So, I literally fell into interior design. My dream had always been to become a fashion designer but after leaving college I was told my personality was too shy to survive the fashion world. I then went to work for Laura Ashley as an intermediate gap and then had an industrial accident where I fell through a trap door!
The accident has left me with ongoing back and neck issues, so working for myself has been useful as I can try and work within my limitations when I have a flare up.
The things that keep me energised is communicating with like-minded women. I love the energy and support they give and I always feel inspired after we have met. I love a good chat over a coffee and this really helps as working on your own can get lonely and it is great to be able to bounce ideas around.
I am most proud of the fact that I am still here doing a job I love and clearly people think I am ok at it to be in business 25 years later.
I really try to listen and design for my client, rather than push my own taste. My aim is with both guidance on the design side and a brilliant team of contractors that we take the stress out of any project whilst creating your dream room/ house. I thrive on having a good team of contractors as this is such an important part of my work and good communication with clients,
It was a very scary time and there were times when I thought I may lose everything, but you just have to adapt, stay positive and keep going, making sure I kept my name out there on social media and kept interacting with people.
During lockdown, I offered zoom calls and still offer these to anyone who prefers this way of working. I was doing more design boards rather than face to face meetings, so it was about adapting to keep things moving as I was not eligible for any funding from the government, despite having paid taxes my whole working life.
Luckily many people have been wanting to improve their homes during this period, so I feel I am blessed to be busy now.
“When women support each other incredible things happen”.
