Over the course of two inspiring days, Diploma HE in Applied Interior Design - Part Time students from our London campus had the opportunity to explore the West Dean Estate at our Sussex campus, gaining valuable insight into the spaces they’ll be designing for their final projects. The commercial project focuses on the Old Biomass Building, transforming it into a craft shop and visitor centre with a high-end farm shop aesthetic. The residential project centres on a Grade II listed period property, set in the scenic surroundings of the South Downs National Park. Both projects exemplify West Dean’s broader mission to balance cultural preservation with contemporary usability, offering students a chance to apply innovative thinking across two very different building typologies.

The visit included tours of the estate’s gardens with head gardener Tom Brown, a house tour with collections manager Hugh Morrison, an introduction into the archives with archivist Simon Coleman and a look around the studios including a talk with subject leader for furniture Daniel Pateman. This provided inspiration and practical details for their design proposals. Students also had direct access to West Dean’s resources, helping them understand how heritage, materials, and sustainability can shape their designs. This experience gave students a clearer vision of how to approach their projects, equipping them with the knowledge and connections to create thoughtful and informed proposals.

"Under a cloudless, perfect blue sky, West Dean College did not disapoint! 

A jam packed 48 hours revealed not only an absolutely fascinating history of the man himself, Edward James, a visionary and surrealist extraordinaire, but also the depth and range of courses available at West Dean, including pottery, furniture making, restoration, weaving and even instrument making.    It was very apparent when touring the main house that Edward James had left an indelible mark on interior design with his nod to surrealism and influence on artist such as Dali.  The merger of KLC School of Design with West Dean College also finally made perfect sense.

The West Dean Estate is absolutely glorious and so worth a visit.  The grounds, managed by Tom, are magestic. 

We have the great fortune of basing our final project on either a commercial or residential endeavour at West Dean. When it was time to leave, we didn’t want to go but  left feeling utterly inspired, with solidified friendships.   Thanks to everyone who made sure we were so impeccably looked after.  I will definitely go back”

- Penelope Kiehl

"It was such a pleasure to visit West Dean’s Sussex campus and delve deeply into its ethos and history! As a KLC interior design diploma student (graduating July 2025), I was originally attracted to KLC’s solid industry reputation and joined prior to the West Dean merger. As my class enters the final stretch of our program, we visited West Dean to conduct site visits for our final project and explore the West Dean campus and heritage. I was blown away by the quality of the craftmanship being taught and practiced there, and fascinated deeply by the history of West Dean’s founder, Edward James, the house, and the land. In fact after visiting I fully understand how beautifully suited KLC and West Dean are, and hope to work closely in my future interior design career with other West Dean graduates of the various crafting programs.

We were warmly welcomed by the students and tutors of the various departments, who kindly shared their expertise with us and discussed numerous possibilities for future collaboration. Highlights for me were the garden tour, the tapestry and woodworking studio sessions, and the house tour and history discussions with the archive team. After this visit I am not only very excited for our final project, but also proud to be associated with the West Dean heritage in my interior design education."

- Kyla Lamarche McAuley