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In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with three women who have each built a business on their own terms: Laylah Holmes, founder of Holmes Bespoke, Kalpa Patel, owner of Prestige Bathrooms, and Deborah Fiddy, founder of Gingerlily.
Their routes into the industry look very different. Laylah moved from fashion and Ralph Lauren into rug design and started her business when her first daughter was eight months old. Kalpa went from retail management into bathrooms, then took over the business she had joined as an admin hire. Deborah left a career as an in-house lawyer at Harrods to bring silk-filled bedding to the UK, and Gingerlily is now 22 years old.
Together they talk about saying yes before you know how, taking risks with very little behind you, and why relationships come before everything else in business. They are candid about motherhood and the guilt that comes with it, the husbands who back them, leading small teams that feel like family, and why looking after yourself is the thing they all put last.
The conversation also covers Laylah's first showroom, a Chiswick townhouse filled with around 20 partner brands, Kalpa's new space in Chelsea Design Centre, and the story behind the name Gingerlily.
In this episode:
Headline Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Moroso, the iconic Italian furniture house founded in 1952. Renowned for sculptural form, bold colour and artisanal craftsmanship, Moroso has spent over seventy years collaborating with the world's most influential designers, including Patricia Urquiola and Ron Arad, to create furniture that lives at the intersection of design, contemporary art and fashion. https://moroso.it
Perfect for: Interior designers, founders, business owners, working mothers, and anyone building a business from scratch.
Listen & Watch: Full video available on YouTube. Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
Guest Links:
Laylah Holmes, Holmes Bespoke
https://holmesbespoke.com/
https://www.instagram.com/holmesbespoke/?hl=en
Kalpa Patel, Prestige Bathrooms
https://www.prestigebathrooms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kalpapatel1/
Deborah Fiddy, Gingerlily
https://gingerlily.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/gingerlilylondon/?hl=en
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olisemagazine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Annie sits down with award-winning designer Róisín Lafferty, founder of Róisín Lafferty Studio and Róisín Lafferty Gallery, for a rich and generous conversation about creativity, craftsmanship, and building a design business with no script to follow.
Roisín shares the story of starting her studio at just 24, with no funding, no safety net and no real business plan, and how sixteen years of discipline, curiosity and self-belief have grown it into a team of 26. She speaks candidly about the intimidation of working with far more experienced consultants in her early years, and the importance of asking questions, even the ones that feel stupid.
The conversation explores her immersive, installation-style approach to design, fresh from her standout library concept at WOW!house 2026, her decade-long dream of opening Róisín Lafferty Gallery in Dublin's Fitzwilliam Square, and the sensory, emotionally-driven philosophy behind how she designs with colour, materiality and atmosphere.
Róisín also reflects on the creative industries more broadly, from her early career in fashion journalism to her belief that technical skill should never overshadow storytelling, sketching and true creative voice, and shares what travel, art and simply looking up has taught her about inspiration.
This episode is a celebration of craft, curiosity, and the quiet confidence of building something entirely your own.
In this episode:
Headline Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Moroso, the iconic Italian furniture house founded in 1952. Renowned for sculptural form, bold colour and artisanal craftsmanship, Moroso has spent over seventy years collaborating with the world's most influential designers, including Patricia Urquiola and Ron Arad, to create furniture that lives at the intersection of design, contemporary art and fashion. https://moroso.it
Perfect for: Interior designers, architects, creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in craftsmanship, colour, and building a design business rooted in authenticity.
Listen & Watch: Full video available on YouTube. Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links:
Roisín Lafferty
https://roisinlafferty.com/
https://www.instagram.com/roisinlafferty/
Roisín Lafferty Gallery
https://www.instagram.com/roisinlaffertygallery/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olisemagazine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with Jenny Weiss and Helen Bygraves, the founding directors behind Hill House Interiors, for a warm and candid conversation marking 29 years in business together.
Jenny and Helen tell the story of how a chance meeting through their ex-husbands, and an impromptu champagne-fuelled trip to Henley, turned into a working partnership built on a six-month trial neither of them expected to outlast a single season. They speak openly about who they were when they started, Jenny rebuilding her confidence after stepping back from work to raise her children, Helen learning to project an air of confidence through years in dance and as British Airways cabin crew, and how those early insecurities went on to shape the way they lead today.
The conversation explores how Hill House grew from a single showroom into a 46-person studio with its own Lifestyle Collection, an in-house florist, and a showroom that has stayed in Weybridge by design rather than default. Jenny and Helen open up about the realities of running a creative business with no formal business training, the year they had to borrow significant money to keep going, and the lesson they say they would never trade away.
They also reflect on opening their Dubai office after waiting years for a friend on the ground to tell them it was finally the right time, and what it means to have built a team where people stay for ten, fifteen, even sixteen years, including women who have left to have children and returned to thriving careers.
This episode is a celebration of friendship, commercial instinct, and a business built one decision, and one six-month trial, at a time.
In this episode:
Headline Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Moroso, the iconic Italian furniture house founded in 1952. Renowned for sculptural form, bold colour and artisanal craftsmanship, Moroso has spent over seventy years collaborating with the world's most influential designers, including Patricia Urquiola and Ron Arad, to create furniture that lives at the intersection of design, contemporary art and fashion. https://moroso.it
Perfect for: Interior designers, business owners, creative entrepreneurs, design students, and anyone interested in long-term business partnerships, brand building, or expanding into international markets.
Listen & Watch: Full video available on YouTube. Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links:
Hill House Interiors https://hillhouseinteriors.com/
Hill House Lifestyle https://hillhouselifestyle.com/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olisemagazine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with award-winning architect and interior designer Natalia Miyar for a candid and deeply personal conversation about identity, resilience, and a decade of building one of London's most distinctive design studios.
Natalia shares her unconventional path into architecture, a journey that began in Mexico City, moved through Miami, and led her to London, where she has now spent almost twenty years. She speaks openly about the naivety of starting her own studio, the toughest lessons of the first few years, and why she believes happiness, like resilience, is ultimately a choice.
The conversation explores her award-winning hospitality project, The 22 in Grosvenor Square, her instinctive, sensory approach to design, and the deeply personal realisation that women, particularly first-born daughters, are often conditioned to please rather than protect their own peace.
Natalia also opens up about leadership, friendship, and what she has learned about giving herself grace, sharing how a decade of running her own business, through a pandemic, Brexit, and constant change, has shaped both her studio and the woman she has become.
This episode is a celebration of patience, self-awareness, and the quiet confidence that comes from a decade of showing up.
In this episode:
Headline Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Calibre Climate, specialists in bespoke climate control for high-end homes. Calibre Climate works closely with architects and interior designers to deliver quiet, beautifully integrated air conditioning solutions, creating environments that feel effortless, balanced, and considered. https://www.calibreclimate.com/
Perfect for:
Architects, interior designers, creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in resilience, leadership, and building a design business with longevity and purpose.
Listen & Watch:
Full video available on YouTube Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links:
Natalia Miyar Studio https://www.nataliamiyar.com/
Natalia Miyar https://www.instagram.com/nataliamiyar/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with interior designer Enass Mahmoud, founder of Studio Enass, for a powerful and honest conversation about heritage, representation, and what it means to build a design career with no roadmap to follow.
Enass shares her journey from Sudan and London, growing up surrounded by the colour, craft and eccentric self-expression of Sudanese culture, and how that visual language has shaped her design philosophy. She speaks candidly about the reality of starting out with no industry connections and no Sudanese reference point in design to look to, and how a single social media post for the O2 Arena VIP rooms became the accidental beginning of Studio Enass.
The conversation explores her belief that representation in design is bigger than any one career, the importance of building genuine community rather than going it alone, and her evolution from a designer who wanted to hide behind her work to one who understands she has to show up, front and centre, for the people coming up behind her.
Enass also reflects on her standout Garden Folly Room at WOW!house 2026, a deeply personal love letter to her Sudanese heritage and British upbringing, and the remarkable story of how she manifested the project a full year before it happened.
This episode is a celebration of heritage, community, and the courage to build something the industry has never quite seen before.
In this episode:
Headline Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Moroso, the iconic Italian furniture house founded in 1952. Renowned for sculptural form, bold colour and artisanal craftsmanship, Moroso has spent over seventy years collaborating with the world's most influential designers, including Patricia Urquiola and Ron Arad, to create furniture that lives at the intersection of design, contemporary art and fashion. https://moroso.it
Perfect for:
Interior designers, architects, creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in heritage, representation, and building a design career rooted in identity and authenticity.
Listen & Watch:
Full video available on YouTube
Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links:
Studio Enass: https://www.studioenass.com/
Enass Mahmoud: https://www.instagram.com/studioenass/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with artist and founder Caroline Chinakwe for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about identity, creativity, and building a brand that reflects culture and truth.
Caroline shares her unconventional journey from a 20-year career in fashion into the art world, a transition that was never planned, but driven by a desire to represent Black women with authenticity, strength, and beauty. She speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, starting again later in life, and why she refused to follow the narrative of the “struggling artist.”
The conversation explores the meaning behind Chinakwe, not just as a name, but as a legacy, and how Caroline has built a lifestyle brand rooted in Afrofuturism, storytelling, and emotional connection. From her early experiences growing up between Nigeria and the UK, to creating work that celebrates colour, identity, and culture, her perspective is both honest and empowering.
Caroline also opens up about motherhood, risk-taking, and resilience, sharing how being a young mother shaped her independence and drive, and how her work today is not only about creativity, but about visibility, representation, and creating space for others.
This episode is a celebration of courage, reinvention, and the power of owning your story.
In this episode:
• Moving from music to fashion, and ultimately into art
• Leaving the fashion industry and finding a new creative direction
• Overcoming imposter syndrome and claiming the title of “artist”
• The meaning behind Chinakwe and building a brand with legacy
• Representation, culture, and redefining how Black women are seen
• Creating a lifestyle brand rooted in Afrofuturism
• Motherhood, independence, and starting young
• Risk-taking, resilience, and building a business with intention
• The importance of visibility and creating opportunities for others
• Expanding the brand through retail, galleries, and global reach
Headline Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Calibre Climate, specialists in bespoke climate control for high-end homes. Calibre Climate works closely with architects and interior designers to deliver quiet, beautifully integrated air conditioning solutions, creating environments that feel effortless, balanced, and considered.
https://www.calibreclimate.com/
Perfect for:
Artists, interior designers, creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in identity, culture, storytelling, and building a purpose-led brand.
Listen & Watch:
Full video available on YouTube
Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links:
Chinakwe
https://chinakwe.com/
Caroline Chinakwe
https://www.instagram.com/carolinechinakwe/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with Rose Murray, founder of These White Walls, for a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation about creativity, identity, and the evolving role of the designer.
Rose’s path into interior design was anything but traditional. With a background in anthropology and early experience in editorial, she began her career working alongside Nigella Lawson before moving into festival spaces, scenography, and hospitality. This organic journey shaped her belief that space is never neutral, it is a powerful tool for storytelling, identity, and human connection.
Since founding These White Walls, Rose has built an award-winning studio known for its highly personalised, narrative-led approach across both hospitality and residential projects. Her work moves fluidly between public and private spaces, often blurring the line between the two.
In this conversation, Rose reflects on the importance of relationships in design, the role of emotional intelligence in working with clients, and why interiors are about far more than aesthetics. She shares how her studio has evolved, from early micromanagement to creating a collaborative environment where creativity can flourish.
Rose also speaks candidly about motherhood and leadership, and how becoming a mother has expanded her capacity, sharpened her vision, and reshaped her understanding of legacy. She challenges the lack of visibility for women in business during pregnancy and advocates for a more open, human conversation around creativity, leadership, and life.
The episode also explores the future of design, from the impact of AI and technology to the increasing importance of human connection, cultural awareness, and meaningful dialogue in shaping spaces.
This is a conversation about intuition, courage, and the belief that design is not just about what we see, but how we live, feel, and connect within a space.
In this episode
• Rose’s unconventional path from anthropology to interior design
• Working with Nigella Lawson and early editorial influences
• The connection between food, space, and experience
• Founding These White Walls and the meaning behind the name
• Creating a collaborative studio culture and evolving leadership
• Designing across hospitality and residential spaces
• Why relationships and emotional intelligence define great design
• The reality of creating highly private, unseen projects
• The impact of AI and the importance of human creativity
• Motherhood, leadership, and expanding creative capacity
• Representation, visibility, and women in business
• Designing for legacy and the future of the studio
Headline Sponsor
This episode is supported by Moroso, the luxury Italian design house renowned for turning furniture into works of art. For over 70 years, Moroso has collaborated with leading designers to create bold, expressive pieces that define contemporary interiors.
https://www.moroso.it
Perfect for
Interior designers, architects, creative founders, and anyone interested in the emotional and human side of design, building a studio with purpose, and balancing creativity with leadership, identity, and life.
Listen and Watch
Full video available on YouTube
Audio available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links
Rose Murray
https://www.instagram.com/rose_murray/
These White Walls
https://www.thesewhitewalls.com/
Follow OLISE Magazine
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Annie White sits down with Brian Woulfe, founder of Designed by Woulfe, for a candid conversation about building an international interior design studio without a traditional path.
Brian’s journey into design was anything but conventional. Originally trained as a musician, he found himself unexpectedly working on luxury properties in Thailand during the global recession, an experience that would shape his practical, on-site approach to design and business.
Since then, Brian has completed projects across five continents and built Designed by Woulfe into a globally recognised studio known for richly layered residential interiors and deeply personal client relationships.
In this conversation, Brian reflects on how saying yes to opportunities helped launch his career, why he believes trends are often misunderstood, and how great interiors are created through interpretation rather than imitation.
He shares honest insights into running a design studio, from the realities of entrepreneurship and hiring the right team, to managing complex client relationships and navigating the pressures of creative leadership.
Brian also discusses the evolving role of technology and artificial intelligence in design, why luxury will always depend on human connection, and how personal passions such as polo have helped him rediscover balance and avoid creative burnout.
This episode explores the realities behind the images: the risks, resilience, and relationships required to build a global design practice.
In this episode• How Brian moved from music into interior design
• Moving to Thailand and designing luxury villas during the recession
• Learning design through construction sites rather than studios
• Why saying yes shaped Brian’s career
• Building Designed by Woulfe into a global residential studio
• Why trends often distract from authentic design
• The impact of AI on creativity and design workflows
• The importance of relationships in luxury design
• Why networking and human connection still drive business
• Entrepreneurship, burnout, and finding balance through polo
This episode is supported by Calibre Climate, specialists in bespoke climate control for high-end homes. Their goal is not just temperature control, but creating environments that feel effortless, balanced, and considered. Calibre Climate works closely with architects and interior designers to deliver quiet, beautifully integrated air conditioning solutions.
https://www.calibreclimate.com/
Perfect forInterior designers, architects, studio founders, creative directors, and anyone interested in the realities of building a global design practice, navigating entrepreneurship, and balancing creativity with business leadership.
Listen and WatchFull video available on YouTube
Audio available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Brian Woulfe
https://www.instagram.com/brianwoulfe/
Designed by Woulfe
https://www.designedbywoulfe.com/
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Annie White sits down with Clint Nagata, Founder and Creative Partner of BLINK Design Group, for an in depth conversation about global hospitality design, cultural luxury, and building an international studio without ego.
From leading iconic projects for One&Only, Six Senses, and Banyan Tree Dubai, to growing BLINK into a 120 person practice across Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai, and London, Clint shares what it really takes to scale a creative business while protecting its culture.
Born in Hawaii and now based in Bangkok for over 20 years, Clint reflects on how travel shaped his worldview, why he believes luxury is no longer singular, and how cultural luxury designing through the lens of place has become central to Blink’s philosophy.
He speaks candidly about walking away from projects when visions do not align, why losses can be more valuable than wins, and how humility, transparency, and friendship underpin his leadership style.
Clint also shares the story behind A Wish to Remember, Blink’s internal travel award created in memory of a beloved team member, and explains why exposure to the world is essential if designers are to create meaningful hospitality experiences.
This is a conversation about resilience, perspective, mentorship, and what it means to design for the next generation of global luxury travellers.
In this episode
• Growing BLINK organically into a global hospitality studio
• Why cultural luxury is redefining high end design
• Designing through interpretation, not imitation
• Leadership without ego and building an egoless firm
• Moving from creative to business leader
• Why losses can be more valuable than wins
• Transparency, open studios, and global team culture
• Mentorship and shaping the next generation of designers
• The story behind A Wish to Remember
• Why Morocco is next on Clint’s design horizon
Headline Sponsor
This episode is supported by Calibre Climate, specialists in bespoke climate control for high end homes. Their goal is not just temperature control, it is creating environments that feel effortless, balanced, and considered. Calibre Climate works closely with architects and interior designers to deliver quiet, beautifully integrated air conditioning solutions.
https://www.calibreclimate.com/
Perfect for
Interior designers, architects, hospitality professionals, studio founders, creative directors, and anyone interested in global design leadership, cultural storytelling, and building a values led business.
Listen and Watch
Full video available on YouTube
Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Link:
BLINK Design Group
https://www.blinkdg.com/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen Zeremariam sits down with interior designer and founder of House of Black, Toni Black, for a candid and powerful conversation about fighting racism in the design industry.
Toni shares what it was really like trying to break into interiors as a young Black woman, including the bias she experienced during recruitment and interviews, and the resilience it took to keep going when doors repeatedly closed. She reflects on how prejudice shaped her strength, why representation still matters, and what it means to stand firm in your identity while building a business in a competitive industry.
Alongside this, Toni talks about pivoting into lighting design, what it taught her about mood and atmosphere, and how her work evolved into hospitality projects shaped by emotion, memory, and the senses.
She also introduces House of Black, a brand and interiors agency “where stories are lived,” bringing together strategy and design to build fully immersive concepts, from narrative and naming to scent, service, and spatial experience.
In this episode
• Toni’s creative upbringing and path into interior and spatial design
• Fighting racism and navigating prejudice in recruitment
• Resilience, perseverance, and standing up for your value
• The power of pivoting, and what lighting design taught her
• Designing through emotion, memory, and the senses
• Leadership, loyalty, and building strong team culture
• House of Black and holistic hospitality design
• Delegation, burnout, and building a sustainable studio
• Identity, heritage, and designing through multiple perspectives
Headline Sponsor
This episode is supported by Calibre Climate, specialists in bespoke climate control for high-end homes. Their goal isn’t just temperature control, it’s creating environments that feel effortless, balanced, and considered. Caliber Climate works closely with architects and interior designers to deliver quiet, beautifully integrated air conditioning solutions.
https://www.calibreclimate.com/
Perfect for:
Interior designers, architects, students, studio founders, hospitality creatives, and anyone interested in leadership, resilience, identity, and building a more inclusive creative industry.
Listen & Watch
Full video available on YouTube
Audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
Guest Links:
Toni Black
https://www.instagram.com/toniblack.official/
House of Black
https://houseofblack.design/
Follow OLISE Magazine:
Website: https://olisemagazine.com
Instagram: @olisemagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olise-magazine/
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to the OLISE Podcast, where we explore the people and places shaping luxury interiors and hospitality around the world. Through honest conversations with designers, founders, creatives, and…
If you love interiors with depth, craft, and global perspective, you’re in the right place.