Sustainable Style In an age where environmental consciousness is at the forefront of global concerns, the world of interior design is undergoing a significant transformation. More than ever, homeowners and designers alike are embracing sustainable practices and eco-friendly materials to create stylish, environmentally responsible living spaces. From reclaimed wood furniture to energy-efficient lighting, the intersection of sustainability and interior design offers endless possibilities for creating beautiful, eco-conscious homes. The products in the following two images are by a company called ..read more

How do you inspire creative thinking? It’s a question I’ve been asked in my 1-1 mentoring sessions with fellow creative business owners, and it’s something I’ve pondered myself in my early years as a self-employed interior stylist and art director.  What I’ve learned, is that there’s no cheat code for boosting creative thinking – plus, everyone’s different, and we all gain inspiration from varying sources. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to spark creativity, though. I like to think of it as a toolbox of habits I can feed into my daily routine (or tap into as need be) to create an envi ..read more

Your business’s branding is crucial. It provides a way for you to convey information and raise awareness of your product and services by connecting your values, brand identity, and voice with the right audience through strategic communication. It’s what makes your business recognisable amongst the many offering similar services, and it helps to build relationships. That’s why you need a branding strategy. Design, logos, colour palettes and fonts are all elements of business branding, but there’s much more to it than aesthetics. Your brand also includes your mission, your values, and your ..read more

Something that frequently comes up in my 1-1 mentoring sessions with freelance and self-employed creatives is the concept of confidence – specifically, how to build confidence and self-esteem. Often, I’m asked for tips and tricks to help people believe in themselves in order to launch their next big creative project. It’s unfortunate that what appears to be holding so many people back from chasing their career dreams is a lack of self-confidence, but it’s not at all surprising. Social media is great for marketing our businesses and connecting with peers and potential clients, but it does tend ..read more

5 Top Tips for Creating a Calm Home In a world that often feels overwhelming, the quest for tranquillity begins at home. By incorporating sensory design elements, you can transform your home environment into a space that nurtures the soul. Here are our 5 five top tips to get started: Embrace the Power of Neutrals: Step away from bold, vibrant colours and embrace the soothing allure of nature’s palette. Warm biscuit, rich ochre and deep toffee shades, combined with the warmth of wood, create a calming backdrop that instantly relaxes the mind. We are naturally drawn to earthy tones that echo the ..read more

January is typically the time of year we tend to make changes within our businesses; we set new goals, make vision boards, buy fresh journals. But, if you ask me, the best time of year to spring clean your creative business is – you guessed it – spring.There’s something about the shift in seasons, blossoming trees and brighter days that sparks inspiration in me, so although I do set myself some goals at the start of a new year, I save my business spring clean until around March, when I’m less inclined to crave cosy days working at home with cups of tea, and more invigorated to embrace a new se ..read more

Ignored pitches and proposals, in my experience, tend to sting more than those that get rejected. And, while it gets easier to deal with the ghostings the longer you spend actively pitching (after 25 years as a self-employed interior stylist and art director I don’t spend much time mulling over the odd pitch that goes ignored anymore) the goal is for them to happen less frequently.  Rejections, although sometimes painful, often come with feedback that we can use to alter our approaches in the future. These notes help us to refine our pitching technique and knowledge of the brands that we ..read more

Something that frequently comes up in my 1-1 mentoring sessions with freelance and self-employed creatives is the concept of confidence – specifically, how to build confidence and self-esteem. Often, I’m asked for tips and tricks to help people believe in themselves in order to launch their next big creative project. It’s unfortunate that what appears to be holding so many people back from chasing their career dreams is a lack of self-confidence, but it’s not at all surprising. Social media is great for marketing our businesses and connecting with peers and potential clients, but it does tend ..read more

A couple of years ago, I started offering 1-1 mentoring sessions to creatives keen to grow their businesses – to share my 20+ years of industry experience, and help them develop their careers. Something I noticed, after mentoring a number of creatives, is that many people struggle to navigate very similar issues; such as setting freelance rates, marketing services, building a client list and building confidence. Of course, everyone’s circumstances are slightly different, but I thought that shedding a little light on some of these common sticking points on my blog may be helpful to creatives ..read more

One of the questions I’m most commonly asked by creatives during our 1-to-1 mentoring sessions is: “how do I negotiate my fee?” It seems as though, across the industry, people are struggling not only to settle on a rate that feels fair, but that we’re also struggling to push back when we’re low-balled by a client.   It’s not a new issue – setting and negotiating rates is something I too had a hard time navigating when I first became a self-employed interior stylist 20+ years ago. So, what can we do about it? How can we start negotiating fair rates for ourselves?   Here, I’ve mapped ..read more