Where did you study and what was the course title?
I am currently studying at Southampton Solent University and I’m completing my undergraduate degree in Ba (Hons) Interior Design Decoration.
Name of your lecturer – course tutor?
My course leader is Lydia Southwell. But, we also have many other members of staff which help to guide and support us throughout the course. Some people I would like to also thank would be Olga Harnett-Makem, Rara Warakanyaka, Bethan Humphries, Lorraine Purchase, Alan Manley, Leigh Heath, Chris Lee, and Colin Nicolson.
Have you got a creative mission statement?
For this project, I was tasked with creating an eatery, basing our design from the COTY 2024 for Dulux: “Sweet Embrace”. After extensive research and analysis, I decided to take the intention and meaning of Sweet Embrace and translate it into the concept of “Japanese Zen.”
Deciding to create a café intended for people leading a hectic and fast-paced lifestyle, I incorporated “Sweet Embrace” throughout to encourage a sense of relaxation and provide the opportunity to fully detach, creating a place of refuge. I used my own bespoke surface designs and curated a tasteful selection of furnishings, to emphasise my concept and intended vision for the space.
Though this project focused on the use of colour within the space, I decided to go beyond simply the superficial look of the space and pay careful attention to the user’s sensory experience. I created a bespoke Zen Garden on the patio, which functioned as the anchor point for the whole design – I ensured that this feature, and notions of it, would be visible and could be felt throughout the whole space. I also created bespoke spatial features, such as the outdoor patio rooms “engawas” and a sunken floor (acting as a seating area), taking inspiration from traditional Japanese culture. Furthermore, by utilizing ventilation, natural light, and sound reduction in the space, I ensured that user comfortability would be consistent and prioritised within the interior.
I decided to name the café “Komorebi” after the Japanese word, which roughly translates to “sunlight leaking through leaves”. This imagery was not only beautiful, but also encapsulates my intention for the space and the user’s experience within it: for people to recognise and appreciate the beauty in the simplicity of life and nature, fully immersing themselves in these small moments of joy, leaving the space refreshed and enlightened.
How did you feel about winning the attention of the judges – what does it mean to you?
I felt grateful for the questions asked by the judges, they challenged my approach and intentions and helped me identify the strengths and weaknesses of my work. It was a great conversation that allowed me to project the concept into a more practical realisation.
How important is colour in your work and why?
Colour plays a crucial role in my designs. I find as I complete different projects, that colour plays a significant role in determining the final essence of the design. It can transform the space from looking and feeling empty, to a real space that you would want to be in.
Of course, there is theory and many years of experience to determine what is “best” for a space. However, from my perspective, it is the experimentation and decision making of colour that plays a key part in injecting the designer’s essence and “fingerprint” on each piece: the slightest variation in colour tone, hue or chroma can cause a change in how one experiences the space, due to lighting, perspective and proportion.
As an interior designer, I get the opportunity to suggest colour palettes, test them out and change them, where necessary. Furthermore, seeing other people’s reactions to choices I make, regarding colour, is always so fun: everyone always has different reactions, and I get to gauge the overall feeling – it’s challenging but fulfilling.
What is your main source of inspiration?
For every project, the specific primary inspiration changes (as each concept is unique). But one thing, which I always go back to as a designer (and as an individual myself), is nature.
Even when I try to avoid it, I can’t help it! It’s like an instinct. It must be because I believe that nature is the connecting feature throughout the whole world. Despite barriers in language, age, and gender, nature is the one thing everyone can recognise and have associations with. Bad or good; small or big; significant or insignificant; it is something that connects us all.
I also find most comfort in nature: there’s something so intangible yet amazing in the fact that nature has been around since the beginning of the earth and transcends the perspective of time with which we are familiar. It has been around four billion years and will continue to be until the end. I think this highlights how quickly time goes by – I want to help people and create a positive impact whilst I’m here.
What makes you happiest/most fulfilled in your creative process?
It is seeing when someone loves the work I’ve produced. Knowing that I’ve managed to make someone else genuinely happy and joyful, reminds me why I do what I do in life. I think that is why I love being an interior designer: I can create spaces people can love and feel happy forever.
Creative high point?
Regarding this project, I felt most at peace and proud when I began to render the 3D model in Twinmotion. I think it was in that moment, it really hit me: what I create as an interior designer can become real-life and it will impact people in their own personal and unique way. This helped to clarify to me, that all the “flaws” I saw with my own work doesn’t matter - if the end product helps to communicate my intention, and it makes people feel something positive, it is a successful design in my eyes.
Another aspect was when I researched the concept of biophilic design and utilised it in my artistic decisions. By supporting my decisions with scientific knowledge, it helped me feel like my work was more grounded in reality and practicality - something very important when designing for real-life clients!
Creative low point?
I don’t have a specific low point as such, but rather a state which I think a lot of us creatives can relate to. It’s at that point in the process, in which the pressure and stress can overwhelm me, to the point that it clouds my judgement, creativity and overall enjoyment of the project.
I believe this aspect will always be a challenge, when entering into a new project. Therefore, having a strong creative and personal support network is necessary when this starts to happen, as it can help put things into perspective.
Where do you want to be in 3 years’ time?
In three years’ time, I hope to continue doing what makes me happy and joyful, and to help others through this. Regarding my designs, I hope to be working with people and companies which enable me to create designs to help the less fortunate, disadvantaged, and those who need help. But, I also want to create spaces to give people the opportunity to create beautiful memories and moments. This is what I hope to happen, but I don’t want to put pressure on this vision, as this is a lifelong goal, and something which I want to sustain. Whether it will happen in the next three years or thirtyyears, only time will tell!
What is your favourite colour?
That’s a tough one, as it constantly changes depending on the day! However, I think I have a colour palette which I like the most, which is the Autumn one. Therefore, dark, and warm browns, reds, greens, and purples are what I gravitate towards and make me feel most like me. Of course that is my personal choice, but regarding designs, my favourite colours depend on which ones suit the project the most: put it in the right context, and you can make every colour look good!
Image credits: Julie Farré