Interior designers undertake complex, highly skilled, technical work, within a framework of building safety regulations and consumer protection legislation yet are still largely credited only for good taste and an ability to shop. But are designers their our own worst enemies? And if that is the case, how should they sharpen up their act, disabuse the public of this perception, and command the respect they deserve? In this episode, recorded at the London offices of LXA Projects, Susie and Jeff a...
Jun 30, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 6
It’s a problem most interior designers are familiar with. You have been given a brief for a lovely project, and you quote a fee based on that brief. But then the actual job turns out to be much more complex and difficult than you had expected and nothing like what you had quoted for. What can designers do to protect themselves from goalposts that move and projects that creep? And what steps do they need to take at the start of a project to ensure smooth running further down the track? We’re join...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Intimately connected with the interior of our homes, we use our outdoor spaces to relax, eat, socialise and connect with nature, and we appreciate the contribution they make to our wellbeing and mental health. But who should be trusted with the design of these significant spaces? Is it the role of the interior designer or the garden designer? And should these relate to the interior or the exterior of the host building? In this episode, recorded in front of a live audience of designers at the Des...
Apr 29, 2025•44 min•Season 7Ep. 4
We live in interesting, if not very challenging, times. But how do global conflicts, trade wars and economic uncertainties impact on the cosy world of interior design? Is this turmoil having a detrimental effect on our international clients both at home and abroad? And if so, can interior designers do anything to protect themselves from the chill winds of change? Jeff and Susie are joined by international design duo Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham, founders and co-directors of Salveson Graham, t...
Mar 31, 2025•25 min•Season 7Ep. 3
A Passivhaus is any building, new or retrofitted, that achieves the highest certifiable standard of energy efficiency while using negligible fuel for heating and cooling. As the planet warms, this is clearly where we should all be heading, but passive houses are not without their detractors, who claim that these buildings are boxy, stuffy and chilly. And is it enough for a building to be Passivhaus or does this still leave us a million miles away from achieving a truly sustainable built environm...
Feb 20, 2025•37 min•Season 7Ep. 2
The British have always been famously crazy about their animals, cossetting them with as much tender treatment as they do their children. Today there are 13.5 million dogs, 12.5 million cats, 1.5 million birds and 1.0 million pet rabbits in the UK, plus nearly a million each of tortoises, horses, Guinea pigs, hamsters and snakes. Unsurprisingly, interior designers are now being asked to design spas and bespoke bedrooms especially for pampered pets of all shapes and sizes, treating them as signif...
Jan 15, 2025•32 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Everyone has had the experience of packing up a home, removing the pictures and personal objects and realising with a shock that suddenly the space is no longer theirs. Functional interior spaces that meet our practical needs are essential, but it seems it is the art and objects we use to personalise those spaces that give them their heart and soul. We instinctively know that art in all its glorious forms provides emotional context that can make a person feel comfortable, or not comfortable, wit...
Dec 17, 2024•42 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Interior designers are forever being asked for their opinions on the latest trends in paint colours, kitchen, tiles, furniture styles and so on. And the supposed answers fill the pages of countless glossy style mags and newspapers, encouraging consumers to update their homes. But how should we respond to these questions? As we move away from the throw-away attitude of recent times and journey towards a more sustainable future, do trends have any part to play in the work we do and the stories we ...
Nov 18, 2024•38 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Designers rely heavily on contractors to faithfully execute and deliver on their visions for our clients. This reliance can mean that it is often difficult to fully control the finished quality of our projects, a situation that can vary from being merely frustrating to utterly tragic. But is there anything we can do to prevent this? How can designers ensure they have the best-fit contractor for their projects and for their clients, and the right people capable of faithfully executing their desig...
Oct 24, 2024•47 min•Season 6Ep. 11
In a world far, far, away from your average night club, cult rapper Stormzy, with a little help from design dynamo Sally Anne McCoy and her friends at the Cream Group, has just opened, House Party, the ultimate party place in a 7-storey building in London’s Soho. But what is the back story to the project? What inspired the team to come up with their wildly original theme and why is it so perfect for right now? Find out in this fascinating conversation with Sally which took place on location in t...
Sep 30, 2024•20 min•Season 6Ep. 10
In this episode, we look ahead to Decorex 2024, Europe’s leading event for interior design professionals, taking place at Olympia London between Sunday 6th October and Wednesday 9th October. Event Director, Sam Fisher and Marketing Manager, Carly Barclay set the scene for this year's show. We also hear from Tim Butcher at Fromental, Shayne Brady at Brady Williams, Jules Haines from The Haines Collection, Mirry Christie from B Able, John Stubbs from YesColours and decorative artist, Ellen Merchan...
Sep 23, 2024•38 min•Season 6Ep. 9
There are few UK designers as admired and emulated as Laura Hammett, both for her signature style and for the glamorous international projects in her portfolio. But what is her back story? Has her eponymous company always been so successful? How does she continue to stay one step ahead of the competition? And where is she planning to take her business next? In this episode, Laura joins Jeff and Susie in conversation to share her fascinating story.
Aug 29, 2024•40 min•Season 6Ep. 8
In this episode, we explore the changing face of workplace design with help from James White, Co-Founder of global interior design powerhouse, MAWD, and May Fawzy, Founder and Creative Director of MF Design Studio and President of the British Institute of Interior Design. What does the post-pandemic, hybrid-working office look like? Can co-working spaces provide a second option to working from home? And, how does this new reality impact the design of office and co-working spaces? The Interior De...
Jul 29, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 7
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...
Jul 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 6
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.
May 31, 2024•34 min•Season 6Ep. 5
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...
Apr 25, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 4
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 des...
Mar 28, 2024•50 min•Season 6Ep. 3
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 t...
Feb 29, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 2
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...
Jan 25, 2024•43 min•Season 6Ep. 1
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 construct...
Dec 21, 2023•39 min•Season 5Ep. 12
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 ...
Nov 23, 2023•42 min•Season 5Ep. 11
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! ...
Oct 26, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 10
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 ser...
Sep 19, 2023•29 min•Season 5Ep. 9
We all want dream projects that will earn us the accolades of our peers and attract new clients. But what makes an award-winning project? What makes it special and worth the significant investment in money, time and effort that it takes to prepare a winning award entry? Find out in our latest episode with Lisa Keates from Keates Interiors as she talks us through her award-winning project from the Northern Design Awards 2022. Thanks to our series supporter, Havwoods the prevailing name in beautif...
Aug 24, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 8
If ‘a picture paints a thousand words’, then surely an interior can tell a thousand stories? Our most beloved interior spaces are grounded in a time and place and speak eloquently of the lives of the people who have inhabited them either now or in the past. But what is the magic essence that makes these much-loved places so special? And how can interior designers recreate this magic in their work? To shed light on these questions, we're joined by consummate storytellers Inge Moore and Nathan Hut...
Jul 27, 2023•39 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Interior designers are a bit like ‘piggy in the middle’. They must be adept at managing client relationships while also managing their supply chains in order to finish on time and deliver the best possible projects. So, how can designers find and retain professional and reliable suppliers? How can they ensure they get early warning when things are going wrong? And is it possible to build a dream supplier team that will last forever? To help us answer these important questions and more, we are jo...
Jun 29, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Many people would love to have a career in interior design. To get there, some take the conventional route of obtaining an interior design qualification straight out of school and then gain experience within an established design practice before branching out on their own, but many also set up businesses later in life and enjoy a satisfying career having already had a career in another field. Do late-design bloomers have any advantages over their younger rivals? And is it possible to be a good d...
May 26, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Sustainability is defined as ‘the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level’. But, given the environmental damage we have already inflicted on our planet, is it sufficient to maintain the status quo at our current degraded level? In other words, is it enough to merely cause no further damage or should we be setting our sights higher with long-term goals to restore the environmental quality of our home to pre-industrial levels? Mel Meale from Steer Design and Simon Myatt from Havwoods s...
Apr 27, 2023•45 min
Buying the services of an interior designer is unlike any other purchase. The client knows they have a project and a set of requirements, they have a budget figure in mind, they know when they want the project to end, and they may know what they like, but beyond that they have no idea what the finished product will be. For most people that is a truly daunting prospect. The answer,of course, is to get help from a professional. But where can you go to find this wonderful person who truly gets you ...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 3
In this episode, we explore ways that designers can sustain and grow their businesses by working smarter not harder in the company of Freeman Studio's, Mathew Freeman, the President of the British Institute of Interior Design and Anna Burles, Creative Director and Founder of Run For The Hills. It seems the only way designers and architects can achieve the quality results that their clients expect is to produce drawings and other information in such detail that there is no room for misinterpretat...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 2
