Inspiration, influences and style

Introduction & Philosophy

Inspiration, influences and style

I've been surrounded by all things interior design from an early age, and grew up in an era where you had to make the most of what you had and make it last.

Repurposing

You don't want to look into a room and see a sea of lampshades, so this aspect of the design must I like to be guided by what already exists within a home. It may be that something doesn't work in one particular room, but when moved and repurposed in another, it's perfect.

An existing item may also prove to be the starting point and inspiration for the new decorating scheme. This could be a rug, a piece of fabric, or even just a colour.

Take inspiration from places you visit, and repurpose ideas from elsewhere - for example, ceramics from a country you've travelled to, or a colour palette you've seen in a work of art. Take pictures and remember the things that you like so that you can incorporate your own version of the concepts into decorating schemes.

Elsie de Wolfe

I have spent a great deal of time researching Elsie de Wolfe, and find her work incredibly fascinating. Much of her work informs the way we design to this day, and she has been hugely influential to me.

One technique of Elsie's that I have used in my own home is to increase the feeling of space by using mirrors. There's also something glorious about catching glimpses of people, and the romantic reflection of candlelight in the evening.

Starting out

My interior design career started when I began working for John Fowler. Realising that every design decision should be made with the intention of relaxation and comfort proved to be one of my biggest lessons. An interior should be created for entertaining, and everyone who inhabits it should feel at home.

Books can lead you on a journey

While the digital age has enormous benefits, there's definitely something to be said for finding inspiration within the pages of a book. You can often stumble across new avenues to explore, and examine things you might not have thought to look up on a search engine.

Begin with what inspires you

Looking through books is a brilliant place to start finding inspiration. Begin by researching examples of furniture throughout history and different periods of design. However, the books themselves don't necessarily need to be about design - they could be on a completely different topic - and they'll help you find a colour, shape or style that inspires you.

Interior design school now

Studying interior design can help you with the technical aspect of the job, as you will learn how to do CAD drawings, for example. Practical lessons can only really be learnt from doing.

Further reading

• Henri Matisse
• Duncan Grant
• Sir John Soane's Museum
• Living (2022 film), directed by Oliver Hermanus
• 'The little house of many mirrors' - chapter IV in The House in Good Taste, by Elsie de Wolfe
• John Fowler
• Profile of John Fowler, by Architectural Digest
• Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler
• Julian La Trobe
• Walter Gay
• The Dictionary of English Furniture, by Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards
• John Fowler: Prince of Decorators, by Martin Wood
• Inspirational Interiors: Classic English Interiors from Colefax and Fowler, by Roger Banks-Pye

Sourcebook

Rugs - by Luke Irwin