SpeakEasy with Geoff Wilkinson: Garage Conversions

Ana Azevedo, founder of SBID Accredited Partner, Kassavello shares her insight into the interior design industry as a supplier of high-end brands and bespoke furniture solutions to interior designers.

What is your current job?

I head up Kassavello’s London office and manage sales and customer relations with particular focus on the interior design community. I founded Kassavello with my business partner Renata in 2015.  We offer a selection of curated products from elite brands and bespoke furniture to interior designers, architects and end clients.

Describe an average day in your job role..

My business partner Renata is based in Portugal, the location of our key suppliers and manufacturers and it’s critical that we stay aligned at all times so that there’s a consistent and seamless workflow.  Every day begins with a video conference call where we run through current priorities, project status and actions required. I then follow up client-side, more often than not this is with a UK based interior designer, on any decisions required for bespoke furniture production such as discussing design detailing or scheduled fabric deliveries.  Whilst we often receive DWG drawings from our clients, we always produce detailed technical drawings for approval working closely with a team of dedicated craftspeople in Portugal who have decades of experience and can often propose sleek solutions to practical design problems.   Most days also bring new enquiries which I follow up on often whilst juggling the logistics of overseeing white glove installation on site.  I also dedicate time each week to keep abreast of industry trends and developments too as its critical that designers can trust us to be one step ahead of the game when it comes to innovation and evolution within the luxury design space.

Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?

We frequently use different artisans to deliver individual elements for one piece of furniture – for example an exquisite brass handle crafted by an exemplary metal artisan combined with beautifully inlaid veneer from our expert team of joiners. Facilitating a designer’s unique vision through our trusted network of craftspeople is always rewarding when you see the vision from conceptual drawings through to final installation.

Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

We’re currently working on a proposal for a significant number of bespoke items for a project in Malta in collaboration with one of our favourite designers. She has a passion for bold design and colour and is always looking to push the boundaries in terms of shape and form which is thrilling for us and the team of experts that we work with. There’s nothing like a creative challenge!

What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?

Managing expectation versus budget is a familiar challenge to everyone in the industry and our sector is no exception.  Our clients consistently want to deliver exceptional pieces but sometimes you have to set expectations and find the best solution in terms of materials or a design tweak that offer a very good result and one that also comes in on budget!

The logistics of delivery can also be very challenging.  Whilst we work with outstanding white glove delivery teams, we can often be faced with logistical issues and dependencies on a 3^rd party in terms of access or red tape, particularly in central London.  Always surmountable but always a challenge!

What do you wish you knew before working in the field?

How much attention to detail interior designers have. This is certainly not a criticism, in fact far from it - we work with some exceptional designers who can sometimes request a change of design equivalent to a few millimetres. When we first developed the business, we had no idea how particular clients could be but with the benefit of experience behind us we are now able to guide and collaborate on those decisions, knowing when they will and when they won’t matter to the stability or aesthetics of a piece.

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?

Follow your gut feeling… if a project or a client does not feel right, it probably isn’t

What has been your favourite project to work on?

We were very fortunate to be given the opportunity to work on an exceptional project in Kuwait with an end client who had no budget constraints and an appetite for luxurious finishes and styling. Having the opportunity to work alongside her and her family to furnish their beautiful villa was a design dream and allowed us to select hand-crafted pieces that are rarely accessible but are truly timeless heirloom items.

Conversely, we recently worked on a project in Chelsea with high client expectations but challenging budget constraints.  We spent a lot of time with the designer developing solutions and alternatives that did not detract from the exceptional result that was required and ultimately delivered – hugely rewarding.

What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?

The access to information for end clients via social media has become overwhelming. It can make the decision- making process extremely drawn out when the client suddenly spots something new they love, or when they have seen a cheap copy of an atelier piece of furniture and fail to appreciate the value in the time and craftsmanship that is put into bespoke pieces. It’s something that the industry is working hard to address and a conversation that we are always happy to be a part of.  With close and long-standing relationships with some of Europe’s finest artisans we absolutely appreciate the skill and dedication that goes into every piece of bespoke furniture.

Who do you admire the most in the industry and why?

In terms of furniture design, Kelly Wearstler is a personal favourite of mine. Her curation of vintage, contemporary and architectural forms within her pieces is truly exceptional. She is always innovative, inspirational and evolutionary – outstanding traits in a designer that consistently pushes the boundaries and is a leading industry narrator. Architecturally it has to be Joseph Dirand, his eye for volume and space underpinned by classical proportion is unsurpassed – a true master of his craft.

Meet Karim Rashid

designer and president of Karim Rashid Inc.

Visionary and prolific, Karim is one of the most unique voices in design today. With more than 4000 designs in production, over 300 awards to his name, and client work in over 40 countries, Karim’s ability to transcend typology continues to make him a force among designers of his generation. His award-winning designs include democratic objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh! Chair for Umbra, interiors for Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Semiramis hotel, Athens, and exhibitions for Corian and Pepsi. Karim has collaborated with clients to create democratic design for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide and Magis, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high-tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski, to name a few. Karim’s work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries worldwide. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, Interior Design Best of Year Award, and IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Award. Karim is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences, globally disseminating the importance of design in everyday life.

What excites you the most about the use of artificial intelligence in product design?

I welcome the crossing of artificial and human intelligence. I love evolution, I'm looking forward to the day when we're 50% synthetic and artificial, there's something obsessive, and passionate about us becoming technological beings. I believe that technology is nature since we created it and we are nature and it is a masterplan that we will become seamlessly robotic. Right now, we have robotic technologies that can customize and differentiate production objects (creating one-off using robotic production methods), granting us personalization for anyone and everyone with great accessibility and low cost. Our high-tech objects are outside the body but in a short time they will be inside too. But seriously I will get an implant soon in my hand so that I can open up all my locks and doors in my life without keys.

How does democratized design enhance people’s wellness? 

Ever since I was a child, I wondered why there couldn't be a more democratic design that everyone could enjoy. Manufacturers can make good business from design. I have had several agendas for 20 years. Firstly is to create democratic objects and to democratize design. Secondly is to disseminate design culture to a larger audience. Thirdly is to make design more human. My aesthetic is very human, and I think it translates well to anything from furniture to a building. Design does change our everyday lives, our commodity, and our behaviours.

How do you stay on top of the latest technologies, material inventions and innovative processes to know what is possible and how far your imagination can fly when you create innovative products?

My design practice is based on my accumulative experiences, years of projects, all the books I have read, all my travels, all the diverse factories I have visited, etc. Working with so many clients gives me insight into so many technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and materials. In this way I can cross pollinate ideas, materials, behaviours, aesthetics, and language from one typology to the other.

What would be your dream project if you had complete freedom with budget, location, and time?

I would create hotels in every city I travel. I would like to design a chain of organic restaurants and coffee shops, low-income housing, art galleries, a museum and more humanitarian projects that can help save the earth. And I would build myself an organic home with no straight lines. I love Pierre Cardin's Bubble House (Palais Bulles). I was inspired by his fashion and product design from very early on.  The space is so soft, curved, organic and conceptual. Our surroundings should engage technology, visuals, textures, lots of colour, as well as meet all the needs that are intrinsic to living a simpler less cluttered but more sensual envelopment.

Karim is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.

Click here to view the full judging panel.

Meet Constantina Tsoutsikou

founder and creative director, studio LOST

Constantina is the founder of studio LOST, a brand-new design practice focusing on high-end, hospitality, residential and boutique commercial projects in collaboration with the industry’s most respected global brands. Having led the European arm of international hospitality giant HBA for many years, Constantina has worked on award-winning hotel projects around the globe, also creating also an array of bespoke products and furniture lines for her clients along the way.

What challenges and changes to our value systems do you foresee as a result of the ‘great pause’?

I have been thinking our world was due an overhaul, though now is a very vulnerable time for many people. A positive aspect is that technology has enabled many of us to have a window open to the world that lets us keep on working. The technological revolution of the last decades had not significantly changed the typical office setting and routines until now. I think this ‘pause’ will make shifts in the workplace model happen faster. It has shown that an organisation doesn’t need employees physically in the office Monday to Friday for a certain set of hours all the time. From that point of view, I am certain we will all be working more flexibly going forward.

We have also come to appreciate all the basic daily rituals that we may have been too busy to enjoy before: like cooking at home, eating together, appreciating nature, or going for a walk.

Which innovative people or companies should the design industry be paying attention to?

There are many great initiatives happening, and mainly from smaller independent studios. I really admire the young French fashion designer, Marine Serre. She makes innovative ‘future wear’, ordering quantities of existing fabric like denim and regenerating it into new, upcycled creations. Her sourcing is 50% sustainable while creating pieces with a strong, fashion-forward identity.

I am a great believer that we should support the small local businesses around us. When our local restaurants and bars are able to open, it is our spending power that will enable them to keep trading. Every choice we make when spending is voting for the kind of world we want to have.

While many companies have paused plans while in lockdown, many others have continued.

From our side for example, I pressed ahead to launch studio LOST and kept every commitment I had made previously, like commissioning a branding agency to work with us on the studio’s identity and other consultants to complete all the necessary early stages of work. We stuck to the plan and I am very grateful for the warm reception we have enjoyed from the industry since our launch.

If we want a world rich with different voices of designers, artisans, craftsmen, and independent businesses, it is our support that enables them to survive and flourish.

How will luxury design evolve in an era of more thoughtful consumption?

The pause has enabled us to question what luxury truly is. You could consider that luxury, during the lockdown, is the ability to move freely and enjoy a meal with friends! Whereas before that was something we took for granted.

The way forward will hopefully be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. I hope we will think about where things come from, their production, and how their disposal affects the environment.

I am interested in repurposing things and not making everything in a project from scratch: buying vintage, repurposing furniture, infusing an interiors scheme with antiques, and appreciating the craftsmanship of something created a hundred years ago but now finding a new use for it.

In terms of interior design, there will be a lot more upgrades happening in the next few months in the residential sector. Hotels will take a little longer to recover. As for goods, people hopefully will be buying less, but better. Staying in has definitely made me see we actually need a lot less than we realised.

What inspires you both professionally and personally?

More than anything, people and their expressions inspire me: my family; everyone I get to enjoy nice conversations with, exchange ideas and dream – writers; painters; fellow designers and thinkers; and so many more. It’s interesting to look at the world through their eyes and learn from our exchanges.

Constantina is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise. Click here to view the full judging panel.

Meet David Chang

founder and design director, David Chang Design Associates International

David Chang was honoured as SBID International Design Awards’ Master of Design in 2018. He is a registered professional member of NCIDQ, ASID, SBID and IIDA, and has more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and high-end residential interior design and management experiences in North America and Asia.  In 1998, David Chang founded David Chang Design Associates International (DCDA) in Vancouver, Canada, and then expanded to China’s market in 2006, establishing firms in Guangzhou, Beijing and Taipei to provide exclusive upscale design services on landmark projects for local top developers. Deeply influenced by Chinese and Western cultures, David Chang emphasises attention to culture and history as sources of inspiration, thereby creating vitality and rich artistic essence for each project. Moreover, David Chang emphasises interior spaces’ comfort, functionality and the creation of soul in each design. Based on these philosophies, David Chang’s innovative works have won numerous design awards in the UK, Italy, Canada, and China.

How has China begun to rebound from COVID-19? How is your studio coping, and are projects that went on hold coming back to life?

After nearly three months of diligent social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and staying at home, the daily number of new COVID-19 infection has come to an abrupt halt. All walks of life are up and running again. During the outbreak, our studio shut down entirely from late January ‘til late February. To minimise the economic damage caused by this pandemic, we reopened at the beginning of March with employees working three metres apart. Every team member wore masks at all times, and their temperatures were checked upon arrival, at lunch time, and before leaving work. Hand sanitiser was also provided three times per day during office hours. Staff were divided into two groups. In March, the first group worked Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the second group worked Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then in April the groups switched days. All projects were on hold during these three months. By the beginning of May, projects that has been placed on hold indefinitely began to resurrect in the catastrophic aftermath. Signs of intriguing new projects are also springing up in the market, but that being said, supply is still far more than demand.

Who is one of today’s cultural influencers, and how will their perspective influence your future?

There are many cultural influencers across the globe, and one who inspires me the most is Bill Gates. He and his wife Melinda established a foundation whose mission is ensuring children and young people survive and thrive with better healthcare and education so they can rise out of poverty, empowering the poorest people - especially women and girls - to transform their futures, while saving lives by providing adequate medical care to those with greatest needs. In the field of luxury interior design, all our clients have enough wealth to afford our services and products. In other words, we only design for the rich and famous. Inspired by the mission of the Gates Foundation, I see several approaches we could take in our future designs. We can donate our design skills to not-for-profit organisations, charity groups, or foundations. We can also donate a portion of the annual revenue generated from our designs and services to these charity groups.

What’s the best way to design for sustainability?

No matter how sensibly and proficiently we design and build, it’s not possible to 100% eliminate negative environmental impacts. But we can surely minimize them to get as close as possible to zero. The best way to do this is incorporating renewable resources as much as we can during the design and build processes, and then planning how they can be easily recycled or composted once their usefulness has expired.

What is the one of the most important lessons you’ve learned in your career?

All design-related professions belong to the field of applied arts, whether interior design, architecture, graphic design, or product design. Applied Arts are all the creative disciplines that apply design, science, and decoration to objects or spaces in order to make them aesthetically pleasing and functionally practical. This means we can’t just focus on how we feel and what we believe an object or space should be. The most important lesson I’ve learned in my career is that we must also try to feel and understand the perspectives, psychological needs, and functional demands of end-users.

David is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise. Click here to view the full judging panel.

SBID Accredited Partner, Ledbury Studio opened the doors of its bespoke kitchen furniture showroom in 2019, but founder Charlie Smallbone is no newcomer to the industry. The legendary designer has been pushing the boundaries of kitchen design for over 40 years.

What is your kitchen design philosophy?

‘A kitchen is for life’. I said that to the actor George Layton in 1981, when I installed one of my first kitchen designs at his London home and I still believe it to this day. At the time, though, I think George was more concerned with the cost of the kitchen than with my musings!

That said, Ledbury Studio is much more about the future than the past – every day I look forward and try to produce something unique. I still want to deliver contemporary designs using beautiful, mostly well-known materials, but I am looking to treat them in a radical way to produce something that can’t be found anywhere else.

What materials did you choose to work with for your Ledbury Studio designs?

Traditionally, the use of metal in the kitchen has been largely reserved for appliances and handles, with polished stainless steel and brass the prime material choices. But having worked with both solid and liquid metal progressively for a number of years now, the idea of broadening the application of metal in the kitchen and taking it beyond its traditional uses excited me. It was also was one of my primary inspirations in founding Ledbury Studio.

Can you talk us through the Ledbury Studio design process?

The process starts with a design consultation during which we will review any architectural plans. If clients don’t have them, we will arrange a site visit so that we can measure their proposed space and chat about how best to maximise it. At this point we are able to start putting a conceptual layout together including hand sketches and some initial 3D spatial concept modelling and material selection, based on what we have already talked about. At the same time, we will also provide an initial estimate of cost (furniture, appliances, delivery and installation).

How closely do you work with you clients to create the final design?

The best kitchens evolve from a design process that is a rooted in the ideas and interests of our clients, which then combines with the design expertise of the team. This process informs initial ideas on which materials are going to work best for the kitchen design.

Where are your kitchens made and who do you work with?

Our kitchens are built in our Wiltshire workshop by a small team, who have worked with us for many years, from our Smallbone of Devizes and Mark Wilkinson days.

We also collaborate with a handful of talented artists and artisans: Emma Culshaw Bell, an artist and specialist painter who creates bespoke colours and finishes for our painted furniture, and designs and fabricates the Verre Eglomise incorporated into our kitchens; Quentin Reynolds, the craftsman behind our pewter door fronts; and George Winks who carves wood beautifully. We have worked carefully, on a project-by-project basis, to incorporate these elements into our furniture.

What’s the best part of your job?

It’s the enjoyment that comes from working with talented people, bringing designs to life and creating furniture that inevitably is more complex as a result of that teamwork. For me, an open and collaborative process is always infinitely more satisfying than working solo. Of course, the process needs structure. But it’s important to try to maintain enough freedom to be flexible. That way, if something unexpected and good arises, we can work to incorporate it in the final design. This is really what I love about my job – to watch the evolution of an idea, and then to see the finished result in someone’s home.

Continuing to support the profession of interior design, interior designers in practice and the businesses which underpin the industry, SBID shares the official government advice released for interior design; offering essential guidance on how the industry can begin to return to work safely amid COVID-19.

The document has been prepared by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) with input from the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The advice provided is designed to help employers, employees and the self-employed in the UK understand how to work safely, keeping as many people as possible 2 metres apart from those they do not live with. We hope it gives the interior design industry freedom within a practical framework to think about what is needed to continue, or restart, operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand how important it is to work safely and support your workers’ health and wellbeing during the pandemic, and hope this guidance will be useful for businesses as they develop new ways of working - or to help them prepare for a time when they are able to reopen.

Richard Angel, founder and managing director of SBID Accredited Design Practice, Angel O’Donnell reveals his unique perspective on managing an interior design studio. After making an award-winning comeback following a period of redundancy, he launched his own practice with co-founder and interior designer, Ed O'Donnell.

What is your current job?

I’m founder and managing director of Angel O’Donnell, a London based design house that I founded with Ed O’Donnell in October 2018. My role is the business generator, together with the overall running and strategy that we adopt as a studio. As the initial customer point of contact for AOD, my role is incredibly client facing and whilst Ed takes over the client management once a project is in the studio, I really like to maintain the interface with our clients at all times, even if that is for a coffee and a chat to check in and see how things are!

Describe an average day in your job role..

Well it’s slightly different now compared to prior to Covid-19. Before lockdown, it was always an early start! I like to kick start the day with a spin class or gym session, and then I’m on the train to make the commute from my cottage in West Sussex into our office in Soho. This is when I’m able to plough through my paperwork and emails that have come in overnight, together with catching up on my diary and to-do list! Once in London, I grab my regular flat white from Grind on Beak Street and have a catch up with Ed on projects, what’s happening and when, together with a creative review of designs that are in hand. From 12pm onwards, I’m out of the office, meeting new clients, catching up with existing ones and generating new business. Often, I’ll meet up with an old contact in the property industry for a light lunch. I tend to work a long day and will attend an evening event at least 3 times a week in London, networking or learning. I’m a member of Soho House and they put on some great professional talks which I find so interesting and inspiring, they’re not necessarily design related but do challenge the way I think!

However, since March my daily routine has changed somewhat! Now, it starts with a Joe Wicks exercise routine at 9am with my kids, catch up with Ed over Teams (which thankfully we’ve been using for about 18 months now so there is little change), updating our live blog (www.angelodonnell.com/blog) and then dealing with the tasks for the day, partaking in a number of webinars and coupled with some maths and English tutorials!! Quite a balancing act!!

We’ve had a big drive on social media recently, where we’ve been wanting to put our skills to use helping others, which has led to our ‘Wednesday Wisdom’ series on Instagram’s IGTV. The response to that has been great, helping our followers with a number of the burning design issues that they’ve been wanting to deal with, especially now that they’re spending so much time at home! I always, always finish each day with exercise and yoga or meditation, it’s so good to clear the mind and stay physically and mentally fit.

Lockdown has been an incredibly busy period for me, other than Angel O’Donnell, I co-own a hotel in Surrey which was obviously forced to shut, so that has been challenge unfortunately having to deal with the furloughing of all the staff and navigating a path in uncertain times. However, I always recognised that the hotel was not fit for purpose in its current form, even prior to the pandemic, and thankfully during lockdown, I’ve secured planning to convert part of the hotel into 18 residential units and another part that’s Grade II listed into a boutique restaurant with 12 bedrooms, which I have confidence will no doubt be hugely attractive in the future as we see an uptake in the ‘stay-cation’ market.

Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?

I love the excitement of bringing on a new client and turning an idea or a dream into a reality! I love people and being able to surround myself with great colleagues, and amazing clients is a dream! Many of our clients worry about not having the vision or are sometimes embarrassed to express their taste and style ideas and it’s incredibly rewarding when we’re able to find the thread that inspires them and to pull that into a design.

Furthermore, I love the creativity and drive of entrepreneurship, thinking of new ideas, testing them and making them happen! I’m so lucky to have Ed as a business partner, we get on fantastically and have completely complimentary skills, which makes for a brilliant fit and is incredibly rewarding!

Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

Yes!!! We’ve just finished the tallest Build-to-Rent building in London for Canary Wharf Group, designing all their front of house and communal areas and the results are fantastic! We’re also on site on our second project for a particular client in Fitzrovia, having completed his first home in the summer of 2019 which he wanted to refurbish to sell. He’s now down-sizing into what will be the most fabulous pied-a-terre, so it’s great now bringing that to reality!

I’m also a little proud that Ed and I have managed to pitch for the work, secure the contract and design the most fabulous penthouse in a tower on the banks of the Thames in London, doing so entirely remotely during lockdown! This really will be the most phenomenal apartment and I can’t say much at this stage, other than it has a vast roof terrace with spectacular views of London, and we have plans for a sunken, outdoor lounge and a hot tub, it will be a pretty special place to sip champagne from when complete!!

What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?

Lack of time!! Time is such a precious commodity and being a still relatively new business, it’s still very much Ed and I doing everything which is great on the one hand but means I’m working incredibly long hours on the other!! Nick Jenkins, founder of MoonPig, talks about working smart and not hard and I’m trying to embrace that, employing others where I can so I can delegate and really using technology to help make my life easier but it also takes time to know what tech is best to suit our needs and then learning how to use it!

More recently, it’s been lack of human, physical interaction when trying to develop business but we’ve secured two jobs during lockdown, which whilst they’ve been a challenge, they have also been the most rewarding, as we’ve really had to think creatively in how to secure the work.

What do you wish you knew before working in the field?

The secret to fee scales and how best to charge clients! If I knew that, then I’d be winning all the work I pitch for!!

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?

Tenacity is critical. Learn your craft, have the strength of your convictions, and don’t take no for an answer, and success will follow. There is also no such word as can’t!!

To those that are reading this, I would say that the coming months, and possibly years, are going to be very difficult for many both in and out of the industry. Sadly, we will see a lot of redundancies and many businesses will not survive. However, for those that can show tenacity, resilience, and an incredible work ethic in the face of adversity, they will come out stronger than ever. It was only two years ago that I was made redundant; I had huge concerns as to how I was going to cope financially and what the future had in store for me but I spent time thinking about how to create a business and drive success, 18 months later I was celebrating my win at the SBID 2019 Awards! You just need to believe in yourself!

What has been your favourite project to work on?

That is a tricky question, as they have all been great, with different challenges along the way but with fantastic results! However, if I had to choose one, it would be The Atlas Building penthouse in Shoreditch. The client had high expectations but was a dream to work for, we loved the collaboration between ourselves and our client, and the result was incredible!

What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?

I think it needs to be recognised as a professional body, much the same as RIBA or RICS for architects and surveyors alike. Furthermore, is the issue with fees, it’s been spoken about numerous times at SBID events and in the wider press on fees not being paid and the challenges being faced, particularly around the final payment. There are now several online escrow account businesses, where provided there are cast iron terms of business between the client and the customer, monies can be held in escrow before a payment is due or a dispute arises.

Who do you admire the most in the industry and why?

I really admire those that are multi-faceted in their business interests, the likes of Kit Kemp being both interior designer and hotel owner, Chloe Macintosh for her work on Made.com and then creativity at Soho House, and in the same vain Vicky Charles for the Soho House ‘look’ she has been so fundamental in achieving and that people want to emanate, and of course my friend Edo Mapelli Mozzi who has created both a successful design studio and real estate development business.

SBID Accredited Partner, Mark Taylor, managing director of Mark Taylor Design reveals his journey in the design profession, and shares the advice he would give his younger self before he began his career as a designer.

What is your current job?

I’m the Managing Director of Mark Taylor Design, a British furniture design business, responsible for designing, manufacturing and fitting kitchens, bathrooms, studies, bedrooms, staircases and more.

Describe an average day in your job role..

I will get in by 8.30am most days, contact clients throughout the day to ensure everybody is happy.  I have a meeting most days with my teams on various projects.  I might be designing or sketching, liaising with suppliers, costing projects, sourcing materials, working with my interior design team and, depending on the day, there’s usually a site visit or two.

Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?

Winning really exciting projects at one end, and seeing great work installed and happy clients at the other.  I get a real sense of achievement out of a problem cleverly solved.

Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

We are about to work on a swimming pool and gym construction which is exciting, as it’s a ‘start from scratch’ project, in a beautiful setting, with a client I’ve worked with a great deal in the past.  This is the next phase of turning his home into his perfect home, which is always very satisfying.

What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?

Finding enough hours!

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?

Don’t be afraid to be bold in your designs. Use interesting materials and play with shape and colour.  As I’ve become more experienced, I’ve learnt that the braver designs are the ones that the client remembers and enjoys most – they have a talking point and so do we! When I was starting out, I always worried that my simple designs wouldn’t be noticed. I’ve learnt that the opposite is true; simpler is often bolder and more stunning than complicated. Finally, having conviction in your ideas.

What has been your favourite project to work on?

Working alongside Interior Design, Charlotte Jackson of Nice Brew Design, we fitted out a very large basement extension, with a bar, bowling alley, wine cellar and entertaining space. It was a great project because the space was large but dark. The lighting and ambience of every element of this space was so crucial to it feeling comfortable and exciting. We worked with different textures, materials and even screens to bring the space to life.

What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?

I’m not sure. It feels healthy to us at the moment. The world is quite fragile though with Covid-19, and I guess it might be about whether people have the funds to afford interior design. Hopefully, the economic recovery will be relatively swift and people will continue to see the value of investing in their  homes.

Who do you admire the most in the industry and why?

Small artisan craftsmen are still my greatest source of admiration because of the enormous love they have for what they produce, and for the techniques and skills that are so precious to us.  Those who are teaching younger manufacturers and designers these traditional skills, and who are adapting them to today’s market are fantastic examples of how our industry will stay relevant and desirable.

Meet Vasiliki Petrou

group ceo and executive vice president, Unilever Prestige

Vasiliki joined Unilever in November 2012 after completing a 19-year career with Procter & Gamble.  In P&G, Vasiliki led various global, regional and local roles mainly in the Beauty Category primarily working in skin, hair and colour cosmetics. Vasiliki’s first role in Unilever was creating the Pitch Co-Creation (Innovation) Centres in London and New York. Vasiliki also led the development of strategic macro space work that has been pivotal in defining the strategy, innovation pipeline and expertise of the Beauty and Personal Care Category.  In 2014, Vasiliki started the creation of the Prestige division from the beginning. Since then, Vasiliki led the acquisition of 7 companies Dermalogica, Murad, Kate Somerville, Ren, Garancia, Living Proof, and Hourglass. Vasiliki leads a team of 8 CEOs and a central multi-functional team that decide strategic priorities, resource allocation and growth strategy for the portfolio. Vasiliki also is in charge of continuous M&A with the objective to growing current portfolio approximately €540m in turnover to €1 billion. Vasiliki is known to have created a first in organisation design of the Prestige business model of the “string of pearls” that is Brand and Founder Centric and innovates in new models of marketing and omni-channel.

Vasiliki is a champion of female entrepreneurs. Passionate about mentoring young people, supporting female leaders, creative talent, and doing social good, Vasiliki is the Chairwoman of the Cosmetic Executive Women, leading industry association in Beauty in the UK.

How do you define luxury, and how is it evolving?

Luxury can mean a multitude of things, but for the beauty industry, and my brands, it has evolved in recent time to mean “experience”. We know our consumers naturally seek out style and slick aesthetics, which the brands within the Unilever Prestige portfolio deliver – but more than ever we see them craving more than this. They want either the human touch, or personalisation, something that feels bespoke to them. It’s this that elevates something from simply stylish design to true luxury.

What lifestyle changes are influencing the design of products?

Our audience definitely like style, but they need simplicity and ease of use too. Lifestyles today are hectic and we’re busier than ever before, so products that look good but also deliver great results are key. For our brands, the best designs are those that look great, offer a different sensorial experience, but that are also easy to navigate.

How can the luxury industry lead the way as a pioneer in sustainability?

I’m proud that our brands are leading the way in sustainability for the luxury beauty space. REN is continuously the first to go to market with new initiatives whether it’s using PCR or embracing new ways of recycling to minimise the impact on the environment. This is not simply a trend, but a must-have. We put a large amount of resources into looking at our sustainable solutions, and work hand-in-hand with retailers – when it comes to sustainability, we all have to be in it together.

The cross-pollination of brands and experiences continues to grow. What future collaborations do you think would be successful, and why?

We’re always open to partnerships and are excited by the growing fusion between beauty and the health, fitness and wellness industries at the moment. We definitely see this continuing to grow as the increase in our openness to more holistic health and beauty solutions increases. But beyond that, there are no rules anymore…influencers who were once focused solely on beauty have now expanded to fashion, fitness, interiors, etc… This opens up a lot of exciting new doors for partnerships that will reach a new, but engaged, audience.

Vasiliki is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.

Click here to view the full judging panel.