The Interior Design Business

25 years ago, there were only a handful of UK universities where undergraduate students could study interior design. Today there are 53 offering a total of 117 courses, and this does not include the growing number of private schools who also offer interior design degrees. 

But are these courses producing well-rounded students, fully equipped and ready to take their place in industry? Is the current degree model a bar to inclusivity? And would apprenticeships be a better way to train new talent in what is essentially a practical discipline?

To help us untangle these complex issues we are joined by Professor Graeme Brooker, Head of Programme, Interior Design at the Royal College of Art, Leanne Wookey, Director at international commercial design juggernaut, T P Bennett, and Courteney Kieley, Founder and Creative Director of Scene Interiors and instigator of the Interior Design Apprenticeship Scheme.

How should designers approach the subject of neurodiversity with their clients? How can they accurately assess their client’s needs and, most importantly of all, how should they translate these requirements into their designs?

In this episode, Susie and Jeff are joined by specialist inclusive design consultant, Judi Watkinson and dementia specialist, writer and presenter of the definitive Third Age Design podcast, Lori Pinkerton Rolet, to find out.   

Health and wellness continue to be top priorities in residential design. Interior design that addresses both the mind and the body challenges designers to learn new skills and adapt their design approaches.

As part of this evolution, we find out the role that home technology plays in delivering a comfortable, healthier and mood-enhancing lifestyle at home with help from BIID award-winning designer, Susie Pfeiffer of Pfeiffer Design, Ben Channon of specialist well-being design consultancy, EKKIST and Damien Smith of leading home technology firm, New Wave AV.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience of designers at Decorex 2023. 

Art in all its glorious forms plays a key role within the interior, providing emotional context that can make a person feel comfortable, or not comfortable, within the space.

But, in recognising the power of art to transform and complete an interior, how should designers go about preparing their buildings, and their clients, to best showcase these important elements?

We’re joined by Julia Bell from Parapluie and Jennie Trethewy from Studio Far West to explore the important steps to take when designing spaces for art.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience of designers at Design Central South West.   

Many interior designers want their projects and expertise to be featured within magazines and the interior sections of newspapers but are unsure or unaware of how to present themselves, their projects and their stories to do that.

We're joined by Hatta Byng, Editor of House & Garden and Katrina Burroughs, Interiors Editor of The Times and Sunday Times as they share their insights on how the media works, the content that journalists are looking for and the best approaches that designers can take to engage effectively with writers and the media.

Recorded in front of a live audience at Decorex 2023.  

For the super-rich who spend their lives moving between homes in the world’s most glamorous cities, it can be reassuring to buy a property endorsed by a designer brand who they already know and trust.

In this episode, Jeff and Susie are joined by Antonio Quesada, MD of design studio Morpheus & Co and Heidi Schmidtke, Managing Director of JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group to discover more about the recent trends in the space. Listen in to find out more about the rise of the branded residence and learn how interior designers can be involved in this lucrative but challenging sector of the market.

When UK employment for women is broken down by sector, construction comes last in the table. Only 14.7% of those employed in the industry are women. This is 32.9 percentage points lower than the national average. At a time of industry-wide skill shortages, this represents a calamitous wasted opportunity both for construction and for women.  

So, what are the factors at play that keep women out of the sector? What can be done to correct this position? And what benefits will women bring to construction once they do join their male colleagues as full participants?  

Hear the discussion unfold, at the Design Club in the Chelsea Design Centre, with Susie Rumbold who is joined by Karen Howes, Founder and CEO of Taylor Howes Designs and Agnita Benjamin, Senior Quantity Surveyor at Verve Concepts, where they share valued insights and experiences from their times working on site! 

Thanks to our series supporters, Havwoods, the prevailing name in beautiful wood flooring.  

Throughout the course of her long career, international interior designer and author Kelly Hoppen, CBE, has earned and received every plaudit. Her impact on our industry and the public’s perception of the significance of interior design in their lives cannot be underestimated.

She joins us for this latest show alongside Martin Waller, Founder of the Global design brand, Andrew Martin, the internationally recognised Andrew Martin Interior Designer of The Year Award and the annual Interior Design Review. Martin is also a long-time friend and collaborator of Kelly.

In this episode, we learn about their own career pathways, their views on the evolution of interior design and the fruits of their many partnerships, including Kelly’s latest collection for Andrew Martin.   

This show was recorded in front of a live audience of designers at the fabulous Andrew Martin showroom on Walton Street in South Kensington. 

For the UK interior design industry, London acts like a black hole sucking in product, education and designers to the exclusion of everywhere else. Little wonder you might think when, with a population of 9.3 million people, it is more than three times the size of its nearest rival city, Manchester.

But is this how it should be and is this situation inevitable? Talented and professional interior designers are constantly completing challenging, world-class, complex projects all over the country!

We are joined by Fiona Watkins of Fiona Watkins Design, Cath McCubbin founder of Design Central UK and Kate Hatherell of The Interior Designer’s Hub to explore if interior design is too London-centric.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience of interior designers at Design Central North West, Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire.

Thanks to our series supporters, Havwoods, the prevailing name in beautiful wood flooring. 

In this episode, we preview Decorex 2023, Europe’s leading event for interior design professionals, which opens its doors at Olympia London on Sunday 8th October running until Wednesday 11th October.

We hear from four of the key figures involved in this year's event.   

Listen to Sam Fisher, Event Director at Decorex, alongside Brian Woulfe of Designed by Woulfe, Mark Tremlett of Naturalmat and Laurence Katz of Elemental Studio as they explain what to look out for at Decorex 2023. 

Thanks to our series supporter, Havwoods the prevailing name in beautiful wood flooring.

The Interior Design Business is a media partner of Decorex 2023.