I spent a delightful afternoon off a few weeks ago with my sons wandering through Tate Modern, London's premiere modern art destination. As I walked through the second level, a celebration of surrealism, I was struck by how remarkable the paintings and sculptures are in this collection. This floor alone must be valued at hundreds of millions of pounds, maybe even billions. But it is easy to forget that each and every one of these artworks started out with a blank concept pad and maybe some pencils or paint. All that was needed were the ideas and handiwork of a talented artist. At Global Interior Design, the interior design consultancy that I founded, we recognise that so much of what is valuable comes to life in this way. Other UK interior design consultancies like Bentheim and Adrienne Chinn Design Company all began in the very same way - with an idea and a piece of paper. And every new project that my interior design consultancy takes on starts out with nothing more than big ideas and a touch of magic. It's so inspirational and I go into work each and every day just so excited to passionately realise and explore the reality of "nothing to something!"
Interior Design for the Stage
Just a few weeks ago a dear friend of mine was visiting London from Paris. I was just so delighted to have the opportunity to talk with her about how things are going for our interior design consultancy and all the exciting projects we have active right now. One of the things we enjoyed together was a trip to London's Comedy Theatre on prestigious Panton Street to see the renowned George Bernard Shaw play "Mrs. Warren's Profession." As I was leaving the theatre, I reflected with my friend on the similarities between the work of an interior design consultancy and the work of stage/set design teams. In both cases, the goal is to create atmosphere and drama. In both cases, we work alongside other experts like lighting designers, carpenters, and audiovisual engineers. But the key difference is that interior design consultancies have to create spaces that are "livable," not just "spectacular." A great lesson to remember as we start to move toward the second half of this year!
Balancing Life and Work
Just recently I was invited to fill in an online survey about work-life balance. And it got me thinking about my top tips for maintaining a healthy equilibrium. As the founder of a busy London interior design consultancy, it's never easy to disconnect from my intensive work commitments. But here are a few time-tested ideas that I thought might be of interest to readers of this blog:
- Holidays are important! Colleagues at my interior design consultancy know that I work hard but that I also sometimes need a good break where I can fully disengage from my work. I love to get outside London at the weekends, especially in the summer months when the countryside and beaches are so beautiful.
- Don't forget sports! Keeping fit is one of my many passions and I love to go running in the one of London's magnificent Royal Parks after a busy day of work at our interior design consultancy. No matter how busy you are, you can always find time for a touch of sport - and it will make you feel even more fabulous the next day!
Last week I was asked to comment on how our interior design consultancy sees the latest trendy London design ideas. I responded at once that I just ignore them completely! I think that our work as a well-known interior design consultancy should be grounded in our own reflections, experiences, and time-tested sophistication married with practicality. Every new project that our interior design consultancy takes on is really a journey of its own. The process begins with the conceptualisation phase, where a new vision gets fashioned - maybe out of the blue, but more often triggered by an exhibit that I may have seen at a London museum or a thoughtful interaction with another designer. From there our interior design consultancy works collaboratively to re-envision, improve, and retarget the atmosphere and feel of the design concept until we are ready to implement.
Taste Versus Style
I've written about taste and style on this blog before, but I thought I would revisit it today as our London interior design consultancy enters a new phase of hiring. To meet the demands of new projects and larger commissions, we are actively seeking both interns and new support staff to become part of the team at our interior design consultancy. We are a fun group to work with, and if you are London-based I would encourage you to apply via our website if interested. But one of the things that I always wrestle with is how to help new hires really understand the "taste" that goes into our signature design aesthetic. And I have decided that the best approach is just for employees to roll up their sleeves and jump right in! Learn from your mistakes, move on, and be open to constructive criticism.
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