Space by Stansons

This week on Cab Confessions Episode 7, we’re diving straight into a Jess Willdig namedropping session! 👀

Jess is spilling the beans on the most irritating personality types in the industry (no names, Jess - the whole world is watching 🤫!), ranting about why certain colours are wrongly classified as ‘natural’ colours, and tackling a whole horde of other topics Guy managed to squeeze into their short time together.

Inside this episode:

1. Dealing with annoying recurring personality traits in the industry 🙄
2. Pretty or practical? Breaking down pitching styles ✨
3. Current colour obsessions (and why neutral colours are overrated) 🎨
4. Organisation secrets from an organised person 📋

Explore how we design happier, healthier workplaces: https://www.stansons.co.uk

CONNECT WITH STANSONS WORKSPACE:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stansons/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stansons_/

✨ Subscribe to Show Notes for more from Space by Stansons at https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨

This week on Space by Stansons, Guy sits down with Aaron Sanderson, Project Designer at Peldon Rose and one of Mix’s 30 Under 30 Rising Stars for 2026, to talk about career ambition, giving people choice, and designing offices that stand the test of time.

Aaron shares what the Mix award means to him and why he sees it as the start of his career rather than the finish line. He explains how a supportive employer, hard work and enjoying what you do have helped him progress. His next goal is to lead a project all the way from pitch to site.

Turning to workplace design, Aaron says the industry has moved past gimmicks like office slides and into a period of reflection: it’s not what’s new, it’s how we improve where we’re at. He explains why choice and flexibility sit at the heart of wellness, from wellness rooms and acoustics to neurodiversity-led design. He also warns against “wellness wash”. Aaron makes the case for timeless design over short-lived trends, because offices are often designed for a five-to-ten-year lease. He and Guy also discuss why ceilings are so often overlooked, stainless steel’s comeback, clay paints, and why moss walls may have had their moment, though plants will never be out.

In this episode:

• What being named a Mix 30 Under 30 Rising Star means, and why it’s only the start.
• Hard work, ambition and the support that helps young designers progress.
• Why the future office is about improving what we have, not adding gimmicks.
• Choice, flexibility and neurodiversity as the foundations of workplace wellness.
• Designing for a ten-year lease rather than short-lived trends.
• Learning to ask “why” behind every design decision.
• Why ceilings deserve more attention, and value engineering should mean alternatives, not omissions.
• Stainless steel’s comeback, clay paints, moss walls and why plants are here to stay.

🥁Aaaaand We’re Back With Cab Confessions Episode 6!

Tiegan is not a morning person, she does not enjoy cooking and bouclé fabric does not fit her preferences. So where do her preferences lie when it comes to using AI, spending money and favourite materials? Hop in the black London cab with Guy and Tiegan on this weeks’ episode that takes some interesting twists and turns, and touches on some controversial opinions…

Inside this episode:

1. Favourite materials of 2026, and what’s on the way out ⌛
2. Coming to terms with AI in the industry and facing our fears 🤖
3. How culinary skills (and meal deals) fit into an 8-5 lifestyle🧑‍🍳
4. Managing your social battery: introvert vs extrovert balance👥

Explore how we design happier, healthier workplaces: https://www.stansons.co.uk

CONNECT WITH STANSONS WORKSPACE:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stansons/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stansons_/

LinkedIn

Ladies and gentlemen💥… @Tiegan Paterson ✨

✅Does like:

👃 Sweet perfume
🪡 Pattern upholstery
🫰 Meal deals

❌Doesn’t like:

🌅 Mornings
🧑‍🍳 Cooking
➰ Bouclé

From statement upholstery to AI scaries, Cab Confessions Ep. 6 is now live!

Why do so many offices look the same? Emma Morley, Director of Trifle*, talks with Guy about giving workplaces their own identity, using colour with confidence and designing spaces that show people they're cared for.

✨ Subscribe to Show Notes: https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨

This week on Space by Stansons, Guy sits down with Emma Morley, Director of Trifle*, to explore personality in the workplace, the power of colour and why no two offices should look the same.

Emma explains the layered thinking behind the Trifle* name and why walking into an office should immediately tell you who a company is. She warns against landlord-led, cookie-cutter spaces that make every business look the same. She also explains that a well-considered workplace shows people they're cared for.

Turning to colour, Emma shares practical ways to use it with confidence. You can start with paint, add bold pops through furniture and rugs, or test one colour at different strengths across four meeting rooms. She also reflects on 16 years of running Trifle*, from hiring help sooner to being braver with ideas. To finish, she looks at how wellbeing, hybrid working and AI are shaping the future office.

In this episode:

• Why businesses underestimate the opportunity of their physical space.
• The risk of cookie-cutter offices that all look the same.
• Designing for how people feel, not just how a space looks.
• Using colour with confidence, from paint and rugs to bold accent pieces.
• Lessons from 16 years of running Trifle*
• Wellbeing, hybrid working and the future of the office.

And we’re back with Cab Confessions Episode 5! 

Two mates catching up after a while with plenty of ground to cover. Rob chats with Guy on all manner of things - from personal style and how first impressions influence his appearance, to his biggest fears about the future.

Inside this episode:

1. How important it is to be able to stand out in the modern day design industry 🎭
2. Rob’s way of fueling his creativity and sparking inspiration 💡
3. Personal style and how it impacts first impressions (for better or for worse!) 👀
4. Overcoming the fear of rejection & the fear of failure 💪

Explore how we design happier, healthier workplaces: https://www.stansons.co.uk

CONNECT WITH STANSONS WORKSPACE:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stansons/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stansons_/

✨ Subscribe to Show Notes for more from Space by Stansons at https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨

This week on Space by Stansons, Guy sits down with Sonja Bannerman, Project Designer at Morgan Lovell, to explore confidence, personal brand and the importance of designing workplaces with their own identity.

Sonja reflects on being made redundant twice and how those experiences changed the way she approached her career. She shares why knowing your self-worth, speaking with confidence and being yourself became central to finding the right role and culture, rather than simply taking the first opportunity available.

The conversation also looks at personal brand and putting yourself out there as a designer. Sonja explains why she stopped worrying about whether every LinkedIn post performs, why sharing what genuinely interests you can help people understand who you are, and how inspiration can come from other designers, travel, hospitality and everyday experiences.

Turning to workplace design, Sonja discusses the growing use of colour, pattern, tiles, wallpaper and richer residential influences in commercial interiors. She explains how thoughtful placement of brand colours can create impact without overwhelming a space, why meeting rooms do not all need to look the same, and how different areas should create different feelings for the people using them.

Sonja also shares why she does not want to be known for one fixed design style. From calm, Scandinavian-inspired interiors to bright, technology-led workplaces, she is focused on challenging herself, listening closely to clients and creating spaces that feel individual rather than copy and paste.

Whether you are building your career, developing your personal brand or designing workplaces, this episode is a reminder to back yourself, stay curious and create spaces that reflect the people and culture behind them.

In this episode:

• Knowing your self-worth and rebuilding confidence after redundancy.
• Why being yourself matters when finding the right workplace and culture.
• Building a personal brand without overthinking likes or engagement.
• Using travel, hospitality and other designers as sources of inspiration.
• Bringing colour, pattern, texture and brand identity into the workplace.
• Why different areas should create different moods and experiences.
• Listening to clients while using data and workplace strategy to challenge assumptions.
• Why Sonja wants every interior to have its own identity rather than a copy-and-paste style.

Introducing Cab Confessions Episode 4! 📢

When Zac jumps into the cab with Guy on this week’s episode, they cover a lot of ground in a short time - from navigating introversion in a people-facing industry to the reality of renovating a brand new office space singlehandedly! 

Inside this episode:

What a good day looks like and personal improvement tactics ☀️

1. New office renovation project progress 🚧
2. Dealing with introversion in a very people-oriented industry 🪫
3. Onboarding first team member as a freelance creative 🤝

Explore how we design happier, healthier workplaces: https://www.stansons.co.uk

CONNECT WITH STANSONS WORKSPACE:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stansons/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stansons_/

✨ Subscribe to Show Notes for more from Space by Stansons at https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨

This week on Space by Stansons, Guy continues his tour of Thirdway’s new home with Liam Spencer, exploring how the building has been designed around the way people actually work, meet and connect.

Across the working floors, Liam explains how different teams use the office in different ways, from fixed desks and call pods to informal collaboration areas and quieter spaces away from the main floor. Even the central staircase was a deliberate cultural investment, encouraging people to cross paths, stop for a conversation and stay connected across the business.

The office also doubles as a live showroom for Thirdway’s work. Liam shares how materials, finishes and furniture choices have been used to demonstrate what can be achieved at different price points, showing that thoughtful design is often about clever application rather than simply spending more.

As the tour moves upstairs, the focus shifts towards clients and hospitality. Purpose-built presentation areas, catering spaces and the rooftop terrace allow Thirdway to host different types of meetings, events and conversations without relying on a traditional boardroom for everything. The result is a workplace designed to support both how people work and how relationships are built.

Liam also reflects on the pressure of designing Thirdway’s own home, the difficulty of knowing when to stop chasing perfection and the pride that came with finally seeing people use the space. With flexibility built in for future growth, the office is designed to evolve alongside the business rather than remain fixed in time.

Whether you’re thinking about workplace strategy, company culture or client experience, this episode is a reminder that the most effective offices are not just designed to look good — they are designed around how people actually want to use them.

In this episode:

• Designing different working zones around how teams actually use space.
• Why circulation and a central staircase can help create culture and connection.
• Using the office as a live showroom for materials, finishes and cost-conscious creativity.
• Creating client-focused spaces for presentations, hospitality and relationship building.
• How the rooftop terrace supports work, wellbeing, events and flexible use.
• Why letting go of perfection and designing for evolution can create a workplace people want to use.

✨ Subscribe to Show Notes for more from Space by Stansons at https://www.stansons.co.uk/space ✨

This week on Space by Stansons, Guy visits Thirdway’s new home with Liam Spencer to explore how a workplace can reflect the culture, personality and evolution of the business behind it.

Set inside a transformed 1950s warehouse on St John Street, Liam explains why Thirdway spent years searching for the right home and how the team approached the building as more than just an office. From replacing an unsympathetic facade with handmade brick to borrowing ideas from hotels, restaurants and galleries, every decision was designed to create a strong first impression without losing the character of the original building.

As Guy and Liam tour the space, they discuss how Thirdway has matured from its younger, rebellious roots without losing the values that shaped the business. Playful details, internal artwork and recurring design elements sit alongside quieter hospitality-inspired spaces, helping the building feel as much like a members’ club or hotel as a traditional workplace.

The conversation also explores the balance between creativity, cost and practicality. Liam shares why the best design is not necessarily about spending more, why time can be more valuable than budget, and how thoughtful materials, natural light and carefully planned spaces can create an office people genuinely want to use.

Whether you’re designing a workplace, shaping company culture or simply interested in how a brand can be expressed through physical space, this episode offers a behind the scenes look at turning an office into a true home for a business.

In this episode:

• Why Thirdway spent years searching for the right building for its new home.
• Using hospitality and gallery design to rethink the traditional office arrival experience.
• How Thirdway’s workplace reflects the evolution of its brand and culture.
• Balancing maturity and quality with personality, playfulness and original values.
• Why great design is about thoughtful choices, not simply bigger budgets.
• How natural light, materials and multifunctional spaces shape how people use an office

Introducing Cab Confessions Episode 3! 🚖

Join Guy as he sits down with Dthree Studio Interior Designer Laura Thompson to discuss design education, mastering "bougie on a budget," and her journey with an autism diagnosis.

Inside this episode:

1. Studying interior design and education realities 🎓
2. The biggest industry lessons learnt so far 💡
3. How to be ‘bougie on a budget’ ✨
4. Opening up about autism & workplace communication ♾️🌈

Explore how we design happier, healthier workplaces: https://www.stansons.co.uk

CONNECT WITH STANSONS WORKSPACE:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stansons/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stansons_/