Q&A: Alex Crabtree shares professional insights on PR for interior design

With a wealth of experience in the bespoke kitchen, interiors and property market, Alex Crabtree specialises in providing PR services to the interior design industry. Alexandra shares her journey in marketing, interior styling and public relations, and how this lead her to establish her career as a PR consultant for interior designers. She provides her professional insight; from the influence of Instagram for sourcing and inspiration, to her key tips for improving PR strategies in the interior sector. 

Tell us about how you started as an interiors stylist and why you came to specialise in PR for the interior design industry? Have you always been interested in this field? 

Back in the day my brother and father had a bespoke kitchen company – Crabtree Kitchens.  I was working for Pete Townshend of the Who, running his recording studio and I wanted a new challenge and thought that I could help them with getting the brand out there and become more known with interior designers and clients alike. So, I joined their company and immediately employed an interior photographer to start shooting their fabulous kitchens. I had not taken on any styling professionally before but I always styled my home constantly (long before Instagram). Once I had decent images of the kitchens I started pitching them out to magazines and soon discovered that I achieved quite a lot of features and Crabtree Kitchens became very well known even though we were a relatively small brand.  At one stage about 60% of our work was from interior designers.

You’ve worked in the kitchen, interiors and property market for many years. What’s been the most memorable highlight or achievement of your career so far?

I think that when I was PR and marketing Director at Crabtree Kitchens I just loved it when clients came in and said they had seen the company everywhere. But generally when I achieve a feature in a magazine for a client I still get such a massive buzz and specially if I have also styled the shots too.  The excitement of achieving a feature for a client has not diminished at all over the years at all.

Do you have a signature style when it comes to interior styling? How has the Instagram era affected this and the way you find inspiration?

It’s such an interesting question as in my own home I definitely style in a very maximalist eclectic style but most kitchen clients don’t want that look so if you look at my website you will see the kitchens on there that I have styled and it’s in a much more minimalist way – so I can style in whichever way is required.

Instagram has certainly been so amazing in so many ways for me.  Both in terms of my styling and PR and also having met some wonderful people who are also passionate about interior design.  It’s also a fabulous source of small interiors businesses to feed my passion and so many different styles in which to create my maximalist dark eclectic home.  I also buy pieces from Instagram sources for my client shoots too.

How do you help interior designers in gaining essential coverage for their projects and providing valuable exposure for their work?

I help my clients gain essential coverage by getting under the skin of the company so to speak and understand what their company is all about and then making sure that they have the best professionally shot photography.  Then of course  keeping in constant contact with the relevant editors and freelancers and updating them on the clients most recent projects etc.

If you had to give one top tip for interior designers looking to improve their PR strategy to grow their business, what would it be?

Really take THE best photography and employ THE best PR and keep in contact with the editors. I know that’s three! But they all go hand in hand!

Cover image credits: Brayer Design. Photos by Nick Smith Photography ©