The interior design business, worldwide is worth over $150b, but why? What it is we like so much about improving the place that we live, eat, work and socialise in.
Interiors have been a major part of my passion for design and aesthetically pleasing spaces. Prior to studying commercial management and quantity surveying, I quite fancied being an architect. In fact I studied two years at college on a foundation course so that I could gain entry to university for that very reason, to become an architect. When it came down to it, the five years at university, coupled to my love of maths, numbers and finance, meant that I was probably, at that time more suited to a career in commercial management, hence, the architecture dream ended there. Since then however, I've been hugely involved with many construction projects of all aspects. I've designed and built a house, several large extensions, renovated numerous properties and designed some amazing spaces along the way. On top of this, I've had two interior design projects featured in regional home magazines.
So what is it that I love so much about interior design and spatial architecture?
I love creating a space. I love engineering a feeling into those that use that space. I like things to be interesting, wacky, crazy and totally over the top. A recent project was the design of a 3000sq ft office in a prominent UAE building. White walls, white ceilings, glass walls, doors, and grey carpet floor tiles were banned from my design brief. I wanted to create a space that people enjoyed being in, not just working in. I wanted to motivate, stimulate and inspire people that use the space. Of course, the pinnacle of the office, was my space. So where does a design conscious corporate financier come entrepreneur come interior designer want to work? In an open airy clean looking fresh office with a view of the city skyline? Not me.......
Some people are morning productive. I am not. I like to work late at night, in fact I'm writing this blog at 3am, in a dimly lit room, but the text and ideas are flowing. In my mind I have my next three blogs planned and mapped out, if only the sun never came up I would never stop writing. This was the planning and idea behind my office. Like a Vegas Casino, there are no clocks, no windows, and the level of lighting is the same at 2pm or 2am. My office backs on to the main building lift shaft. The light rumble of the lifts going up and down reminds me of working in Knightsbridge London where one could clearly hear the constant rumble of the Piccadilly tube line below. For me, its a great place to work. In this room I can type for hours.
