The Story Behind NB Interiors: Creatively Transforming Residential Projects

Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most?

Definitely pulling together colour schemes and choosing fabrics is one of my favourite parts of my job. Being able to work with different colour palettes each time and with different clients is really exciting, the fact that no two projects would ever be the same.

I also really find designing bespoke joinery really fun. The challenge of creating something to fit a space but in a more interesting way thinking of different materials to use, different ways to create joinery each time, creating something beautiful but that offers great practicality. Often these help deal with those tricky spaces and can also elevate rooms a design/space.

What has been your most memorable career highlight from the past year?

Last year I was lucky enough to have been awarded the 5 star award for Best Private Residential Interior Suffolk – this was a real highlight of my career so far. Winning an award feels like a wonderful validation of how hard you work. It’s a chance to be recognised and offers credibility which helps future clients have more trust in hiring you. This was definitely by biggest career highlight of last year but also to date.

What are your favourite types of projects to work on and why?

I work on residential projects and I personally like being able to work on a whole house. This way you can create a scheme that flows throughout the house and can make sure each room flows, you have that well thought out continuity.

In particular projects where clients are willing to be brave and bolder with design choices are by far my favourite to work on. In my case I love adding colour, using wallpaper, adding detailed joinery etc, so projects that offer scope to really let your creative juices flow are the ones that give great pleasure and give the best result. When the client really trusts you and goes with your ideas are where I feel I can be really creative and I often find these projects are the most enjoyable to work on.

What are the most challenging aspects of working in interior design?

There’s a few factors that can make it challenging, one recent thing is the rising costs across the board meaning you can spend longer researching options to keep on budget for clients.

The main struggle and challenge are indecisive clients or people who simply don’t know what they want. These situations follow a slightly longer process to be able to dig deeper and to try understand what they will like. It can almost be a process of elimination to find the style they like. Or if clients have opposing views and tastes, it’s trying to find the middle ground and a design that will appeal to both – definitely one of the hardest challenges to face.

What do you wish you knew before working in the field?

I wish I’d known more about setting up and running a business. After retraining after a long career in retail/visual merchandising I dived straight in and set up my own business immediately after qualifying. This was definitely a bold move but I do wish looking back that I’d worked in a studio beforehand to learn the ropes of running a studio and a business in general. I also wished I’d had more of a supportive network and perhaps a mentor to navigate those tough early years of finding work and getting myself established, there seems to be a lot more networking and groups to join with other interior designers now which is a great support.

If you could give one tip to aspiring designers, what would it be?

My tip to aspiring designers would be to have a clear set out business plan, to research their area and make sure they have done as much education as possible. There is plenty to learn and taking time to do as many courses, read plenty of books and attend design shows to help build up your knowledge before entering into the field. Also try to shadow a designer or obtain work experience with a studio to get an insight into how projects are designed and implemented, this would be invaluable in gaining experience and in turn confidence to then set up on your own or start with a company in a fixed role.

How do you see the interior design industry evolving in the year ahead?

Things are definitely shifting in people’s attitudes to shopping by wanting items that will last, be of good quality and not too trend led – timeless is a word I am hearing a lot from clients these days. People want to spend on products that will last and have a design that they like but isn’t trend led but a mix of classic and modern and quality!

Suppliers are becoming ever more conscious of their carbon footprint, the sustainability of the products, how they’re packaged etc. so I think the industry will continue to change in this area, led by both suppliers and consumers, as education increases and people become more aware of how they can have an impact on sustainability.

What does being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer mean to you?

It is a badge of honour and great to be a part of a well-recognised body of the industry. As an industry that seems to be getting busier with more people joining and new designers cropping up, it helps elevate and add credibility to your business/studio and stand out in the crowd. Also, the amount that is on offer to help learn continuously and keep up with new products, trends, information etc is invaluable to being a well informed designer. It’s crucial to be on the ball with the right products to specify, to understand the changes in the industry such as sustainability, I feel it a real honour to be considered an accredited interior designer.

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.