A Q&A with James Ashfield: Studio Director of Interior Design at Rigby & Rigby

The Rigby & Rigby Interior Design Studio are one of six standalone departments that form Rigby & Rigby, a multi award winning design and delivery Studio based in London. Led by Studio Director, James Ashfield has over seventeen years of international experience in the Luxury Residential sector.

What are the main ingredients of a luxury residential project?

The main ingredient is time, we streamline the project process and provide a space that answers our clients brief. All of our clients define personal luxury differently, so once we understand what they really want, and how we can help them to achieve it, we can strive to create an elegant environment where they can live an efficient and happy life.

How is the luxury residential market changing?

The market is continuing to grow with major new luxury developments such as Battersea Power Station in London, UK and Atlantis The Royal Residences, Dubai, UAE, to name two.

At a micro scale, we have seen an influx of technology into the home. Everything can be controlled and monitored from afar and technology is affecting the way we create spaces too. Its use is beneficial to the environment, with greater control and efficiency of utilities and systems.

The use of 3D design and Virtual Reality has enhanced our process and changed the way that we develop and present a project. Within our team we recruited 3D designers to model space and product, streamlining our offering and further engaging the client in the design process.

At a macro scale, the world has a vast abundance of development happening across the globe. With so much development and strain on the environment it’s critical to implement good design and avoid unnecessary waste. Quality and craftmanship are everlasting. Colour and trend are transient. If the bones of a project are well considered and efficient, and a combination of good quality and sustainable products are used, then our impact on the planet is minimised.

UHNW clients' tastes have changed too. There is more appreciation of ‘less is more’ and a greater concentration on quality and attention to detail. We curate interiors that combine both custom and branded furniture. When installing a sofa from a top Italian supplier we buy into the history and culture of furniture making, and the years of experience that have gone into designing and manufacturing a perfectly executed product. The elements adjacent to the sofa, such as the rug, tables and artwork, are products we custom design to create a truly unique product and arrangement. This same principle is applied across a project, and this creates a new luxury, one that is personal, refined and less pretentious.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by so many people, places and objects. I’m particularly fascinated with Brazil, its outdoor lifestyle and the rich abundance of design. I love the sea, sun and sand. Brazil is a country of continental proportions, with regional differences in biodiversity, society, economy and industrialization. From Oscar Niemeyer’s architecture to The Campana brothers reclaimed furniture, the multiple interpretations of function and beauty, along with the manufacturing processes, result in a varied production of design.

What are you excited about in luxury residential design this coming year?

Our interior design studio has a strong year ahead with some incredible projects coming live next year. One of our flagship projects, Lancelot House, a one-minute walk from Harrods in Knightsbridge, is due for completion. This project has been in our department for five years so I’m very excited to see it realised. We are also delivering a number of UK projects, two apartments in Knightsbridge, two show homes in Mayfair, a townhouse in Chelsea, and our international projects too, a villa & two apartments in Dubai, UAE, and a residential development in Tokyo, Japan.

This is a very exciting period for our team and it will build on the success of the award-winning projects we’ve delivered over the past year.

What’s the one thing about you that will surprise most people?

During my stay in the Middle East I dedicated time to an animal welfare charity and rescued stray and injured animals – at one point I had 12 rescued animals in my home and then returned to the UK with three pets, Vanilla, Pudding & Pie, who are all formerly strays.

Questions answered by James Ashfield, Studio Director, Rigby & Rigby.

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Riviera Home UK are a subsidiary of Rivera Home furnishings, a world leader in the manufacture of luxury quality textiles. Specialising in broadloom carpets and rugs for the UK market, they offer a unique twist on luxury naturally sustainable and ethical floorcoverings.

How would you describe your style?

Our ethos and style of the brand at Riviera is all about function, suitability, sustainability, inspiration, fashion, and exclusivity. Our products include innovative flat woven collections, tufted wool loops in solid dyed and heather blends along with blended fibres such as Tencel and Bamboo. Our carpets and rugs are textured using plain, natural colour shades to easily fit in with today’s residential environment. The styling of Riviera Home’s carpets works beautifully with many on-trend colours and interior schemes. We want to be different from the mainstream and this is one of the main reasons we work so successfully with interior designers, offering their clients something which is unique to them.

What are the origins of Riviera Home?

Riviera Home began as a family-run business, with the first generation of the Singla family selling cotton fabrics from their own shop in India’s historic city of Panipat. In 1984 the third generation of the Singla family members ventured into the export of handcrafted products and earned the Gold Medal award from the Handloom Export Promotion Council. The UK office opened in 2013 and we are proud to be running our UK sales and stock operation from the home of carpets in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

The origins of the brand are embedded in design for functionality with style. At Riviera Home, we spend a great deal of time working on textured carpets in different effects, styles, options to offer something different and exciting to an interior design project.

We use soft, subtle, and natural colour shades which work fantastically well as a foundation base for a new interior design scheme along with the security of high-quality manufacturing in both handmade and machine techniques.

How do you work with interior designers?

Relationships and developing strong trading partnerships are very important to Riviera Home, working very closely with interior designers who we encourage to work with our national network of professional flooring retailers (authorised dealerships), all of whom are highly skilled and experienced in floorcoverings and who can support them with handling and fitting of our carpets. This relationship is supported by our national network of sales professionals and our dedicated team working Riviera Home’s Head office.

We work with designers by utilising a professional display sample box which has a backup sample postage service. We also have a nationwide sales team which can connect, meet, discuss, and help where needed to maintain a constant dialogue and ensure we meet evolving project needs and requirements.

What value does your bespoke offering add to the interior design industry?

At Riviera Home, we can convert all our ranges into bespoke rugs available in the size of your choice. Utilising your choice of tape, finish, texture, colour, style, whether you’re utilising a wide border to compliment or contrast or discreet blind stitching for a unique finish. This service is hand-finished and offers endless options and flexibility. We provide the highest quality products and manufacturing processes, combined with knowledgeable sales staff.

Examples of recent installations are proudly posted on our Riviera Home Instagram page (rivierahomelondon), and we really value the support from all our partners. There is a consistent social media output to help further connect, present, and represent new design ideas and styles available.

What are the latest trends you’ve noticed in your client’s requests?

We see the latest trends heading towards a more natural style and look with renewable materials such as wool continuing to be important for warmth, wear, softness, and security.

We also see a return to some of the softer colours coming through in natural cream and champagne colour shades, along with some stronger sand shades to work with bronze and brass tones are becoming fashionable.

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Using tiles in interiors has been common practice for decades, from our bathroom floors to our kitchen walls. In fact, the use of tiles stems back to Ancient Egypt! Today, as interior designers are always looking for new ways use materials and innovate their designs, the specification of floor and wall tiles is getting more and more creative. Newly SBID Accredited specialists in tiles for specifiers, Craven Dunnill share their story; from a longstanding heritage, to how they work with interior designers to supply unique and bespoke tiling solutions for their projects. Discover their insight on the latest trends for interior tiles!

What are the origins of Craven Dunnill?

We have been manufacturing and supplying ceramic tiles for commercial and residential projects for 150 years, since 1872; and we use every bit of that experience to ensure that our clients are always provided with professional, market-leading and passionate support. Our vast portfolio is stocked here in the UK, showcasing the very latest of British and European produced ceramic wall and floor tiles. Our specialist production factory, based in Ironbridge UK, still operates as the oldest surviving purpose-built tile factory in the world.

With a deeply rooted history in providing tiles for interior design specification, we offer distinctive designs inspired by our longstanding heritage, with an unrivalled reputation for quality, style, and service. With experience stretching back 150 years, we pride ourselves in our flexibility, technical support, fit for purpose guidance, and high product quality standards.

How do you work with interior designers?

Craven Dunnill stock the widest selection of ceramic tiles from the leading manufacturers around the World. Our vast range provides interior designers with limitless possibilities according to their project needs and requirements.

We appreciate that every project is unique and we have extensive experience across a wide variety of projects and installations. With the knowledge and experience of what is achievable, we work closely with interior designers to ensure we select products which fit the performance, quality and longevity demands for their projects.

We can provide a truly bespoke solution for even the most challenging of projects. If you can’t find the tile you need in our vast portfolio of wall and floor tiles, we have the facility to produce ceramic wall or floor tiles to almost any shape and/or size. All custom design and manufacture solutions are provided through our own specialist factory. Craven Dunnill Jackfield have been hand-making ceramic tiles for over 150 years and now combine modern and traditional production techniques to create bespoke wall or floor ceramics to almost any design and specification!

What value does your sector add to the interior design industry?

Tiles are an integral element for any project and offer a wide variety of materials, finishes and styles with versatile laying options which can bring the vision of interior designers to life. They can deliver stunning aesthetics, unify indoor and outdoor spaces with a seamless transition and offer everyday solutions to meet the challenging creative and practical demands of contemporary projects.

Creating surfaces for many projects involves not only meeting requirements in terms of practicality, durability but also aesthetics. Tile materials can guarantee comfort, elegance, very high-quality performance and longevity for long term use to meet more eco-friendly specification approaches to sustainability.

Today, hygiene and safety is more important than ever. Everyone wants to live and work in healthy environments. Ceramic surfaces with antibacterial protection, an anti-microbial shield integrated into the tiles, eliminate up to 99.9% of surface bacteria, 24 hours a day, forever.

How do your services/offering enhance an interior designer’s projects? 

Specialists like no other. Craven Dunnill is renowned for the production and supply of ceramic wall and floor tiles to all market sectors, including specification, housebuilder, commercial, retail and specialist, for both the UK and global markets.

What are the latest trends you’ve noticed in your client’s requests?

• Indoor/outdoor living is an enduring trend that continues to drive the need for creative and practical solutions.
• Large format tiles in a variety of effects and finishes are increasingly moving into domestic and residential projects, while natural effect tiles as wall surfaces and feature walls remain popular.
• There is a trend emerging towards a mix and match approach, with interior designers pushing the creative use of contrasting effects and finishes, incorporating 3D wall tiles with bold patterns and dramatic reliefs.
• Thinner porcelain slabs, which are easier to handle and install than large stone slabs but offer the same aesthetic, are helping designers create stunning and expansive surfaces.
• Wet room solutions are continuing to grow in popularity.
• Highly durable porcelain is also increasingly be used as an alternative to other materials such as granite for surfaces such as kitchen worktops. Porcelain is highly durable and offers a wider variety of attractive effects and finishes.

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As an international multi-award-winning Interior Designer and Business Consultant with over 40 years of industry experience, SBID founder & CEO, Dr Vanessa Brady OBE was interviewed for FRAME Recruitment's recent Interior Design & Architecture Employment and Industry Update for 2021. In this Q&A, Vanessa comments on how the career path for an interior designer has evolved, shares her unique expertise on the key employment trends that she has witnessed throughout her professional career, and offers her predictions for the future of the industry.

How have you seen the hiring landscape and career path of an Interior Designer change over the last few years?

The industry has seen a rise in the number of graduates choosing a career in Interior Design. In the past design was viewed as ‘not necessary’ and had a bad reputation for ‘excessive expenditure’, but in more recent years it has changed a lot. With the professional role of an Interior Designer aligning more heavily to what students learn at university, it has made it much easier for graduates to follow a clear career path. Now, the best recruitment is from university, where students know that they will have a job once they graduate.

As a result of a more career-focused and targeted university curriculum, fewer design students are ‘dropping out’ and the professional practice feed is stronger. When recruiting, practices now have candidates who are aware of the skills that they need - such as strong mathematical skills and soft skills like resilience. These are all skills that are needed to be a designer but something that was not even considered six years ago.

Now designers have to specialise to procure a job in a specific sector, such as hospitality, retail, workplace or residential.

How has the progression of a designer changed and how do you see it changing in the future?

Looking back to three years ago, projects were client-based in terms of the review that a designer received. Additionally, a designer would have to self-promote themselves to get jobs because they didn’t have the methods to gain projects or recruit staff for projects. Growing a practice was not as connected as it is today and that disconnect has held back many talented people that were unknown or in the wrong place.

As an employer, it was very difficult to recruit the right talent and find candidates with the right specialist skills. Fast forward to 2020/2021 when we were forced to go online, designers and architects have been able to create online communities and network in a new way. Now designers can upskill themselves through podcasts, free information and webinars to continue career development online. Going online has also made it great for people that work different hours by proving more flexible working options; it has created a better quality of life for work in the home and office.

However, I do believe that teams need to interact, especially in a creative industry. Sometimes just having a team meeting together at a desk makes it easier to create a concept. Online this is much more difficult, and it can take longer to converse. I think that what we will see in the future is a blended way of working, which will improve the way we communicate in business and provide a better home/life balance.

What is the ‘risk’ vs ‘Qualified’ advice between designers and investors?

The difference now is that as designers, we are always seated at the table of a design project with investors funds. Interior design adds the extra value that helps to sell an investors product. It’s that extra value that makes people stay in the bar/club longer or buy the product. Colours influence the way people feel and act and investors want that for their businesses. It isn’t by chance that places such as restaurants are designed the way they are, they are designed with a return of investment in mind. That is a part of the designers skill-set, and investors want the designers that they choose to have the experience to link the remit with visual aid.

To mitigate risk designers need to ensure that the advice they provide is qualified. It is crucial to consider the usage that the client requires and not to over-specify. This is where it is fundamental to overlap the skills of compliance, legislation, building regulation and sustainability. Untrained designers do not necessarily pull all of these skills together.

In more recent years, the respect between the client and a designer has grown because of these skills and I think that this will only continue to develop. Designers are now required to work collaboratively with builders/contractors and as a result, there is better communication across the industry.

What have been/will be the biggest growth sectors?

When something is global like COVID-19, everyone suffers simultaneously, which reduces risk because you are all in the same place at the same time. However, when we all had to work online, I was initially concerned about the lack of communication between the sectors that would suffer. I remember thinking ‘will design be the first thing to go?’.

Instead what we saw was an uptake in residential design because people were not going out and spending money, so more people had disposable income to spend on improving the home and changing furniture. This growth across the residential sector fed the smaller practitioners, which were my initial biggest concern.

In terms of the business sectors, IT and design were the only two categories of the entire creative sectors that have experienced growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

How has the industry experienced ‘change of use’ and will it continue to do so?

Areas such as hospitality, especially smaller boutique hotels which were originally homes, have been forced to close due to COVID-19. However, many of them are now ripe for re-configuring into the super-luxury high-end residential fit-out properties. The larger hotels have taken the opportunity during ‘lockdown’ to refurbish and therefore design and construction in this area have continued.

Is REVIT going to play an important part in Interior Design, just like Architecture?

REVIT and Vectorworks are the two most commonly used, and the most in-demand. So, they will always play an important role in both architecture and design.

What advice would you give someone looking to delve deeper into the visualisation and design fields?

Define the specialism that you want to practice in. In this industry, it is all about getting as much training and as many internships as you can. The more that you can learn about each different sector, the better. I would also say becoming more qualified in a specialism will help when it comes to securing a job, and recruiters will favour this too.

Have social media platforms, such as Instagram influenced the way designers work or design spaces?

I think Instagram has made the industry more popular and reachable, but I wouldn’t say that it has influenced it. It has enabled people to see the design errors that we didn’t see previously and has pushed people to realise that they need to hire qualified designers. Instagram is great for seeing the end result, which people love but we need to show the journey to get to the result.

What do you think is important when it comes to recruitment?

An industry recruitment specialist, like FRAME, has the strong ability to place people into the right roles, the right practices and the right industry. Their experience and expertise give them the ability to advise based on individual and business needs, as a result, the industry will do better.

As consumer lifestyles and the significance of the bathroom sector evolves into stylish (and hygienic) wellness-driven sanctuaries in the home, discover how the innovative bathroom designer and manufacturer, Kohler collaborates with interior designers to enhance the product specification process for transforming bathroom environments with luxury and functionality in equal measure.

What are the origins Kohler?

Kohler is a now 4^th generation family business which was started in 1873 by John Michael Kohler. Today it is a global business operating across various sectors and headed by David Kohler, President and CEO. Kohler Co. designs and manufactures kitchen and bath products under renowned global brands like KOHLER and KALLISTA; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and ANN SACKS tile; and is the owner/operator of two, five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

How do you work with interior designers?

We work with designers through collaboration as a partner to help them achieve project requirements within the brief. We do so in the first instance by introducing them to our bathroom ranges designed for UK and global project specifications. This is supported and underpinned by our London Clerkenwell showroom, the Kohler Experience Centre, where we invite A&D to learn about our brand, experience our products and participate in talks and events that support the design community.

What value does your sector add to the interior design industry?

The bathroom today, as most designers will agree, has become an increasing focal point of specification with a far greater demand on design and function while delivering upon the dimensions of wellbeing we all strive to achieve in today’s modern world. It is now considered by many that the bathroom is the most integral part of the home to specify. More bathrooms are being added to projects and no longer the clinical white box but a need to ensure the space provides an environment that is tactile, stylish, modern, and offers a seamless transition from one room to the next. Above all, it’s creating a space of wellness as well as function. As such, the bathroom sector has adapted to offer products that reflect the different materials and colours often reserved for products seen in living spaces while bringing luxury, functionality and technology to new levels of possibility.

How do your services/offering enhance an interior designer’s projects? 

As a manufacturing business, and in particular with respect to the bathroom specification sector, we manufacture products to simplify the specification process, so that wherever possible we can be a one-stop shop for bathroom specification for the designer. From basins, furniture, WCs, and taps, to shower enclosures, fittings and accessories we can help to make specifying a much more gracious experience.

What are the latest trends you’ve noticed in your client’s requests?

Metal colour finishes and the variety of choices available for tap and shower fittings have been hugely popular. We are seeing a resurgence in gold whilst the emergence of black and brass coloured finishes are now commonly requested across various levels of specifications, and not just at the very top end of specification. In light of the ongoing global situation with Covid, we are also seeing more demand for hygiene technology across specifications, whether it's intelligent toilets, touchless products or in the very material of the product itself.

Why did you become a sponsor for the SBID Awards? 

Kohler is a well-established brand within UK project specification, and we want to recognise the amazing work created by the UK design community which is driving global project design – many of whom we work with regularly on specification for various hospitality and residential projects. Kohler remains positioned as a global leader which continues to evolve and adapt to meet the needs and demands of both the specifier and consumer not just today, but also well into the future.

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Pushing the boundaries of product design from form and function, to technology and mechanics, Founder, Julien Bonzom, shares how his design studio developed its unique offering for the interior design market. Julien highlights growing client sentiments towards the quality and expertise that comes with local craftsmanship to design for longevity.

What are the origins Julien Bonzom?

I grew up in the South of France. I pretty much spent my entire childhood in my dad’s workshop working alongside him with materials like wood and metal, and on agricultural machinery repairs. I studied history of art and the traditional furniture making at the Institute Europeen de Formation des Compagnons du tour de France (IEF-CTF) – a unique school led by the best French craftsmen.

I participated in several prestigious competitions and won the Meilleur Apprenti de France (MAF; best apprentice in France) before my 16th birthday. After this award I was incredibly happy to have had a job offered by a world renown company, which opened to me the opportunity to travel the world. I perfected my knowledge in manufacturing and discovered my passion for design.

When I settled in London in 2014, I set up my own design studio specialised in the fields of design, horology, furniture as well as creating unique and limited-edition design art pieces. My passion rapidly became a success that drove me towards more and more refined projects and tasks. My clientele today is international: from world renown Swiss watch brands to furniture manufacturers, editors, and private clients.

After almost a decade of dedication to perfection, building relationships, and garnering respect from industry leaders, I decided to move to Toulouse, France with the desire to create the pieces that were stuck in my head, and collaborate with people who have the same desire for creating as me. I have a profound respect for French tradition and craftsmanship, and my vision is to reinvigorate and rediscover a sense of pride in the history, heritage, and details of centuries ago.

How do you work with interior designers?

I work hand in hand with interior and yacht designers, as well as property developers. I’m a sort of a ‘tools box’ for them, which I enjoy. Due to my design and engineering background in multiple fields I have endless possibilities at the tips of my fingers: bringing horology and automotive details and finishes to products. Manufacturing specific fixings methodology and installations are only few examples of the services I offer. I mix craftsmanship techniques, engineering and material knowledge from many fields which gives interior designers the possibilities to have a unique piece that truly pushes their styling to a next level, whilst being functional at the same time.

Since 2018, as well as answering bespoke design commissions, I have been designing art pieces that truly represent my work, slowly building a collection and a name as a designer / artist. Interior designers enjoy using my creations as each is unique and can be positioned as part of many interior schemes.

What are the latest trends you’ve noticed in your client’s requests?

Regarding furniture and lighting brands, there is a trend towards designing new collections with ethical materials. In addition, there is always this perpetual ‘less is more’ trend, pushing to create clean lines all of which is also a part of my design approach.

In the horology sector, the current trend is to really push the independent craftsmanship. My clients ask me more and more to bring back old techniques into a modern feel, which I genuinely enjoy.

Private clients often do not look for a specific trend but instead ask to have something unique created that represents them. The requests for durability are on the rise, and it is a strength in my offering - to create pieces that will carry through to the next generation.

In general, design is moving towards the multi-function object, hand crafted and mostly produced locally. People are shifting the way of consuming goods and this will have a significant impact on new design. Julien Bonzom believes in designing products that last a lifespan, and that are built to be environmentally friendly. I am doing my best to achieve this every day.

What value does your sector add to the interior design industry?

The value is in creating objects that represent the client’s personality, objects that can be passed on to the next generation; not following a trend but owning an art piece.

How do your services/offering enhance an interior designer’s projects? 

I’m acting in a sector where customers have pretty much everything. Interior and yacht designers are constantly looking for objects that bring their clients’ experience to the next level. The services I offer integrate precision, craftsmanship, and technology with an array of materials, and help interior designers enhance their projects. I have knowledge into the manufacturing process and not design only; this helps designers save time and budget.

To find out how to join SBID professional membership, click here