Interior Designer
What were you doing before studying and why did you decide to study here?
I worked agency side in advertising for 10 years before studying with KLC School of Design, leading the media planning for clients such as M&S Food and Nestle. The careful budget planning and client management were useful and transferable skills to being an Interior Designer. Prior to this I studied Sociology at University of Nottingham.
How do you think studying at KLC School of Design prepared you for what you do now?
The KLC course was brilliant in helping me learn and apply the design process to a project. I loved the various modules on specifics around sustainability and design through history.
Can you identify some of the highlights and challenges of your time with us?
Presenting my final project was a real high. After a sleepless night I remember giving everything to the final design and couldn't have been happier and also relieved to have it all completed!
How has your career evolved since graduating?
I worked as an intern for various designers before becoming a Junior Designer with duo 2LG. I then landed my first solo project for a restaurant in Highbury, which then led to being asked to do the owners house, and from then it snowballed. I now work closely with a few architects and have multiple residential full house projects running at once, all across London.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am working on the refurbishment of an apartment in Kentish Town, an Edwardian house in Dulwich, a Victorian townhouse in Hackney and a Georgian house in London Fields.
What do you consider your biggest achievement to date?
Probably my first solo project, I look back and think how brave I was to undertake a restaurant with zero experience. It was a tight budget, tight turnaround and a massive space. The pressure was on to convert the concrete box into a beautiful restaurant to switch up from day to night use. I led a team of 10 builders, where there was a slight language barrier, but managed to deliver something quite special!
Do you have any tips for recent graduates?
1) Content, content, content! Gather images of your work, work you love and start curating it to share with others so people can see your style.
2) I'd also invest in photoshoots of anything you do - whether it's a small bathroom or a whole kitchen. It will pay off in the end.
3) Be a sponge in every room.
