International Women's Day - Female Interior Designers who inspire me.

Today is #InternationalWomensDay so I thought I'd share with you some female Interior designers who inspire me.

First up is Dorothy Draper. After her marriage in 1912, she and her husband bought and sold houses. Dorothy began decorating and styling these homes and started her business in 1925 which some say was the first 'interior design business'. Her big break was decorating a hotel in Manhattan in the 1930's. Draper is credited for starting the style "Modern Baroque," adding a modern flair to a classical style. Her designs were incorporated in homes, hotels, restaurants, theatres, and department stores.

A first pioneer for interior design in America and subsequently the world, she paved the way for future generations of female interior designers.

Next up on #InternationalWomensDay is female interior designer Abigail Ahern @abigailahern

One of the reasons I love Abigail Ahern's interior style is her love for dark and moody interiors. She loves the ambience of midnight blues rather than light and bright colour schemes which feels really different compared to some more popular design schemes.

Her rooms feel wintery and cocoon like but feel relevant in summer as much as in winter when you want to hunker down. She believes in bright accents and faux flowers - which I'm really on board with as they clearly last longer than real ones! She also adds plush furnishings and statement pieces to really make her schemes stand out. I love her designs which aren't considered 'mainstream' and she has such a specific style which makes her stand out from the crowd.

I have learnt to embrace the dark colour palette thanks to Abigail and go all in when creating these looks for my clients.

Next up on #InternationalWomensDay is queen of interior design Kelly Hoppen. @kellyhoppen

Kelly started her career at the age of 16 when she had the opportunity to design a friend's kitchen. From then on she went on to design homes, yachts and jets of private clients, as well as commercial projects in several countries, including hotels, restaurants, offices and aircraft. Kelly is also a presenter and a celebrated author too. She received a CBE in 2020 for services to the GREAT campaign.

Kelly is known for her classic looks which won't go out of fashion quickly or easily. Her go to colour palette is neutrals mixed with greys and blacks which gives a clean, sophisticated and fresh look.

Kelly said "My philosophy has always remained the same. It's about creating calm balanced environments based on Eastern cultures, i.e. order and creation of harmony. How people feel in a space is as important as the way it looks; one can't be without the other to succeed." ( taken from styling tips from Kelly Hoppen)

While Kelly's style is not my personal style, you can't deny her ambition, achievements and strong work ethic. These are some of the many reason's I'm inspired by Kelly.

My next female inspired Interior Designer for #InternationalWomensDay is

Sophie Ashby @studioashby

Sophie's aim is to bring authenticity to each project she does. She does this through the furniture, lighting and also in the curation of the artistic pieces and the use of a natural palette of materials and textures she uses.

"Sophie draws on her love of antiques, colour, contemporary ‘world art’, modernist furniture, photography and her latest discoveries to deliver an eclectic richness to each interior."

(Quote from Studio Ashby website)

Sophie's projects are a combination of private clients, developers and commercial ones. It's clear to see her style in her portfolio, which to me shows modernism, a clean but 'busy' look which gives the eye plenty to look at and be drawn to.

Sophie's love for artwork and 'objects' is clear as she uses these to add interest and humour to her designs which are cleverly and clearly thought out. Sophie easily adds grandeur and scale to her designs which are often large spaces which ordinarily might feel daunting to design and fill, she certainly makes it look easy.

My next female inspired Interior Designer for #InternationalWomensDay is Jo Berryman @joberrymanstudio

Jo specialises in residential, boutique (hotels, retail and lifestyles spaces) and commercial spaces and has a vast portfolio of work.

Jo's style is fresh, contemporary and visually exciting to the eye. Jo is not afraid of colour, and big bold statements as well as incorporating texture, flamboyance and intrigue into her designs.

As you look through Jo's portfolio on her website it is clear that her style is maximalist and with a sense of fun and purpose for the client she is designing for. I have learnt from Jo to be more dramatic and confident with my ideas and scheme ideas, she is certainly inspires me when I see her work. You would certainly hire Jo if you were looking for a 'wow' factor in your space.

Finally in my last post for #internationalwomensday female inspired interior designers is Sophie Robinson @sophierobinsoninteriors

Sophie initially began assisting with interior design projects after graduating from Brighton University in 3D design. This led to a career working for magazines before her first full-time job as an in-house stylist for the BBC Good Homes magazine. Sophie then became a freelance interior designer and most recently a podcast host (The great indoors) and her interior design course she runs via her website on embracing colour and being your own interior designer.

Sophie champions being colour confident which really resonates with me and my personal style. While I know big bold colours and interiors aren't everyone's cup of tea, I love the interest, fun and feeling that they bring to my home, and if I can help my clients be braver with their interior decisions when they want to be, then that's a good thing in my book.

Sophie has helped bring clarity for me personally in her course on colour psychology recently which looks in detail how colour and style resonates towards particularly seasons and styles and how to make a coherent scheme by using these guidelines.