grateful
on this last day of august i just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the summer and in particular the birthday celebrations we had a few weeks back.
i don’t know about you but sometimes i find there is a delay between an event and my true feelings, (especially during a fun filled summer when you are trying hard to show your kids how well you can relax and switch off!) and so i find myself sat in a quiet studio allowing myself the space to appreciate what has just been.
we have had such kindness and thanks come back to us after our birthday celebrations and i was so touched by the range of emotions and comments we had both on and after the night. what i have reflected on the most is on how people said the space made them feel. ‘relaxed’ ‘cosy’ ‘chilled’ ‘ i just want to stay here’ were some of the many.
i have worked as a designer for over 25 years, and have run my own design practice for 18 of them, during this time we have created stunning, glamorous homes often with staggering budgets, for many clients, some of these projects even winning international awards. many have been full of bespoke details and polished finishes to reflect the ‘luxury’ that is so often coveted.
these were houses created and designed to impress, and they did.
i did always have a little feeling inside me telling me however that what i had chosen to do as a living was not a very ‘worthwhile’ job, and from time to time i checked in with myself to see how i felt about this. there is no doubt i felt conflicted by the cosmetic element of my day-to-day work and wondered how i might become more at ease with it. almost subconsciously and over several years i began to change the approach to my work, to come at a project from a different direction, to ask more real questions, - what is needed for this family to thrive in there home? - what can we bring to this space to give a better quality of light and connection to nature, of flow?, how can we really maximise the potential of these special spaces in which we all play out our lives?
by starting the design process from a more honest and real place we are now arriving at truly exciting conclusions. by talking about how finishes and materials make us feel when we touch and live alongside them, and by releasing all the worries about what other people will think and supporting our clients to trust in themselves, i have found a way to marry my personal feelings with my love of design, and most importantly create homes and spaces that have a feeling that encourages relaxation, allows us to stop and take a breath, amongst finishes that get better with age, and with the footprints our lives leave on them.
and so it wasn’t until the other night when we had a studio and store full of lovely people telling me not how lovely the space here looks but how special it made them feel that i felt for the first time at ease with both my personal and professional beliefs.
we often allow a different side of ourselves to be revealed at different times, to show a bit more polish in a meeting or to be a bit more ‘real’ at home, i am excited to be on a path that will allow me to be authentic and true in both.
anyone who has ever taken a risk or made a brave or bold choice towards change (and if you haven’t i highly recommend it) will understand the many emotions that accompany this, fear, excitement, isolation, it is by far the most exposing thing i have ever done, but it makes you feel alive and when it works, very, very grateful.