23rd November 2023 | IN DESIGN ADVICE | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn Poppy Peace, Founder and Creative Director at House of Red has given her insights into the industry. What’s the background of House of Red? My career journey in interior design was shaped by a fortuitous opportunity 16 years ago as a Design Consultant for a bespoke furniture company in Knightsbridge, working in furniture design. I then moved into Interiors, and over the years, through various roles and experiences, I eventually became the Managing Director and Group Creative Director of a well-established interior design studio. I managed the design departments for numerous design services from high end residential, BTR, home staging, Student accommodation/HMO and later living. Why did you want to work in the interior design profession? Ever since I can remember, I have always been intrigued by textures, colour and form. I loved being creative and had a fascination with interior design where I used to immerse myself with continually redesigning rooms in our family home! I went on to study furniture and product design before delving deeper into the world of interior design. I found Interiors allowed me to be continuously creative whilst remaining on an ever-evolving journey, combining numerous business elements which gives the profession greater depth in my mind. House of Red House of Red Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most? The interaction with such a varied range of people. Learning about new and old clients, and liaising with supply chain and contractors who share a wealth of knowledge, experience and who have amazing stories! Alongside learning about people and their background, imparting my own knowledge on how we can improve their dwellings in a positive way, not only through aesthetics and function, but the improved mental health through designing a supportive environment to the individual, it is very satisfying. House of Red What has been your most memorable career highlight from the past year? My most memorable career highlight from the past year was launching my own business at the start of this year. I am grateful for all the opportunities and experiences I had as a director at my previous studio, yet craved the autonomy of my own business. It is the greatest most enjoyable challenge I’ve set myself yet. House of Red House of Red What are your favourite types of projects to work on and why? At House of Red we cover a wide number of services, so most projects are varied which keeps things interesting. However, it is always great fun when you have a client who is quite adventurous with their style and open to new ideas. This allows you to become really creative within the design process, pushing your innovation which feeds into continuous learning for new techniques and materials. What are the most challenging aspects of working in interior design? The best and also the most challenging, can be the clients! Ensuring it does not affect your confidence or dampen your passion. Every path has its puddle, so it is important to learn how to navigate through a project with them in a positive manner using effective communication. House of Red What do you wish you knew before working in the field? Success is never a straight line! You will find your own stumbling blocks and decide what areas you genuinely enjoy in the industry yourself rather than coming with preconceived ideas. If you could give one tip to aspiring designers, what would it be? Say yes to as many opportunities as possible. Be proactive in placing yourself outside your comfort zone on a regular basis to provide continued growth, learning within great new experiences which keep your passion for design and creativity ignited. House of Red House of Red How do you see the interior design industry evolving in the year ahead? Creatives are very entrepreneurial so I believe we will see a couple of areas evolving. Firstly, great collaborations between known designers and supply chain that support a positive impact on sustainable products to influence the design world and clients at greater speed. Helping to bring more design desired pieces to the table whilst ensure aesthetic is not compromised. Hopefully these collaborations will also help to drive price point down if greater demand on volume is seen. Secondly, an increase in the number of AI tools that we use as designers. We are slowly becoming more open minded and changing our practices by integrating AI tools into our daily tasks to increase work flow, especially when covering mundane tasks. I believe it to be an area we will need to start to embrace more to help support our clients within the design process. What does being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer mean to you? It provides our business with professional recognition which in turn supports the credibility of the company, and helps to cement a feeling of trust for new and existing clients. It is also a great platform which helps to champion continued learning in the industry whilst proving a support network for the industry. We are proud to be SBID accredited. Poppy Peace, Founder & Creative Director at House of Red About House of Red Welcome to House of Red Interior Design studio. We create unique and original interior design for your property whilst also providing practical design solutions. Our team has built great relationships within the industry from supply chain, contractors and agents. Our valued knowledge and experience mean with approach each job with a unique and personal service to you, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience with us. Specialising in residential design we offer services from design consultancy, FF&E Interior Design, through to Luxury home staging and show homes. Visit Profile If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.