Reflection: I am an interior designer.

Towards the end of 2019, my business partner and I did some soul searching and decided to go our separate ways. She wanted to take time for her young family, and I felt inspired to create my own brand as a designer. Creativity has always been inside me; it leads me every day. But 2020 made me pause and ask what makes what I do important to others?

 There have been times when I’ve questioned the materialism of the design world, and its value in the face of important work being done, for example friends working with refugees and the environment. But 2020, although it challenged me, it put the spotlight on home, on connection, and on that important element that I foster in my work – connection with home. The reward of text messages from clients on Christmas Day sending photos of their extended family using the kitchen I designed for them, and thinking of me, because it was this sense of connection they were seeking with their design.

On reflection, I have decided that my industry label is too tight.

I am a collector – I find inspiration in things around me. I carry colours in my head. My mind constantly sifts through projects and I get ideas at random moments. I also collect people. I find it inevitable that I connect with clients during the design process and I am genuinely a little sad when a project is complete. By project end they have become part of my tribe, often coming back years later to work on another project or follow up additions.

I am a connector – I find it humbling that people invite me into their homes to observe how they like to live and function day to day. A home can be such a personal space – a place to retreat to, nurture self and family, and celebrate. Through observing, and listening to a client’s wants and needs, I am able to step away and formulate a design to make things better. Better aesthetically, and better functionally. I don’t think you can have one without the other. Good design takes time, and connection.

I am a sorter – I sift through client’s ideas and needs; and create a couture framework to refer to during the design process.

I am a dreamer – I love to offer options for my clients, especially with layouts. I usually provide a few different ideas during the concept stage to encourage my clients to think outside the square. More often than not, the least conventional elements are often worked into the final design.

I am a collaborator – I love to work with architects and builders. I truly believe that someone who loves what they do always has something to offer the design process. A person’s experience can save time and money on a project, and shared knowledge adds value to what we can offer a client.

I am a problem solver – I enjoy resolving layouts and relationships between spaces, or even details and challenges on site during construction. I find collaborative design resolution rewarding, and that’s part of the reason I love working with trades on site. Bouncing ideas around and pushing beyond the obvious to find the best outcome.

I am a listener – listening is underestimated. I’m still surprised at the number of stories I hear about designers taking their clients on tangents, having missed the brief in the first place. Putting myself in my client’s shoes and figuring out how I can make their spaces better for them, is integral to what I do. I believe it is my role to edit and refine my client’s aesthetic – not push my style onto them. I feel the only way to successfully achieve this is to listen and connect. Each project needs to be customised to fit just right. I spend around three months designing and refining the space, and then the next stage of the journey is to sit with the builder to communicate this.

I am a communicator – hand in hand with listening, communication is key to the design process. From initial concept design through to construction on site, the dialogue between client, trades and architects needs to be maintained. Having a good team around you means that many of the stressors that accompany a renovation or new build can be removed. Having a clear design process with key milestones and systems in place reduces the unknown. It is always good to be on the front foot and plan ahead. Clear communication saves time, money and unnecessary stress for everyone.  

I am a placemaker – I help my clients define how they want to live and I help make their space their ‘place’. When I collaborate with an architect, my goal is to weave their story into the architectural concept to design spaces that balance lifestyle and function in a resolved and cohesive way. I then work with the builder to ensure the design is understood and delivered, to create unique and tailored homes for clients.

 I love my job because I am able to utilise my broad skillset and challenge myself every day to help others create places they connect with.

 I am a place maker. I am a connector. I am an interior designer.