to take here are much more involved than where I’ve worked before, and it’s a great learning experience for me. I’ve realised I don’t always need to be the expert. It’s led me to work with some very talented people who have enriched my knowledge in a way I had never imagined.
The most challenging aspect for me has been to make myself known in the UK, getting the word of mouth recommendations rolling here. Even though I work as an interior designer internationally, I am interested in having clients close to home too – my dream project would be a period building in London. I sometimes find it hard to go out and actively draw a specific client towards me, instead of waiting for them to find me.
I believe we are who we are because of our experiences, so I hesitate whenever I’m asked what I wish I had known. It probably would have been ideal to study interior design at the innocent age of 19 at University, doing the full 4 years and then have the opportunity to cut my teeth at an interior design studio before launching my own. However, that would have meant I wouldn’t have studied Business Administration or worked in hospitality; running a restaurant and working at a hotel, and I wouldn’t want to have missed that. I think it has shaped what I’m doing now in a positive way.
Choose what you want to do and stick to it, regardless of what other people think. It’s best to pave your own way and make your own mistakes rather than listening to others and regretting lost time because of it.
A 16th century farmhouse in Spain. It was a project where we reused everything we could, bringing the house back to its origins. All new materials that were brought in were natural building materials. The project took two years in total – it was slow going, but an enriching and satisfying project.
On one hand, the industry needs to combat the old-fashioned view that interior design is the domain of the ‘bored housewife’ and can essentially be done well by anyone who takes an interest in it. It needs to educate the general public about the knowledge and skill that goes into designing an interior space professionally. And especially, in the internet age, to get across the point that professionals can improve (and save time and money!) on what people can find and source through Pinterest, Instagram or other online platforms, and that they can help when it comes to the project management side as well.
On the other hand, the industry itself needs to open up to best support and encourage new interior designers and really help them to be successful. It’s worth remembering that interior design is also an art. You have to be organised, you have to know how to do industry-specific admin and be familiar with certain concepts and ways of working, but you also have to have intuition and imagination, to be able to envision how pieces will fit, what colours might go together and how a space can be transformed. You have to see, for example, how two potentially opposing objects could put together and, finally, you have to have taste. All of the more intangible qualities to do with artistic vision can’t be taught – you either have it or you don’t. This artistic side should be respected.
There is no lack of potential clients out there – the challenge is to find and convince them that their interior can really be improved by a professional interior designer!
I admire people who have not only been interior designers but have also created a business, employed others and grown from their small beginning. I also admire interior designers who share their knowledge, wanting to help others start up on their own. One such person is Katherine Pooley. She has been in interior design for 30 years, has grown a large business and now, on top of her business, gives talks and helps designers pave their way.
If you were inspired by Ana’s story, click here to learn more about the role of an interior designer.
Interior designers don’t usually directly specify the technology installation in the home, mainly because it’s moving too fast to learn and advise on the right product. Designers tend to outsource this role to an Audio-Video specialist.
The most dominant piece of furniture in the main room of most homes used to be the television. The room was often designed around this now almost redundant item. The furniture circled facing this big black box demonstrating the dominance television held over our recreation time. Well in case you haven’t noticed, it’s changing faster now than you can blink.
TV screens can be beautifully disguised as an old master, a mirror or even made into a fully blown floor to ceiling media wall. The fact is that most young people stream programmes to watch and channels to subscribe too whilst family viewing is quickly making Netflix – a download app or streaming channel by subscription the preferred viewing method. You can continue watching through your iPad on a plane or on the tube etc. These personalised changes have impacted on the focal point of the family home’s main reception area.
Just think about bookshelves and how they have become less dominant due to computers, kindles and a host of other mobile electronic devices, all of which remove the need for paper storage and bookshelf space. In fact the Radio, TV, bookshelf and formal dining room, central heating radiators and fireplaces have all but disappeared in recent years in exchange of a technical unobtrusive out of view and personalised choice. This creates more free space in the home.
Possibly one of the other biggest changes of home design considerations is the cost of energy. Saving on energy consumption through clever design alters the way our homes are built and look. Self generating energy-efficient homes in the next decade will increasingly be built so that energy is generated from the environment (sun and wind etc.) locally stored and shared in large banks of street terraces. Whilst the home is unoccupied it will automatically lower or shut down unnecessary levels of power such as a fridge that won’t be opened as well as basics such as heating, lighting and stand-by mode on remote electrical items. Designers are not only concentrating on colour, space design, aesthetics and overall emotive impression when creating a home interiors scheme, they are also incorporating the tech available in the future at a pace faster than we have ever seen before. The purpose is always ‘saving’ time, money, space, energy etc. The antithesis of the impression that most home owners have of a qualified accredited interior designer.
Written by Dr Vanessa Brady OBE.
Award-winning Interior Designer, CEO & Founder of the Society of British and International Design
(Image by Icon Connect: www.iconconnect.com)
SBID continue to explore the personal journeys of interior design professionals throughout the industry. This time, we interviewed the Head Designer at Evan’s Textiles, Bethany Grace Lewin, as she talks about her desire for creativity from a young age, the day-to-day life of a textile designer, and what it’s like working directly with interior designers!
I’m Head Designer at Evans Textiles which is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of soft furnishings to interior designers, specifiers and industry professionals. The majority of what I do is based in interior textile design and creating unique printed fabric designs that meet our clients’ interior design briefs – which can be for both domestic and contract markets. We’ve recently seen an increase in the popularity for our bespoke contract fabric designs and I’m very excited to say we’ve launched a new division which focuses solely on designing contract fabrics for healthcare and hospitality environments. Needless to say, my role and responsibilities are changing to meet this growing demand for our contemporary bespoke fabric designs.
What is your background and how did you get into textile design?
Since a young age I’ve been fascinated by art and design – the way it can influence a behaviour, tell a story or change a mood. I studied Maths, Biology and Economics during A-levels, but I always found myself gravitating towards art and design as I’ve always had a creative flair and felt strongly about using my artistic talent within my career. I went on to do a foundation degree in Textile Technologies, Photography and Fine Art & studied a BA (Hons) Fine Arts Degree at the Manchester School of Art. I have furthered my practice with a Post Graduate Certificate in Art & Design Education and a Master’s degree, in which I specialised in painting, print, drawing and illustration. I now use my qualifications and skills to produce high quality artwork for our interior design clients.
I’m usually up quite early around 6.30am and I’m in the office by 8.30am. As soon as I’m in the design studio, I check my emails for anything urgent over a coffee, then it’s straight to work. There’s never a dull moment and no two days are ever the same – that’s why I love my job. You have to be versatile and quite resilient within the team as the briefs can come in thick and fast and as we’re producing custom artwork daily on a variety of different base cloths, there can be a lot to manage as our clients have expectations and can often be working to tight timescales. I generally work up until 5.30pm but it’s not uncommon for me to take work home as we’re all about meeting our clients expectations.
I love to see the finished article come together in situ. It’s so rewarding to see the design I’ve been working on make a difference within an interior design scheme – and because our designs are hand-crafted and cannot be found elsewhere, they often take centre stage as the focal point in a room and give that ‘wow’ factor for our clients and their customers.
From concept to completion, I enjoy the work but it’s also brilliant when an interior designer repeatedly comes back to us with new and exciting ideas knowing the possibilities are endless with our bespoke design service and that we can and will deliver their project within budget and on time.
What’s the latest plans for Evans Textiles, is there anything new you are working on?
We’ve just launched our new division, Bespoke by Evans that specialises solely on performance fabrics for dementia care homes and healthcare facilities. We’ve created a core collection of FR contract fabrics that offer a contemporary take on the more traditional designs that you’re likely to see in standard pattern books. Plus, we have the option of our truly bespoke contract design and print services too within this division so there’s ample choice. All our designs incorporate patterns, scale, texture and familiarity so they can be used across a number of applications from bedding, seating, upholstery to drapery and more. With Evans having over 100 years’ experience in soft furnishings, the division is also able to tap into our core products like curtain lining, window blinds and curtain tracks meaning many of the essential elements for a redesign can be found in one place – saving our clients time, resource and money! I’m very excited to see what the future holds for our new initiative I think it’ll be very exciting for our clients too.
Although it’s cliché to say, often it can simply be there’s not enough time in the day. Meeting our client’s brief is our top priority so we work around the clock to create concepts, colourways and designs. There’s no fixed rule for what signifies a good design as it’s so subjective, so if we receive an unclear brief or our clients’ customer isn’t sure, it can be quite difficult to understand and manage their expectations within a certain time frame.
What do you wish you knew before working with interior designers?
The granular detail. From the outside looking in, it’s almost too easy to think interior design is all about aesthetics but there’s so much more to it. The coordination of materials, safety, design elements and space are fundamental and as we work collaboratively with all our clients, we gain a deeper understanding into the demands and strain on their particular projects.
Trust your instincts!
That’s a tricky question as every brief we receive is very different and the requirements of the client and their customer can vary greatly. There’s a botanical design that we worked on very recently for a care home it’s been a huge success with residents and staff alike. In fact, it’s been such a success it has been recognised for an International Design award by the Society of British and International Design. That’s a design I’m quite proud of.
Due to the popularity of the internet and the rise of social media, I think the traditional way of choosing a fabric design has changed and many interior designers risk missing a trick by not adapting. The days of carrying around numerous heavy traditional pattern books with limited design collections is fast coming to an end. Nowadays, both savvy interior designers and indeed their customers take to websites, Instagram and Pinterest to find inspiration. This is something we’ve actively tackled with Bespoke by Evans. Our clients can showcase our range, request free swatches, an initial design concept or request a brochure for their customers all on our website. We’re also active on social media channels too so there’s always something new to discover.
If you were inspired by Beth’s story and want to find out more about interior design and the role of an interior designer, click here.
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