This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series comprises of a spectacular penthouse set across two buildings and a charming garden apartment. The Eaton Place residence offers an unparalleled level of luxury and sophistication; with a fusion of opulent style and functional design, this period property has been thoughtfully re-designed to epitomise luxurious modern living. An iconic address in the heart of Central London, Belgravia is one of London’s most vibrant and prestigious destinations, with grand Georgian architecture surrounded by the green open spaces of both Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace Gardens. Working in close partnership with developer and interior designer, Fenton Whelan Design, Nulty Bespoke assisted with the completion and installation of several stunningly custom-made lighting pieces throughout this luxury residential apartment. The overall interior design skilfully mixes contemporary finishes with the building’s classical proportions, giving a homely yet truly inspiring sensation to each space. The sympathetic treatment of the listed building’s key rooms ensures that the historic grandeur of the property is not only retained but enhanced. Céline Gehamy, Product Designer at Nulty Bespoke comments,
‘We immensely enjoyed working on this residential project with its high spec and elegant design. From designing a creative, beautiful and practical solution for a chandelier in the tall, thin stairwell, to overseeing the colour combinations of the glass pendants within the dining room, this was just the kind of project that the Nulty Bespoke team thrives upon. Throughout the design, manufacture and installation every detail was diligently considered - from the positioning of each individual element in the design stage to the threading and fastening of every tiny crystal’.
We interviewed Celine Gehamy and Ollie Yates, Product Creation at Nulty Bespoke about their collaboration with Desariot Ademaj, the Creative Director at Fenton Whelan Design to produce bespoke lighting solutions for a project of this luxurious magnitude!
Company: Fenton Whelan Design & Nulty Bespoke
Project: Eaton Place
Project Location: London, UK
What was the client's brief?
The client requested a selection of unique and individual luminaires designed for a luxury residential apartment in London. There were a number of spaces that we had to create bespoke pieces for ranging from the living room, dining room, entertainment space, stairwell and bedroom. The project was very high end and the design of the pendants had to reflect this, whilst supporting the individual style of each room.
What inspired the design of the project?
Each space required its own identity, and this is reflected in the design of the luminaires. Such as the finishes, the shape, light source and colour temperature.
A light sculpture in the main entertaining space of the apartment, incorporates 22 mouth-blown dish-like glass shades made in London. Each shade is a combination of different hues of purple and white. The sculpture consists of two separate polished champagne-gold-coloured metal frames, which seamlessly blend together as one. Each section has two ceiling plates incorporating the same metal. The LED light source is housed in an oval-shaped detail accommodating the natural, variations of glass thickness. The underside of the glass resembles an oyster shell with a pearl nestled within.
Three large tailor-made Art Deco inspired luminaires add a stylish touch to the top floor entertaining space. The refined light fittings, each measuring 1.6m x 0.25m have been handcrafted with sandblasted reeded glass, a material reminiscent of the Art Deco era. Each luminaire exudes a diffused light, and a warm temperature of 2400k providing a soft radiant effect within the ceiling cove. The trio of elegant handmade luminaires brings a sense of perspective to the room and demonstrates that simplicity can most definitely be striking. The quality of the luminaires complements the rich materials used in the interior design, adding a classic touch to the gentleman’s club-feel of the room.
A statement cluster of 19 hand-blown glass shades made in England hang above the dining table, complementing the sense of drama in this opulent space. Dimmable filament bulbs, produce a warm colour and the shades have a variety of finishes (diamonds, ribbed, smooth) and colours (amber, grey, purple and light brown).
A handcrafted seven-metre chandelier is suspended from a precision engineered, polished nickel structure positioned directly below the elliptical skylight within the stairwell. The frame is purposely simple and open in a design to make sure the flow of natural light is not restricted. The impressive lighting installation resembles a waterfall and comprises over 100 handmade Italian glass twists and 1500 faceted crystal spheres. The glass twists have a rippled texture, an opaque centre and a pointed tip for added definition, and they complement the crystal droplets beautifully. Cascading through the centre is a spiral of 22 frosted glass lanterns housing LED lamps, which provide a soft, warm glow of light to the space, while highlighting the sculpture's intricate glass work and sparkling crystals.
A glamorous chandelier hangs from the centre of the bedroom ceiling. Two bronze-plated rings form the base of the chandelier and over 100 triangular Italian glass prisms hang from the rings and refract the LED light within, producing a warm colour temperature. Dark brown fabric envelopes the cables leading to the bronze-plated ceiling plate. The entire piece has a drop of 400mm from the ceiling
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
Adapting to the construction constraints on site proved tricky at times but we managed to work closely with the client to provide quick and efficient solutions to deliver the project on time and to a high standard.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
A highlight of the project for us lies within the attention to detail of each piece. Each luminaire was a labour of love from the initial design sketches to the final installation on site. To see our creations come to life and fit within each room perfectly brings a great sense of satisfaction as designers.
Questions answered by Celine Gehamy and Ollie Yates, Product Creation at Nulty Bespoke
If you missed last week's Project of the Week featuring an extravagant mansion in the gated 'Karma' compound overlooking the luxurious quarter in Cairo, click here to see more.
We hope you feel inspired! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
Nulty Bespoke | SBID International Design Awards 2018
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!
Can you describe your current job?
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.
Describe an average day in your job role..
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.
Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?
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.
What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?
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.
What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?
Trust your instincts!
What has been your favourite project to work on?
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.
What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?
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.
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features an extravagant mansion situated at the top of a cliff and surrounded by an incredible landscape in the gated upscale 'Karma' compound overlooking the 'Sixth of October' luxurious quarter in Cairo, Egypt. Nihal Zaki had always been acclaimed for her talent in mixing period classic styles and making them blend lavishly, so when commissioned by a mature couple with this mansion to fulfil their retirement dreams, the design unsurprisingly embraced the client's love of travel, antiques and art collecting; merging traditional period style features combined with Chinese and Tibetan influences for an elegant and eclectic interior scheme.
Company: Nihal Zaki Interiors
Project: KARMA Mansion 'Chinese Bathroom'
Project Location: Cairo, Egypt
The ‘Chinese bathroom’ located in the KARMA Mansion comprised of a powder room and guest bathroom in the ground floor. The client didn’t give us a brief design-wise. They only specified that they wanted to achieve a classically inspired design style.
My client travelled a lot and was a big antiques collector! One day they sent to our office an ancient Tibet wooden piece with a magnificent dragon carved into it, and the moment I laid eyes on it I knew that this would be my pièce de résistance for the guest bathroom and hence the ‘Chinese bathroom’ came to life.. We suggested ‘Chinese’ as a concept because we wanted to create a diversity of styles and our client was fond of Chinese art as well as Tibetan heritage.
The concept revolved around warm yet vivid red and earthly colours while introducing indirect LED lights with subtle reflections and shades. Glass orange mosaics were used to enrich the overall experience and black granite sinks were carved and mounted in both the powder area and bathroom. This bathroom is mystical, boasting magnificent Eastern essences.
The walls! The shape of those two joint spaces (powder room and bathroom / toilet area) were diagonal and irregularly shaped! The powder room was more of a triangle whilst the toilet area was a narrow corridor.. We overcame that by panelling and framing coloured rattan inspired wallpaper with wooden Asian-style frames in keeping with the traditional, Chinese inspired design vision.
The clients were a mature couple who chose this heavenly spot as their retirement place and they were passionate about travelling and collecting all sorts of antiques and vintage items from all over the world. It was our job to design and build interiors that would complement their precious acquisitions which was a rewarding challenge! The Tibet prayer chair was another problem piece acquired by my client that was later added to the bathroom space, greeting the guests as they entered!
Why did you enter the SBID International Design Awards?
Because of its incredible reputation and the versatility of entries and designs, submitted from all over the world. The SBID Awards feels like the champions league!
Questions answered by Nihal Zaki, CEO of Nihal Zaki Interiors.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week featuring a country home which married together a traditional façade with a contemporary and sumptuous interior, click here to see more.
Nihal Zaki Interiors | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features an imposing, new build ‘Manor House’ style country home which married together a traditional façade with a contemporary and sumptuous interior, comprising of over 9,239 square feet of living space. Oakeve Interiors were involved in every aspect of the interior design of Hurlingham in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. This magnificent residence of grand proportions effortlessly combined opulence with practicality and comfort, responding directly to the design brief. The integration of sensible, user-friendly technologies, combined with a luxurious interiors scheme, which included statement pieces of iconic artwork and sculptures, created a home that sold to clients that bought into the ‘aspirational lifestyle choice’ and purchased Hurlingham with the full show home interiors package. The purchasers described Hurlingham as “the luxurious home that they had always dreamed of owning.”
Company: Oakeve Interiors
Project: Hurlingham
Project Location: Beaconsfield, United Kingdom
The design brief was to translate ideas and specifications of the developer client into a stunning interiors scheme, engendering an ‘aspirational family lifestyle’ choice, whilst balancing this with the need to adhere to a strict budget.
The traditional ‘Manor House’ façade of Hurlingham distinguishes itself from neighbouring properties, creating a statement, luxury residence on one of the most exclusive residential roads in Buckinghamshire. The property’s statuesque façade provided inspiration to the interiors scheme, as an opulent scheme was needed to reflect the grandeur of the property’s exterior.
Within the Kitchen design, ensuring connectivity within the large, open plan space to allow for cooking, dining and relaxation areas was a key and challenging aspect of the project.
This was successfully realised by utilising a combination of luxury, state-of-the-art appliances, with generous circulation spaces and a large, but proportionate, kitchen island, resulting in the cooking area being perfectly sized for the room proportions.
Bespoke, individually commissioned furniture in a complementary high gloss, bird’s eye maple veneer to the Kitchen cabinetry was designed for the Breakfast Area and Family Room to ensure design continuity, creating a sumptuous, seamless flow within this capacious open-plan living space. In addition, to further enforce this association, a complementary amethyst and smoked grey colour palette was utilised throughout.
Hurlingham married the finest handcrafted materials with state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled attention-to-detail, creating a luxurious show home, meeting the brief and providing the client with a unique, very saleable asset. One of our highlights came upon successfully answering the design brief and handing over the project to the developer client as the property sold within two weeks of its official launch and within 5% of the £6 million guide price, along with the full interior design scheme.
The SBID International Design Awards are very prestigious and revered accolades that set the industry benchmark for acclaimed, skilful interior design and architecture across the globe. They acknowledge the passion, commitment and hard work by individuals and organisations alike, attaining recognition and respect from our peers and within the interior and architectural industry as a whole.
Questions answered by Iona Newton, Director of Interior Design at Oakeve Interiors.
If you missed last week's Project of the Week featuring a contemporary workplace which connects office spaces with architecture, click here to see more.
Oakeve Interiors | SBID International Design Awards 2018
This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features the idyllic residential destination designed to provide relaxation and entertainment for the residents of a prestigious development in Shanghai, as part of an overarching design concept of art and culture within the region. Using 'flora' as the primary source of interior design inspiration for this 3500 sq metre clubhouse, the project is complete with lounges, private rooms, indoor swimming pools, and even an indoor basketball court to cater to the luxurious and artistic lifestyles of the local residents.
Company: A.RK Interior Design
Project: Gallery Clubhouse
Project Location: Shanghai, China
Gallery Clubhouse is designed to provide relaxation and entertainment for residents in a residential development in the upcoming district of Hong Kou, Shanghai. This development is one of the most prestigious developments in Shanghai with an overarching design concept of art and culture, so creating a luxurious, art gallery-esque type design scheme essential.
What inspired the design of the Project?
We looked no further than towards nature for our design inspiration for this project. Throughout the entire clubhouse you can find elements of flora inspiration; from the mosaic wall patterns on the changing room feature wall, the floral patterns and colours used in the lobby area rug to the bespoke, hand-blown crystal chandelier in the entrance lobby. Every piece of furniture, light fixture and custom rug is treated like a piece of art would be in a gallery; all drawing design inspiration from various flowers and natural forms.
The ground floor lounge complete with 250 pieces of hand crafted crystal leaves that shimmer from the ceiling is one of our proudest achievements. The aim was to mimic the style of a luxurious hotel lobby, with groups of comfortable seating and a coffee bar. The stunning ceiling details light up with different colours and each crystal twinkles to exude the essence of luxury we wanted to capture.
SBID International Design Awards is not only a very prestigious award to be part of, it is also an honour and a testimony of the great minds of peers in the design industry.
Questions answered by Agatha Teng, Creative Director and Founder at A.RK Interior Design
If you missed last week's Project of the Week featuring a lavish villa apartment in the coastal province of Southeast China, click here to see more.
A.RK Interior Design | SBID International Design Awards 2018
Sue Whimster Curtains, the specialist providers of bespoke window coverings, have assisted in the creation of beautifully designed, hand-made curtains, blinds and accessories on behalf of interior designers, private clients and property developers across London, Kent and Surrey since 1989. SBID spoke with Sue Whimster herself as she offers her valuable advice to designers when it comes to installing curtains into their interior design scheme.
"We work with interior designer’s day in and day out and our vast experience in creating custom curtains for their projects means that we’ve come across the many ups and downs that can affect their work, not to mention ours. As much as it’s helpful to give top tips for success, it also pays to bear the potential pitfalls in mind that can seriously hinder the success of any project. With that in mind, we thought we’d share our top mistakes that could cause problems or setbacks, and hopefully help us all work better together to get the very best results for everyone!"
Here are Sue Whimster's top 10 mistakes that interior designers should try to avoid when ordering curtains. . .
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This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a stunningly stylish kitchen design in Alderley Edge, Cheshire curated by ArtHouse Creative Interiors. With an exciting full house renovation taking place, their client wanted an elegant SieMatic kitchen that would harmonise with the new open plan living space. Not your typical kitchen designers, ArtHouse are an interior design company who specialise in luxury kitchens. As an exclusive SieMatic dealership the focus is on kitchen design which not only provides a solution to your needs from a performance point of view, but is an investment for your home and looks fabulous too. The client lived locally to the SieMatic showroom in the affluent Cheshire village of Alderley Edge and worked closely with the designers at ArtHouse for the kitchen design, from the client’s first consultation, through the whole design process, to the installation and aftercare of the SieMatic kitchen.
Company: ArtHouse Creative Interiors
Project: Alderley Edge
Project Location: Cheshire, United Kingdom
When we work with residential clients, we need to take into account their individual needs, style and the architecture of their home. The brief from this particular client needed to ensure that the kitchen design synchronised well with the modern architecture of their newly refurbished home. Large, double height windows at the front of the house welcome you in to the open plan living space of the kitchen, dining and lounge areas. The kitchen area needed to be family friendly and we had a deadline to keep to as the client was due to have a baby, therefore the project needed to be finished before the arrival of their little girl.
As a starting point, we needed to be mindful of the architecture of the property. The external glazing which ran all the way up the property created a dramatic design which also complemented the farmhouse style building. The proposed interior design of the ground floor also influenced the key features of the kitchen design, with the dark wooden floor that was going to be installed throughout the kitchen space was a clear break point from the rest of the open space. The full height ceiling in the dining area allowed for dramatic lighting and a feature wall detail which is a contrast to the rest of the cosy lounge area.
Balancing SieMatic’s handle-less style in the Lotus White Lacquer finish with subtle elements of smoked oak in the open shelving units and the interiors of the tall nickel gloss cabinets create style elements of symmetry and asymmetry which harmonise together with seemingly opposing styles. During the design process we were concerned that the main back wall may look too heavy and over power the room. So we came up with a design where we incorporated two long slim windows either side of the sink run. This was greatly received by the client as it broke up the expanse of the wall and created specific zones for: refrigeration, sink/ dishwashers, larders and cooking area. The introduction of the grey mirrored glass to the back wall of the sink run was another specific design feature that concealed away the TV behind and the grey mirror to the left hand side of the sink.
During the installation of the kitchen, we came across a few obstacles along the way with the Neolith Estatuario worktops, which brings a stylistic connection between past, present and future that combines the classic and the elegance of marble with the revolutionary Neolith technology. Due to the size of the island we needed this to book match the main worktop, vein match the side panels and table top and the 50mm downturns to all areas, this was a difficult detail for our fabricators but these fine details really add an element of luxury and symmetry.
Now that the project has come to an end, ArtHouse Creative Interiors are proud to see the finished kitchen design in its element, taking centre stage to the open plan living of the family home. We are immensely proud of the work that we have created and we pride ourselves on customer service and building excellent reputations and relationships both in the industry and with individual clients.
We believe that the SBID awards are one of the most influential Awards as they have high expectations and a wealth of industry experience in all areas of design. We entered this project into the KBB- SBID Design Awards because we knew that it was something special, not only to the client but to us as interior designers as well.
Questions answered by Julie Otulakowski, Managing Director and Emma Furber, Designer at ArtHouse Creative Interiors
If you missed last week's Project of the Week featuring the refined and sustainable hotel experience with QO Amsterdam, click here to see more.
ArtHouse Creative Interiors | SBID International Design Awards 2018
SBID are delighted to launch a new blog series designed to dig beneath the surface of the interior design industry, exploring the personal journeys of professional, practising interior designers across this diverse, far-flung field. With the aim of peeling back the glamorous guise of interior design which extends much deeper than perception permits, we get the honest and exclusive insight on what it's really like working in the Interior Design industry as an interior designer.
For our first interview, we talk to Interior Designer and Director of HomeSmiths, Jacqui Smith, as she discusses her work-life balance, how she uncovered her lingering passion for interior design and her unusual route into the industry.
I run an interior design practice in Sussex with my husband David, working in healthcare and private residential.
What is your background and how did you get into interior design?
Since a young age I would decorate dolls' houses and spend hours rearranging my bedroom. Graduating from St Andrews with a degree in economics and maths I ended up in marketing but never felt that I fitted. My free time would be spent on all things interiors be it my own home or those of friends. I met my husband, David who at the time was a cabinet maker. Friends would say, 'wow you two could work together'. With impostor syndrome looming I did not see how at the time but then we decided to set up HomeSmiths as a bespoke furniture business. Clients would ask David for advice on colour and that's how it all started for me. People responded well to my ideas so I decided to take some courses, build up a portfolio and very quickly our client base grew. In 2007 we closed the workshop and focused purely on interior design. David still designs furniture but is no longer behind the bench.
Describe an average day in your job role...
I am very much a morning person. Assuming I am not due on site early I will start my day with at least 15 minutes of exercise before breakfast. This wakes me up, clears my brain and definitely helps me focus during the day. Usually at my desk for 8am, I like to have clear chunks of time for my design work rather than dipping in and out so I tend to clear my bitty jobs first. Running a number of projects at any one time those small jobs can take my brain into lots of different places so by clearing those first I can then focus on designing with a clear mental desk! Lunch sometimes involves a walk, it depends on the day but I never miss lunch and make a point of stopping rather than eating at my desk. I aim to finish at 6/6.30pm. Six years ago I lost the sight in my left eye. Before this happened I would often work late but these days I am too tired to do this consistently. There will be the odd time when I am working on a deadline which keeps me in the office until 9pm, but any later than that I find is complete false economy as I tend to sleep poorly and feel less on it the next day. After work I cook dinner, I might go for a walk or just relax with David and my two teenage sons. Family time is really important to me.
I LOVE working in healthcare design. The built environment can have a massive impact on a person's health and well-being and support them from a sensory and cognitive perspective. Well designed living spaces keep people independent for longer and everyone benefits from that. When I see the community's residents use the built-in spaces that I have designed, that's a wonderful moment. Not from an ego perspective since I genuinely feel that there is no place for ego in healthcare design, but as pure job satisfaction.
Being let down by suppliers, dealing with constantly moving fit out dates and trying to keep everyone happy. I am not a fan of confrontation. When I shared this once with a rep she told me that I was in the wrong job! I have got tougher over the years but I don't feel the need to throw my weight around and I feel that our clients and suppliers respect me for that. I care about our clients, our team and am a very fair person and at all times professional, so when met with unreasonable behaviour, I can struggle.
"Interior design is not about the latest kitchen or the most expensive wall covering, it's about creating environments that people want to spend time in..."
What do you wish you knew before working in the field?
I do think I went into it with my eyes wide open. I do love a spreadsheet and the paperwork side has never phased me. Some designers I know who have closed their businesses will say that they found the admin/planning side too onerous. The reality is that interior design is hard work, stressful at times and rarely glamorous, but I knew that from the start so my expectations were fully managed!
Believe in yourself. A talented New York designer who was an ex-banker once told me that to be a successful interior designer you need to be "great with colour, organised and smart", and I would add to that - good with people. Had someone told me that when I started out I would have felt more confident in the early days.
On residential, a country house in East Sussex and on healthcare - that's a hard one, but I would probably say a dementia home in Ipswich.
Brexit! I know that's potentially a predictable response but I feel that people in the private residential market are more cautious at the moment and in healthcare we have had projects delayed, pared back or clients have felt that they can save on the engagement of a professional and do it themselves.
Which people do you admire the most in the industry and why?
I admire any designer who is down to earth, authentic and hard working. Interior design is not about the latest kitchen or the most expensive wall covering, it's about creating environments that people want to spend time in but crucially, ones that work, ones that make day to day living easier. A room can look stunning but if the needs of the people spending time in it have not been considered then that's not interior design, and the needs of people in the space is so incredibly important in healthcare design.
If you were inspired by Jacqui's story and want to find out more about interior design and the role of an interior designer, click here.
Today, the design industry can take a sigh of relief as the SBID Awards has just announced its' official deadline extension! Designers now have until Friday 6 July 2018 to get their projects submitted for the chance to receive international recognition of design excellence. Continuing on from last week's Category Winners Part 1 from 2017, we continue to reflect on last year's worthy winners from the more commercial aspects of the interior design industry, whether it be an ultra luxurious spa, a Michelin-starred restaurant or a high-end medical centre.
Company: Wanda Hotel Design Institute
Project Title: Wanda Reign Chengdu Hotel
The hotel is situated in the heart of Chengdu's exclusive CBD, at the affluent intersection between Renmin South Road and the Jin River. This spot was also historically a point of convergence for goods and merchants setting off on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The hotel's sky lobby is located on the 41st floor, overlooking Chengdu's landmark Tianfu Square to the north and boasting pleasant views of the Jin River to the south. Guests are treated to a panoramic view of Chengdu's urban landscape. The hotel's interior design concentrates on giving voice to local characteristics. Another name for Chengdu is “Confederate Rose City” so, from the very beginning, the designers were intent on having the city's official flower as a theme running throughout the hotel space.
Company: LXA
Project Title: Intersect by Lexus
Conceived in Tokyo, Japan, Intersect by Lexus is a concept store located in DIFC, Dubai. The space offers a relaxing yet stimulating space for people who are seeking diverse luxury lifestyles enriched by design, art, fashion, culture, film, music and technology. Devised by renowned Japanese designers Wonderwall for Toyodo, the concept is described as ‘neither a dealership, nor a traditional retail space, INTERSECT BY LEXUS is a third space between home and work for our guests to experience the Brand without getting behind the steering wheel of one of our cars.’ LXA successfully partnered with Wonderwall Inc, and Al Futtaim Motors to deliver the second Intersect concept, in DIFC, Dubai.
Company: Bluehaus Group
Project Title: Orbi Dubai
Orbi is conceptualised to offer an amazing digital experience to its visitors and the entire space revolves around interactive technology. The space is designed for people of all generations and different walks of life to share the fascination with nature, and Orbi will astound them. Orbi Dubai fuses BBC Earth’s world-renowned Natural History content with SEGA’s innovation and plunges visitors into the heart of the natural world! From the heat of the Dubai desert, visitors can experience the chilling temperatures of Mount Kenya at -25°C. This multi-part experience takes the guest who dares, into freezing Polar environments where they experience the sensation of Antarctic cold and blizzard conditions. The space is equipped with real time thermal image of guests as they react to the freezing Polar conditions, all displayed on a monitor.
Company: Virtual Resolution
Project Title: DeVere Tortworth Court Hotel Re-Development
Tortworth Court is an elegant and sophisticated hotel surrounded by enchanting scenery just outside of Bristol dating back to the 11th Century. Over 12 months the hotel had undergone a lavish refurbishment as part of the DeVere property refurbishment programme. Virtual Resolution was working alongside DeVerve and its design/development teams to visualise the proposals for Tortworth Court, Wokefield Estate, Latimer Estate and Wotton House.
Company: Elkus Manfredi Architects
Project Title: Potamus Trading
The design of the new, 15,000-square-foot Potamus headquarters supports the firm’s intensive, collaborative culture and serves as a recruitment tool, all while embodying the mix of sophistication, energy, and spirit unique to Potamus. At reception, a life-sized fiberglass hippo – the Potamus symbol representing strategic edge – greets visitors. The hippo’s sub-Saharan habitat inspired the materials, textures, and colors, which converge with safari-style furnishings to make a relaxed but professional environment. At the heart of the office, the trading floor – lined with oversized windows offering views to Boston Harbor – provides varied seating options near trading stations, from private conference rooms and offices to comfortable living-room-like seating areas, to support different individual work styles. The sunlit residential-style kitchen is in constant use for meals, impromptu parties, and client entertaining. A wall-size video screen, reception desk that doubles as a DJ booth, and acoustically separate gaming room help employees unwind.
Company: Hirsch Bedner & Associates
Project Title: Ultima
The designer was tasked with designing a clubhouse for a leading local developer as part of a package that also included standard provisions for lift lobbies, bathroom and kitchens in the six tower complex and adjacent houses. The clubhouse, a three storey, 3,995 square metre space, is situated in the podium below the towers. The programme encompassed front of house areas including a lobby, fitness centre, spa, indoor ball court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, library, bar, billiards room, private dining rooms and all supporting back of house areas. The clubhouse’s position on a hill in southeast Kowloon commands unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong island beyond.
Company: External Reference
Project Title: Alkimia
The restaurant, Alkimia, is located in the city center of Barcelona, on the main floor of a modernist building (dating back to 1864) left unoccupied for 40 years. The project design has been carried out taking into consideration two elements: the pre-existing architectural context (including its old patina and typology) and the specific gastronomic offer of the Michelin-starred restaurant Alkimia (which is 80% based on fish). The design was conceived of as a continuous scenography fostering a seamless sensory experience. The different parts of this scenography feature sea life-inspired skins, art installations and custom-made furniture which establish a unique relationship with the surrounding space.
Company: Csiszer Design Studio
Project Title: Apheresis Centre
The Apheresis Centre in Székesfehérvár was designed by Csiszér Design Studio to contribute to the welfare of countless people with severe illnesses. Platelets are collected here during a special type of blood donation called apheresis. The interior design of this 800m2 health care institution focused on hygiene and attracting donors. Spotless with a friendly ambience but without the rigorous atmosphere of usual health care spaces were the demands, which were fulfilled in the choice of colours, materials and spatial qualities. Colourful seats, glossy lockers arranged in a tetris shape, and the 28 therapy chairs of vivid colours are all in the service of welcoming and making people comfortable.
If you're interested in entering a project, make sure you enter before Friday 6th July for the opportunity to showcase your projects to an international audience, and receive global recognition for interior design excellence. Register to submit an entry or view all of our award categories before it's too late!
As we approach the deadline to enter the SBID Awards 2018 on Friday 15 June 2018, our attention turns to last year's event as we take a look back across some of the category winners from 2017. With a total of 14 categories designed to encompass the broad spectrum of the interior design profession and welcome diverse projects from all realms of interior design, we're sharing last year's worthy winners from the residential side of the industry whether you're looking for project inspiration for your kitchen, bedroom or bathroom.
Company: Bernard Interiors
Project Title: Park Terrace
Bernard Interiors was appointed by a private client in 2014 to oversee all interior renovations of a Category A Listed building in the heart of Glasgow’s Park District. The imposing five-storey sandstone townhouse, situated in one of Glasgow’s most sought after areas, majestically overlooks Kelvingrove Park with stunning views across the city. The townhouse had lain derelict for over 5 years, used as office space throughout the 90’s, and fallen into disrepair. Bernard Interiors were challenged to create a design, which was contemporary yet sympathetic to the historic and period features which run throughout the building. Bernard Interiors also worked alongside the developer for three years to win planning permission to convert the building back to a residential dwelling.
Company: DAR Designs
Project Title: Parkview Residence
DAR Designs completes the interior design of a luxury apartment in New Cairo, successfully integrating home automation technology with a sophisticated modern design. Seeking to create harmony between the traditional and contemporary worlds, the apartment prides itself on its high-end ritzy look while maintaining its cultural connection with its Arab roots through displaying local handcrafts. This residence is also made to cater to its client’s active social lifestyle by creating an interactive public space which includes the kitchen, guest living room, and dining room all as one zone. Overall, the apartment was designed to be a huge step forward in the sustainability and energy efficiency, with its advanced home automation system designed to automatically shut off lighting and air conditioning when occupants leave a room
Company: Fenton Whelan
Project Title: Greybrook House Penthouse
Fenton Whelan designed a multi-unit, boutique, residential development in Mayfair blending the art déco style of the building with contemporary living to deliver a timeless legacy. Entering into the living space, bespoke furniture is framed by stained glass windows. Adjacent, the Bulthaup kitchen juxtaposes with the cool green breakfast room upholstery creating an iconic entertaining space with a sumptuous bar area with backlit onyx. The refined elegance of the master suite can be seen in the lacquered finished wardrobes and the Alcantara upholstered headboard. The master ensuite is framed by the Noir Saint Laurent book matched feature wall and marbled pattern flooring. A beautiful marble staircase leads to access to a private roof terrace with views of London’s iconic skyline framed.
Project Title: Hurlingham
Oakeve Interior Architect Design Practice were involved in every aspect of the interior design of Hurlingham in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. This imposing, new build ‘Manor House’ style country home married together a traditional façade with a contemporary and sumptuous interior, comprising of over 9,239 square feet of living space. This magnificent residence of grand proportions effortlessly combined opulence with practicality and comfort, responding directly to the design brief. The integration of sensible, user-friendly technologies, combined with a luxurious interiors scheme, which included statement pieces of iconic artwork and sculptures, created a home that sold to clients that bought into the ‘aspirational lifestyle choice’
Company: David Chang Design Associates International Ltd. (DCDA)
Project Title: Grand Influx Presentation Center
The Grand Influx Presentation Centre is located in the city of Foshan in the central Guangdong Province of southeastern China. This thriving metropolis is steeped in the history and culture bequeathed from the Ming Dynasty and Foshan’s renown ceramic artisans. Balanced symmetry, bold clean architecture and cultural referencing are fused together in this 1460 square meters Presentation Centre to captivate prospective purchasers. Artful contemporary duplications of iconic Ming Dynasty furniture, motifs and patterns are selectively distributed throughout the project, helping to establish “sense of place” geographically and historically.
Company: BAR Studio
Project Title: Grand Hyatt Hong Kong - Ambassador Harbour View Suite
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has a loyal following of guests and the hotel forms a part of many people’s history and memories. The brief required BAR Studio to retain what was great from the original hotel, thereby preserving the hotel’s appeal to the people who already love it, but also redefine the hotel in order to appeal to the next generation of visitors. The challenge of the brief was to weave the old and the new threads together. Consequently, the finished Ambassador Suite is a contemporary design but one that is underpinned by the spirit and history of Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.
If you're interested in entering a project, make sure you enter before Friday 15 June for the opportunity to showcase your projects to an international audience, and receive global recognition for interior design excellence. Register to submit an entry or view all of our award categories before it's too late!
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