We’re continuing our series where we get to know the Natalie Holden Interiors team. This week, it’s the woman herself: Natalie, Director of Natalie Holden Interiors.
Natalie attended Liverpool John Moores University and graduated with an Interior Design Degree in 2010, before establishing Natalie Holden Interiors in 2018.
Get to know Natalie in our interview below!
Why did you decide to establish your own interior design business?
I felt like there were so many interior design companies offering a very similar look, and I wanted to offer people something a bit different; a service where I would tailor our designs to each and every person or business. I also really wanted to explore how design can enhance wellbeing and I was excited by the idea of how I could improve people’s lives through well designed spaces. You can read more about my why here where I wrote a blog about this very subject back when I had recently started the business.
What would you say sets you aside from other interior designers?
You will see that each of our projects in our portfolio have a very different identity to them, and thats why I love doing what I do because I try my best to ensure every project is unique. With a different brief, a different property and different people living and using the spaces, it would be a dis-service to our clients if I churned out projects that all looked the same. We also have a tight knit, in house team of three interior designers including myself, meaning we have enough resources to tackle big projects efficiently, but are small enough to offer a flexible service where you are treated more like a friend and not a number.
What does a typical day look like for you?
There is no typical day! Every day is so different. One day could be spent putting concept mood boards together, or it could be problem solving when a product we have sourced has gone out of stock. Another day could be putting technical drawings together ready for the trades to follow on site.
What’s one interior design style, theme or product which you would ban if you could.
Mirrored furniture!
What’s your interior design style?
My style changes depending on the property I’m designing. I’d probably have to pick a few categories, it would be either Transitional, Eclectic, Boho or Contemporary. In my home at the moment we’ve gone for more of a mix of Boho and Contemporary as it suits the property we are living in, but my dream house is a Victorian town house. If I ever got the chance to own my dream home I’d go for mainly Transitional with a few Contemporary or Eclectic elements thrown in too.
What is your favourite aspect of interior design?
I love the part where everything is complete and you get to see how all of the ideas in your head have turned into reality. It’s when everyone sighs a breathe of relief after all the hard work and our clients get to enjoy their gorgeous new spaces!
Interior pet peeve
Oh dear I have a few. When people buy rugs that are too small for the room! When cushions are positioned on a sofa on an angle so the corner is at the bottom. When paintwork isn’t straight along the edges, it drives me insane! I have many more but the last one I’ll share is… when plug sockets or radiators are not in the right places to function for the room. So many properties we have worked on, have plug sockets in the most questionable places, and as it’s already been done its not always appropriate to change at a later stage. I just wish we were involved early on so we could have sorted the lighting and electrics layouts too!
What’s one interior feature which you think every home should have?
Bespoke joinery, I just think clever storage solutions are always a bit of a dilemma in any home and being able to design a place for everything to be stored away neatly and organised gives me so much satisfaction.
Where do you take inspiration from the most?
Travel. I love getting the chance to explore different cultures to see how they do things, and bring ideas back into my projects. My brain literally lights up when I explore places I’ve never been before! My last adventure was in Marrakech and I came home filled with so much colour inspiration. It’s a designers dream.
If you could design a space anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
Hmmm, I’d have to say my dream project would be to design a boutique hotel by the sea somewhere. Either on the Amalfi coast in Italy, or somewhere in Portugal. Italy and Portugal are two of my favourite places to visit because they have fabulous food, gorgeous scenery, amazing weather, lovely people and great design.
What’s the most challenging aspect of the job?
Managing so many moving variables within a project. We have to balance design aspirations, fitting within budgets, stock availability, delivery leads times, client’s needs and sometimes changing ideas, trades availability and schedules, and unexpected problems that often arise on site which delays things. It’s not easy, but it’s so fulfilling when it all comes together at the end!
Do you have a current interior obsession?
It probably has to be wall panelling. I just love how adding panelling to a room can really elevate a scheme and I love experimenting with different styles and layouts. Getting panelling right is a skill in itself; you need the right spacing, scale and size of profile for the property, in order for it to work well. I’ve seen many panelling disasters that I wish I could have designed.
Get in touch with us today to book your free design consultation and find out how we can help with your upcoming project.
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