25th April 2024 | IN EXPERT INSIGHT | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn Alison Henry, Founder of Alison Henry Design Studio, has given her insights into the industry. Why did you want to work in the interior design profession? As a child I grew up living abroad from my native New Zealand and travelling extensively with my family. I was always inspired by the various cultures, fashions and styles of architecture I came across and fascinated by how they had evolved over the generations. I recall visiting a family friend’s home in Singapore and being blown away; he was an architect and had created a contemporary underground development with the garden on the roof and large sliding glass windows opening up to views out into the exotic garden. It was so different from everything else I was familiar with in the area – either modern high-rise or classical colonial. It inspired me to want to become an architect when I grew up and create these memorable spaces and places. Alison Henry Design Studio Alison Henry Design Studio Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most? I love the initial stages of a design project and seeing the potential of what can be achieved, developing ideas and the concept without any limitations. It’s an opportunity to allow myself to really think outside the box. Once you get a clearer understanding of the design brief, budget and program, it often needs to be reined in. Then it’s a matter of selecting the key areas that are most important to ensure you retain the impact and a statement. Interior architectural design is like theatre finding where you can amp up the drama. Alison Henry Design Studio What has been your most memorable career highlight from the past year? My most memorable career highlight in the last year has been the sale of my own family home that I developed over the course of several years in Belgravia, a classical Georgian Villa with timeless luxury and contemporary sophistication. We set about preserving the property’s historic charm while infusing it with modern amenities, creating a home that is both elegant and functional. I was stunned by the positive reaction to what we had created, and it made it worth the time and effort that had gone into achieving it. The other career highlight has been the opportunity to work on a contemporary project on the South Coast, in a completely different style to some of our other design projects currently. It is an architectural statement using concrete floors and glass walls that open up onto views over the grounds and the water from terraces at various levels. Alison Henry Design Studio Alison Henry Design Studio What are your favourite types of projects to work on and why? I love to work on projects whether residential or hospitality where the client and or owners are passionate about achieving their dreams and not willing to compromise on quality. It is also important to have an open relationship with your client so that you can work with them to ensure that you have a complete understanding of their vision and dream. Timeless design is behind everything I have done in my career. I believe in designing well, and with passion. This ideology has carried me from hotel and house projects to boat and product design. I also enjoy looking at projects where it’s a change of use as it makes for an interesting challenge on all levels, from permits to layout. Alison Henry Design Studio What are the most challenging aspects of working in interior design? The most challenging aspect of working in interior design is ensuring the quality and attention to detail is maintained throughout the project, that it is not sacrificed for the sake of time and budget. Therefore, having contractors that you have worked with in the past and who have an understanding of the expectations helps to ensure this is maintained. I also like to have samples produced and approved where necessary as this avoids disappointments and any potential rectification. It is also important that each design stage is approved before progressing to ensure the design is fully cohesive and that everything works together as otherwise it can have a knock-on effect. Alison Henry Design Studio What do you wish you knew before working in the field? I wish I had understood the complex nature of getting planning consent and the restrictions on listed buildings and architectural heritage requirements. I have now worked on several properties of this nature and have a better understanding of planning obstacles and how best to manage these… or cut through red tape and get around them. If you could give one tip to aspiring designers, what would it be? My advice to any aspiring designer would be to get experience by working for a designer or design organisation and try to dive in on all aspects of a project, from the initial design brief, developing the concept and presentation, budgets and programs, tenders and award, on site supervision and purchasing through to snagging, dressing out and finally client handover. A good sense of the scope of work and all the work stages that are required will also give a better understanding of the contractual agreement and therefore time management. Alison Henry Design Studio How do you see the interior design industry evolving in the year ahead? I believe the interior design industry is changing as there is a trend towards not only sustainability but also to create more personalised spaces. Plus, there has been an increase in people wanting to try to do the work themselves in order to keep the costs down. I also see a desire to minimise the number of consultants, especially with the increase in advice from influencers and social media. Therefore, I see there being more opportunity to give design consultation to clients such as producing initial design concepts for both residential projects and commercial projects to enable them to attempt to undertake and manage the project themselves. Where the project is overseas, they could appoint a local company. Alison Henry Design Studio What does being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer mean to you? Being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer means a lot as it is an acknowledgement that we have been vetted and approved and invited to be part of the Society of British and International Interior Designers and that we have met all their standards and requirements for the professional body. About Alison Henry Design Studio With a background in architecture, and extensive experience in large-scale refurbishments both commercial and private, Alison Henry brings knowledge and insight to any phase of an interior design project. From working with planners and contractors on optimising the structure of the building to appointing the interiors down to the very last detail, her studio is equipped for residential projects of any size. 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.