I can't bear an injustice. I will fight tooth and nail for others and perhaps its also a resistance that I have always felt towards bullies that has made me fight back and I learned to stream it into something positive. I don’t like to see others who can’t defend themselves being abused. I know I can’t change the world but if I can change a little part of wrong within it – I feel I have stood up for myself as well as those who can’t. 

I entered via the building trade, the builders told me I had an ‘eye’ when I was on my way past builder’s sites on the Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth to the college. I still remember the building facades being painted in ‘Chocolate Brown among terraces of cream and thought wow, that’s daring and there I was off to study fashion, textiles and design. I merged into what I liked, thinking I’d like fashion more. I think it was because I was a middle child and grew up with ‘hand me downs’ whilst both sisters had new as often happens with three children. Now I take great care of my clothes and shoes and all my things as I have new things. It’s funny what shapes you. I learned that I preferred the adornment and construction of interior space more than clothes and fell into interior design rather than having a understanding or passion for it initially. 

Interestingly it was setting up the SBID. I felt that as a design practice was unlikely to sell on the stock exchange, like a fashion brand or building contractor did, that I would gift the practice to my staff and create a standard-bearer body to help shape and guide the profession. I had earned a very good living from it and as it was still emerging as a profession and there were limited resources and certainly no direction or leadership to move it to the next level. I was invited to a special dinner and although I cannot say where or with whom I was asked to create standards and I said I would do so thinking it would take me a year or so.

The experience from old school knowledge to computer generated learning was transitioning and I could help capture the expertise that was ready to exit the workforce to share and blend emerging talent to create a professional direction in design practice. Well you would have thought I had stolen money from someone’s mother – I was subjected to a vicious smear campaign as were some of my family but rumours continued. It was aimed at preventing the success of SBID. I was uninvited to events, I was severely tainted and blackballed and I didn’t know why. When I found out what was being said it was not only too late as everyone had heard it but I was saddened by those who I had thought knew me better, had listened and failed to approach me or stop it. It toughened me up and I grew up. I broke though the barriers and obstructions that were created to prevent the success of SBID.

What a great question. Do not listen to others who are less than you – do not pay attention to ‘white noise’. You don’t need people around you who want to see you fail. It is better to try and fail than to regret trying at all. You grow from every success and every failure so go for it and don’t look backwards. Be honest to yourself and listen to those who are knowledgeable not those who are jealous. Sometimes you need to learn that you are not cut out for it but you need to get there at your own pace. It is the journey that makes us whole.

I always had a ‘fixer’ this meant that for those families and places where I was not accepted as a woman years ago (and that is very much changing today) I had a fixer to ensure that my fees were paid, and I could attend equally represented for business matters where a woman was not equally accepted. I paid a fee and I always got paid. It was worth every penny. Sometimes a client would not even look at me albeit there was just three in the room, I was totally ignored. I used to punish that! 

I call it ‘moaning money’  I’m glad to say that in the main that is changing fast although there is still much to be done but in numbers and together we can achieve so much more and so woman must stick together and support each other.

Well that it very kind of you. I often think its something for its simplicity. I like to accessorise, but my design is simple, classic and timeless so its hard to name one and I do change my mind as they are determined by the weather and time of day or night. I think I can say that the most recent one is often the most favourite. I often found it hard because my clients for security reasons did not have their designs photographed. I did a lot of work in Monaco, a lot in the Middle East and of course London and Spain too. I think it’s the front door where the entrance is supposed to take your breath away, I like that the most and particularly when it’s not a grand project. Is it wrong to also say the WC? It is the smallest space but it is where everyone can look around in private and in awe so I always did a real wow on a guest WC. 

I suggest that designers align with estate agents as they can easily provide quick ball park budgets for interiors to a potential purchaser and that helps the buyer decide the sale. Such relationships help everyone. I also advise designers to keep their eye on planning portals as these are potential projects but it is also important to work up and down the supply chain for the discipline the designer is working in so it might be a banking or asset company or it might be a care home company or a hospital group … these investors are always keen to find new designers and inspiration for their projects.

Designers for residential have a series of ways to find referrals, obviously the last job is your best recommendation and the client’s friends are the best recommendation you could have but designers can also follow the property listings and sales and of course social media is where so many sales and projects are now secured. Instagram is even securing sales of very expensive items such as antique carpets, glass chandeliers and large ticket items

Well we are an industry advocate, we press government for improvement and change and we seek regulation on matters of qualification and trading best practice as well as best practice by creating and setting industry standards. In three key areas we have been successful as an industry advocate, a destination for consumers to provide an added comfort of competence from our members and credentials for those in practice and business, who have met and exceeded a level of competence, and thereafter, we aim to help our members improve their career by providing opportunity to raise their profile.

It will find its own feet in a short while – I think like anything new – electricity or the internet, people were cautious, very quickly we all adapted to it and found that we can no longer be without it. I think it provides great opportunity but it has much to improve upon and it does not tell the truth yet so you do need to be careful. With a book or even a on line book or website there is a better degree of reliability that the information advertised is accurate and AI hasn’t got that right yet but, what it can achieve visually is amazing in a matter of seconds. I don’t think it is a threat to our profession as I think it will inspire so many people and that has to be good. 

Oh yes and it is most definitely my biggest item – I have been working on it for quite a while but it is going to be amazing so we will come and talk to you at Olise in 2026.