The Interior Design Business

It has often been said that interior design would be a great job if it wasn’t for the clients.

They can be unappreciative, indecisive, and unreasonable even when their project is on track and bellicose, belligerent, and litigious when things go wrong. In fact, the designer-client relationship which often begins as a love affair can sometimes end tragically in the bitterest of divorces.

But is there really such a thing an awkward client, or are any problems just down to poor communications? What can make a good client turn bad? And how can designers ef...

Interior designers know that lighting is crucial to the success of every project. Bad lighting can be simultaneously gloomy and glary – deadening colours and flattening textures, while good lighting can make even basic decorative schemes sing. But lighting is also a highly complex and technical minefield that designers must somehow learn to navigate.   

Susie and Jeff are joined by Lee Lovett, founder and managing director of Soho Lighting and award-winning interior designer, Henriette von Stockhausen, founder and Creative Director of VSP Interiors to explore how interior designers should go about managing this critical design element. They also disc...

In this episode, Jeff and Susie dive into the dynamic world of pop-up installations while exploring the enduring appeal of Decorex.

Recorded at the Sofas & Stuff showroom on the Kings Road, they’re joined by designers Tolù Adẹ̀kọ́(Adẹ̀kọ́ & Co) and Lucy Mayers (Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler), both creators of standout temporary spaces for Decorex 2025. Together, they explore what makes a pop-up truly successful, the creative and logistical challenges behind these here-today-gone-tomorrow marvels, and how temporary design can deliver lasting value.

The conversation continues with insights from Decorex’s Sam Fisher, QEST’s Deborah Pocock, and...

It is often said that Interior Design is 5% creativity and 95% uphill slog. Most of what we do involves translating a creative vision into a set of instructions for someone else to build and then battling through to make sure the vision is realised.

So, while the process is important, without that precious initial spark there is no interior to build.

All designers suffer at times from designer’s block – there are times when the ideas simply will not flow, and times when the designer can find themselves drowning in the 95% of project admin.

So h...

We are joined by Mark Tremlett, founder and managing director of Naturalmat, Fiona Watkins founder and creative director of Fiona Watkins Studio and Melanie Zarins, Project Director at international design powerhouse, tp bennett to explore the topic of wellness and interior design.

Interior design has evolved way beyond mere aesthetics to embrace wellness as a core principle. Whether designing homes, workplaces, or public spaces, integrating wellness into design decisions is no longer optional - it’s essential.

But whereas in the past wellness referred only to physical comfort and health, today’s definition has expanded to i...

Interior designers undertake complex, highly skilled, technical work, within a framework of building safety regulations and consumer protection legislation yet are still largely credited only for good taste and an ability to shop.

But are designers their our own worst enemies? And if that is the case, how should they sharpen up their act, disabuse the public of this perception, and command the respect they deserve?

In this episode, recorded at the London offices of LXA Projects, Susie and Jeff are joined by Sammy Bikoulis, Associate Director at LXA and Liz Bell, Director at Absolute...

It’s a problem most interior designers are familiar with. You have been given a brief for a lovely project, and you quote a fee based on that brief. But then the actual job turns out to be much more complex and difficult than you had expected and nothing like what you had quoted for.

What can designers do to protect themselves from goalposts that move and projects that creep?  And what steps do they need to take at the start of a project to ensure smooth running further down the track?

We’re joined by tw...

Intimately connected with the interior of our homes, we use our outdoor spaces to relax, eat, socialise and connect with nature, and we appreciate the contribution they make to our wellbeing and mental health.

But who should be trusted with the design of these significant spaces? Is it the role of the interior designer or the garden designer? And should these relate to the interior or the exterior of the host building?

In this episode, recorded in front of a live audience of designers at the Design Central South West event in Bristol, Jeff and...

We live in interesting, if not very challenging, times.

But how do global conflicts, trade wars and economic uncertainties impact on the cosy world of interior design? Is this turmoil having a detrimental effect on our international clients both at home and abroad? And if so, can interior designers do anything to protect themselves from the chill winds of change?

Jeff and Susie are joined by international design duo Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham, founders and co-directors of Salveson Graham, to find out more and learn how they are continuing to thrive against all the...

A Passivhaus is any building, new or retrofitted, that achieves the highest certifiable standard of energy efficiency while using negligible fuel for heating and cooling.

As the planet warms, this is clearly where we should all be heading, but passive houses are not without their detractors, who claim that these buildings are boxy, stuffy and chilly.

And is it enough for a building to be Passivhaus or does this still leave us a million miles away from achieving a truly sustainable built environment? What is the truth behind the hype? And is it possible to...

The British have always been famously crazy about their animals, cossetting them with as much tender treatment as they do their children.

Today there are 13.5 million dogs, 12.5 million cats, 1.5 million birds and 1.0 million pet rabbits in the UK, plus nearly a million each of tortoises, horses, Guinea pigs, hamsters and snakes. Unsurprisingly, interior designers are now being asked to design spas and bespoke bedrooms especially for pampered pets of all shapes and sizes, treating them as significant stakeholders in their projects.

Jeff and Susie are joined by Lyne Arbid of Studio Indigo, Jo Sampson of...

Everyone has had the experience of packing up a home, removing the pictures and personal objects and realising with a shock that suddenly the space is no longer theirs.

Functional interior spaces that meet our practical needs are essential, but it seems it is the art and objects we use to personalise those spaces that give them their heart and soul.

We instinctively know that art in all its glorious forms provides emotional context that can make a person feel comfortable, or not comfortable, within a space.

But, in recognising the power of...

Interior designers are forever being asked for their opinions on the latest trends in paint colours, kitchen, tiles, furniture styles and so on.

And the supposed answers fill the pages of countless glossy style mags and newspapers, encouraging consumers to update their homes. But how should we respond to these questions?

As we move away from the throw-away attitude of recent times and journey towards a more sustainable future, do trends have any part to play in the work we do and the stories we tell? And how should we be advising our clients in...

Designers rely heavily on contractors to faithfully execute and deliver on their visions for our clients. This reliance can mean that it is often difficult to fully control the finished quality of our projects, a situation that can vary from being merely frustrating to utterly tragic. But is there anything we can do to prevent this? How can designers ensure they have the best-fit contractor for their projects and for their clients, and the right people capable of faithfully executing their designs? Jeff and Susie are joined by Rina Patel from Vastu Design and Brian Woulfe from Designed by...

In a world far, far, away from your average night club, cult rapper Stormzy, with a little help from design dynamo Sally Anne McCoy and her friends at the Cream Group, has just opened, House Party, the ultimate party place in a 7-storey building in London’s Soho. But what is the back story to the project? What inspired the team to come up with their wildly original theme and why is it so perfect for right now? Find out in this fascinating conversation with Sally which took place on location in the House Party kitchen. 

The Int...

In this episode, we look ahead to Decorex 2024, Europe’s leading event for interior design professionals, taking place at Olympia London between Sunday 6th October and Wednesday 9th October.

Event Director, Sam Fisher and Marketing Manager, Carly Barclay set the scene for this year's show. We also hear from Tim Butcher at Fromental, Shayne Brady at Brady Williams, Jules Haines from The Haines Collection, Mirry Christie from B Able, John Stubbs from YesColours and decorative artist, Ellen Merchant, about their involvement in Decorex 2024. 

The Interior Design Business is a media partner of Decorex 2024.

More...

There are few UK designers as admired and emulated as Laura Hammett, both for her signature style and for the glamorous international projects in her portfolio.

But what is her back story? Has her eponymous company always been so successful? How does she continue to stay one step ahead of the competition? And where is she planning to take her business next?

In this episode, Laura joins Jeff and Susie in conversation to share her fascinating story.   

In this episode, we explore the changing face of workplace design with help from James White, Co-Founder of global interior design powerhouse, MAWD, and May Fawzy, Founder and Creative Director of MF Design Studio and President of the British Institute of Interior Design.

What does the post-pandemic, hybrid-working office look like? Can co-working spaces provide a second option to working from home? And, how does this new reality impact the design of office and co-working spaces?   

The Interior Design Business is a Wildwood Plus production.

25 years ago, there were only a handful of UK universities where undergraduate students could study interior design. Today there are 53 offering a total of 117 courses, and this does not include the growing number of private schools who also offer interior design degrees. 

But are these courses producing well-rounded students, fully equipped and ready to take their place in industry? Is the current degree model a bar to inclusivity? And would apprenticeships be a better way to train new talent in what is essentially a practical discipline?

To help us untangle these complex issues we are j...

How should designers approach the subject of neurodiversity with their clients? How can they accurately assess their client’s needs and, most importantly of all, how should they translate these requirements into their designs?

In this episode, Susie and Jeff are joined by specialist inclusive design consultant, Judi Watkinson and dementia specialist, writer and presenter of the definitive Third Age Design podcast, Lori Pinkerton Rolet, to find out.   

Health and wellness continue to be top priorities in residential design. Interior design that addresses both the mind and the body challenges designers to learn new skills and adapt their design approaches.

As part of this evolution, we find out the role that home technology plays in delivering a comfortable, healthier and mood-enhancing lifestyle at home with help from BIID award-winning designer, Susie Pfeiffer of Pfeiffer Design, Ben Channon of specialist well-being design consultancy, EKKIST and Damien Smith of leading home technology firm, New Wave AV.

This episode was recorded in front of a live...

Art in all its glorious forms plays a key role within the interior, providing emotional context that can make a person feel comfortable, or not comfortable, within the space.

But, in recognising the power of art to transform and complete an interior, how should designers go about preparing their buildings, and their clients, to best showcase these important elements?

We’re joined by Julia Bell from Parapluie and Jennie Trethewy from Studio Far West to explore the important steps to take when designing spaces for art.

This episode was recorded in front of a...

Many interior designers want their projects and expertise to be featured within magazines and the interior sections of newspapers but are unsure or unaware of how to present themselves, their projects and their stories to do that.

We're joined by Hatta Byng, Editor of House & Garden and Katrina Burroughs, Interiors Editor of The Times and Sunday Times as they share their insights on how the media works, the content that journalists are looking for and the best approaches that designers can take to engage effectively with writers and the media.

Recorded in front of a...

For the super-rich who spend their lives moving between homes in the world’s most glamorous cities, it can be reassuring to buy a property endorsed by a designer brand who they already know and trust.

In this episode, Jeff and Susie are joined by Antonio Quesada, MD of design studio Morpheus & Co and Heidi Schmidtke, Managing Director of JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group to discover more about the recent trends in the space. Listen in to find out more about the rise of the branded residence and learn how interior designers can be involved in this lucrative bu...

When UK employment for women is broken down by sector, construction comes last in the table. Only 14.7% of those employed in the industry are women. This is 32.9 percentage points lower than the national average. At a time of industry-wide skill shortages, this represents a calamitous wasted opportunity both for construction and for women.  

So, what are the factors at play that keep women out of the sector? What can be done to correct this position? And what benefits will women bring to construction once they do join their male colleagues as full participants?  

Hear the discus...

Throughout the course of her long career, international interior designer and author Kelly Hoppen, CBE, has earned and received every plaudit. Her impact on our industry and the public’s perception of the significance of interior design in their lives cannot be underestimated.

She joins us for this latest show alongside Martin Waller, Founder of the Global design brand, Andrew Martin, the internationally recognised Andrew Martin Interior Designer of The Year Award and the annual Interior Design Review. Martin is also a long-time friend and collaborator of Kelly.

In this episode, we learn about their ow...

For the UK interior design industry, London acts like a black hole sucking in product, education and designers to the exclusion of everywhere else. Little wonder you might think when, with a population of 9.3 million people, it is more than three times the size of its nearest rival city, Manchester.

But is this how it should be and is this situation inevitable? Talented and professional interior designers are constantly completing challenging, world-class, complex projects all over the country!

We are joined by Fiona Watkins of Fiona Watkins Design, Cath McCubbin founder of Design Central UK...

In this episode, we preview Decorex 2023, Europe’s leading event for interior design professionals, which opens its doors at Olympia London on Sunday 8th October running until Wednesday 11th October.

We hear from four of the key figures involved in this year's event.   

Listen to Sam Fisher, Event Director at Decorex, alongside Brian Woulfe of Designed by Woulfe, Mark Tremlett of Naturalmat and Laurence Katz of Elemental Studio as they explain what to look out for at Decorex 2023. 

Thanks to our series supporter, Havwoods the prevailing name in beautiful wood flooring.

The In...

We all want dream projects that will earn us the accolades of our peers and attract new clients. But what makes an award-winning project? What makes it special and worth the significant investment in money, time and effort that it takes to prepare a winning award entry?

Find out in our latest episode with Lisa Keates from Keates Interiors as she talks us through her award-winning project from the Northern Design Awards 2022. 

Thanks to our series supporter, Havwoods the prevailing name in beautiful wood flooring.

If ‘a picture paints a thousand words’, then surely an interior can tell a thousand stories?

Our most beloved interior spaces are grounded in a time and place and speak eloquently of the lives of the people who have inhabited them either now or in the past.

But what is the magic essence that makes these much-loved places so special? And how can interior designers recreate this magic in their work?  

To shed light on these questions, we're joined by consummate storytellers Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins, co-founders and creative directors of global interio...

Interior designers are a bit like ‘piggy in the middle’. They must be adept at managing client relationships while also managing their supply chains in order to finish on time and deliver the best possible projects.

So, how can designers find and retain professional and reliable suppliers? How can they ensure they get early warning when things are going wrong? And is it possible to build a dream supplier team that will last forever?

To help us answer these important questions and more, we are joined today by Ed O’Donnell from Angel O’Donnell and BIID...

Many people would love to have a career in interior design. To get there, some take the conventional route of obtaining an interior design qualification straight out of school and then gain experience within an established design practice before branching out on their own, but many also set up businesses later in life and enjoy a satisfying career having already had a career in another field.

Do late-design bloomers have any advantages over their younger rivals? And is it possible to be a good designer without a design qualification?

We are joined today by three...

Sustainability is defined as ‘the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level’.

But, given the environmental damage we have already inflicted on our planet, is it sufficient to maintain the status quo at our current degraded level?

In other words, is it enough to merely cause no further damage or should we be setting our sights higher with long-term goals to restore the environmental quality of our home to pre-industrial levels?

Mel Meale from Steer Design and Simon Myatt from Havwoods share ideas with Jeff and Susie in an episode reco...

Buying the services of an interior designer is unlike any other purchase. The client knows they have a project and a set of requirements, they have a budget figure in mind, they know when they want the project to end, and they may know what they like, but beyond that they have no idea what the finished product will be.

For most people that is a truly daunting prospect. The answer,of course, is to get help from a professional. But where can you go to find this wonderful person who truly gets you and will be...

In this episode, we explore ways that designers can sustain and grow their businesses by working smarter not harder in the company of Freeman Studio's, Mathew Freeman, the President of the British Institute of Interior Design and Anna Burles, Creative Director and Founder of Run For The Hills.  

It seems the only way designers and architects can achieve the quality results that their clients expect is to produce drawings and other information in such detail that there is no room for misinterpretation on site and that nothing could possibly ever go wrong.

But was this al...

Most people walk through the world with their eyes closed, not seeing the beauty or noticing the details that surround them, but this is certainly not true of interior designers.

But how can they ensure their work never gets stale? Where should they go to look for fresh inspiration and how do they recognise it when they see it?

For this episode, we are lucky enough to be joined by internationally acclaimed designer, Katharine Pooley, to find out how she uses travel as an inspiration and how it translates into her work.

The...

Today architects and interior designers work closely together to deliver highly intricate building projects for their clients.

How can these design professionals ensure their clients appoint the right people at the right time during their project? And, what steps do architects and designers need to take to achieve a continuity of service to ensure the project runs smoothly?

Max de Rosee and Claire Sa, founding partners of international architecture and interior design studio, De Rosee Sa join Susie and Jeff to answer these questions and more in this latest show.

The Interior Design...

The working life of an interior designer is rarely, if ever, entirely plain sailing.

As we strive to deliver projects on time, that meet our client’s brief as well as their budget, there are frequently bumps on the road to navigate, pitfalls to avoid and unforeseen difficulties that arise which challenge the most resourceful and most creative-thinking designers.

So, quite how do interior designers manage to deal with what’s thrown at them to make sure they solve the seemingly insoluble and emerge triumphant, against all odds, to the delight of all parties, especially thei...

We all know those crazy interior design TV shows where wannabe amateur designers try to cover themselves sometimes in glory but more often than not cover themselves in paint. Love them or hate them they make weirdly compelling viewing for practicing designers and the public alike.

But do these reality TV shows bear any resemblance to what real designers do?

How do they impact the public’s perception of the interior design profession?

What is it really like to be a contestant, and do the winners go on to become renowned designers in th...

There are many ways in which products can be unsustainable.

Some are flown halfway round the world, some are produced using unacceptable quantities of water and other natural materials, some produce dangerously polluting substances as bi-products and others exploit and dehumanize the people that produce them. And then there is the problem of what happens to the product when it is no longer required.

But in a world of competing sustainability claims, how can designers find out the truth about the products they specify and steer a confident path between the many hazards?

...