How is Interior Design Different In The UK?
A lovely sitting room in Winkleigh, Devon. Designed by @deborahvos. Check out the full project here.
The personal design style is heavily influenced by location. LA’s interior design style is very different from New York’s design style. Even the style difference between Salt Lake City and Seattle is notable- what about the style in the UK? We reached out to a few interior designers from the UK and asked them a few of our own questions.
Wiseowl Interior Designer - Nicole
Check out her work https://wiseowlinteriors.com/ or on instagram @wiseowlinteriors
Nicole, Wiseown
Q: Are open concept living spaces popular?
A: Open spaces have become very popular in the UK, especially when it comes to kitchen / dining areas. I feel a lot of people want to centre their home around this and make it the hub of the home. When you think about it, most people spend their time in the kitchen entertaining so you can see why this has proven to be popular.
Q: What trends are you seeing in kitchen design?
A: Open plan kitchen dining spaces with bifolding doors. In terms of trends itself, I'm seeing modern contemporary interior or a scandi twist keeping everything very minimalist and swapping upper cupboard for open shelves.
Q: You are surrounded by art and beauty, beautiful buildings everywhere! Do clients understand interior design and why you are valuable?
A: I feel clients do in terms of my e-design service as it's all about affordability and creating ease. They see the benefits in hiring a specialist as they know they can make efficient choices for them and in the long run, save them money as a designer our choices in products aren’t spontaneous like some clients are.
Q: Where does most of the design influence come from?
A: Design influence over comes from Scandinavia or Italy. Italy is the hub for interior design and architecture they are always thinking creatively and outside the box, something us Brits love!
Q: Are design styles different by city?
Bedroom in North London. Designed by @Wiseowlinteriors
A: Not in the uk, multiple styles run throughout the country. I wouldn’t say one city had more of a preferred style than the other. Styles in the uk range from scandi, modern, contemporary, mid century, boho, eclectic, country, bauhaus, classical etc
Q: What sort of education is required to be an interior designer?
A: Believe it or not there are not educational requirements to become a designer but of course its preferred if you are to work for an interior designer company. They normally require a BA Hons in interior design. I do think having some education in this field is advisable because there is so much you need to know before jumping in at the deep end.
Q: What programs do you use?
A: I've been trained in sketch up and autocad. Sketch up is my favourite but for detail and accuracy autocad is brilliant. I also use photoshop to create renders as well as 2D layouts.
Eclectic Interior Design Consultant - Deborah vos
Check out her work http://deborahvos.com/ or on instagram @deborahvos
Q&A:
Deborah Vos
Q: Are open concept living spaces popular?
A: We are getting there. Certainly with new builds there seems to be an increase in more open plan spaces. There are also a whole lot of people ripping out walls within their homes to create a bigger and more useable space for families and entertaining.
Q: What trends are you seeing in kitchen design?
A: There are lots of new trends in kitchen design. We are seeing a lot more curves being used and also the use of a lot more colour. There is also a trend to create more unique spaces by using reclaimed items like an old shop counter and repurposing it as a kitchen island.
Q: You are surrounded by art and beauty, beautiful buildings everywhere! Do clients understand interior design and why you are valuable?
A: That's a great question. I think the majority of clients understand what an interior designer can bring to a space, and how the designer can be of huge benefit, and yet there are always clients who think they know best and insist on adding their input too, which can be really difficult to manage.The ones that are trusting of your vision end up loving the spaces, even when they can't visualise for themselves to begin with.
Q: Where does most of the design influence come from?
A: Design influences come from just about everywhere. A lot is found in nature, and as a designer, you always have a roving eye. I'm often taking pictures of quite bizarre things, as it might be a pattern that I love, or a particular colour of something. I personally draw inspiration from walking around cities and seeing things that interest me that I could take into a home. I also take huge inspiration from commercial spaces like restaurants and hotels, and bring that back into a residential setting.
Q: Are design styles different by city?
A: They can be, and the bigger cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester seem to be a little bit more forward thinking, with design trickling down to smaller cities over time. That's not to say that you won't find something amazing elsewhere though.
Q: What sort of education is required to be an interior designer?
A: Here in the UK, you don't have to have any qualification to be a designer as such. Maybe if you were working for a large firm, they may require you to have some sort of training in place, but some of our best interior designers here are self taught.
There are a few prominent differences between UK design style and American style. I love the way the homes feel in the UK, they’re cozy! Instead of matching sets, as we have in America, they embrace their personal unique looks and add bright colors.
I do think that it’s quite funny that they have washing machines in their kitchens! It’s different from most homes having room for a washing machine and dryer. What other differences do you see in the UK vs. American homes?