The number one problem my clients have is that they lack confidence when putting design schemes together. A lack of confidence leads to indecision, frustration and, even after you’ve finally made a decision, doubt as to to whether you’ve made the right choice, or wasted your money.
A lack of confidence in your design decisions stems from the following problems. Do any of them resonate with you?
Every now and then I run a workshop where we tackle all these problems!
My workshop will give you the knowledge, tools and step-by-step methods you need to banish your doubts, and start designing your home with ease and confidence.
The workshop includes several design exercises, so that you can immediately put everything you are learning into practice, in order to build your confidence and consolidate the lessons in your mind.
I really want the skills you are learning to stick, so that you can repeat them with ease when you are designing at home!
12 am - Welcome
Glass of champagne on arrival, welcome and introductions.
12:15 pm - Key Design Principles
Understanding these key principles will help you to understand WHY you are making the decisions you will be making, which will give you confidence that you are making the right choices.
12:45 pm - Turning Inspiration into Direction
An important first step in the interior design process, this section will help you to clarify what is it you want from your home/room, functionally, aesthetically and emotionally.
You will create your Authentic Design Code which will act as your compass and your filter, helping you to refine your inspiration and ideas, so that you can take your first steps with excitement and resolve. You will use inspiration images and a short bullet-pointed brief to give you clarity and focus.
1:30 pm - Upholstery, Window Dressing and Soft Furnishing
(A light lunch will be served at this point, so you can fill your tummies as you fill your brains.)
Expanding your awareness and understanding of upholstery, curtain, blind and soft furnishing styles will enable you to decide which ones are the right choice for your project. This section will develop your vocabulary (pelmets! goblet headings! chik blinds!), so that you know exactly what to ask of your curtain maker or upholsterer. As well as learning about classic, timeless styles, be prepared to absorb some inspiring and novel ideas that you can employ to make your interiors sing.
2:15 pm - Loo Break
Self-explanatory. (You can, of course, use the facilities at any point during the workshop. This is mainly for me.)
2:30 pm - Creating a Design Scheme
In this section you will learn how to create your very own design scheme: where to start, where to source your fabrics etc., and how to pull them together. I will teach you how to avoid ‘designing yourself into a corner’, how to ensure a coherent end result, and how to choose the right fabrics, wallpapers, colours and trimmings to capture the look you want.
Following my clear step-by-step method and simple formulas, you will learn how to mix colour, pattern and texture to create a balanced and unified scheme. You will be invited to create your very own design scheme using my extensive sample library, and I will be on hand to offer advice and guidance as required.
(This is the longest section of the workshop and purposefully so! At previous workshops, the exercise was only an hour long and the attendees enjoyed it so much they begged for more time, so here we are.)
4:30 pm - Question Time
If you have questions relating to any other aspect of your home design, now is the time to ask it. I can field questions on anything from furniture layouts, to lighting, sourcing, styling, where to spend and where to save, how to get the best prices for antiques, and how to hang your art. My knowledge and expertise have come to me from years at the coalface of the interior design world, working for top interior designers, such as Rita Konig, Isabella Worsley and Lucy Cunningham, as well as running my own interior design consultancy.
4:50 pm - Final Goodbyes and Sample Stashing
Feel free to take home as many samples as you like, as well as the phone numbers of all the new best friends you’ve just made.
In order to get the most value out of the workshop, please bring with you up to five inspiration images - ideally printed or cut from a magazine, so that they can be pinned to your mood board along with your design scheme. If you have samples of any fabrics you are considering for your project, feel free to bring them along too.
Everyone will be given a list of my go-to suppliers to take home, making sourcing for your project a breeze. These suppliers are the same ones I’ve discovered and used time and time again over the course of my career, and I would be delighted to share them with you.
The workshop itself will give you access to fabrics, wallpapers and trimmings from many of the key suppliers used by professional interior designers, such as Robert Kime, Soane and Pierre Frey, with whom I have trade accounts. If you would like to use their products in your design scheme, I would be happy to place orders on your behalf, sharing my trade discount with you on a 50/50 basis. (This discount could easily offset the cost of the workshop if you were to order 10+ metres of fabric.)
If you would like extra guidance on your design project, I offer everyone a 10% discount on 1:1 consultations, during which I can answer all of your questions and offer in-depth advice and personalised recommendations. Consultations can take place online or at your home (if you live in London), and are priced at £350 for one hour or £450 for 90 minutes.
Not only is the workshop a great opportunity to have all your interiors questions answered, but it is also an incredibly enjoyable afternoon spent with like-minded, creative people. The intimate group setting means that everyone can bounce ideas off each another, share knowledge, and encourage and support each other.
Complimentary tea, coffee and drinks are offered throughout the workshop. Plus a glass of champagne on arrival.