Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Reflections of a London Interior Designer

Reflections of a London Interior Designer



Global Interior Design London - Blog

I was recently asked to write a piece titled Reflections of a London Interior Designer and I thought I would share with you some of the highlights.


What is the role of diversity in your work?

I am enchanted by diverse experiences. I love travel, adventure, history and art. And all of these have influenced my career as a London interior designer. I feel that fresh new experiences are what keeps me as an interior designer from getting jaded in the way I conceptualise my designs. For example, a recent trip to the London Zoo left me gazing in amazement at their beautiful Corfu Toothcarp specimens. This led to a deep blue marine-inspired concept that I collaborated on with other interior designers for a London client. It was a great way to kickstart that interior designer flair!



How do your personal experiences influence your designs?

Recently, a trainee interior designer asked me how I think about the latest fashionable London design trends. I replied simply that I ignore them! As a professional interior designer, my concepts and foci are true reflections of my own personal day-to-day conversations, experiences and thoughts. I think of my work as an interior designer as an adventure. It starts when a new concept leaps into my head, sometimes out of nowhere but sometimes prompted by a new art exhibition at a London gallery or a conversation with a colleague. From there my journey as an interior designer gets magical – I keep imagining, enhancing, and fine-tuning the look and feel in my head until I reach something both workable and fabulous.



What role does emotion play in your designs?
My work as an interior designer is both emotional and practical. In London there are all sorts of different ways of doing design, but I try to focus on my “signature feel” that really emphasises fresh, harmonious and elegant. However, that definitely doesn’t mean boring! As a professional interior designer, I am never scared to jazz up a concept to create a customised target aesthetic. One recent example was a private project, a residence in London’s prestigious Chelsea. The client requested a stunning, modern, luxurious feel with a true “interior designer look” and plenty of flair. We filled the apartment with bespoke furniture and fresh colours, staying true to my “signature feel” as an interior designer, but also perfectly accommodating the client’s needs.



Where does your role as an interior designer end? Do you ever work on exterior design as well?

Every interior designer knows that a well-lit entrance should feel like a welcoming hello, re-emphasising the architecture and highlighting adjacent borders or terraces. Even with London’s occasionally cramped semi-detached homes, entrance lighting is all about subtlety and focus. Even though I’m an interior designer, I consider it essential to make the exterior look just as fabulous by night as the interior! Back doors are another critical part of the interior designer’s work, since they allow for unfettered access as one moves from house to garden or (in London) perhaps to off-street parking. An interior designer can beautify your home within and without, using custom lighting to set the scene and build the perfect mood.