This thought didn’t come from a design book or a client project.
It came from trying to get my one‑year‑old baby boy to eat his dinner. If you’ve ever attempted this with a toddler, you’ll already understand.

A Plate of Food, Surrounded by Everything Else

My little boy is curious, energetic and constantly taking everything in. Which is lovely. It’s also quite a challenge at mealtimes.

If the television is on, even just in the background, his attention is immediately elsewhere. If there’s anything on the dining table that doesn’t belong there, that’s what he wants. A phone, a set of keys, a mug that somehow migrated from another room. Suddenly, the food in front of him is completely uninteresting.

The outcome is usually a mix of food on the floor, frustration on both sides, and him stretching his arms towards everything except his plate.

But when the table is clear and the room feels settled, something shifts.
He eats. He stays with it. Mealtimes feel calmer.

The Power of Fewer Distractions

What really struck me was how obvious it all was once I noticed it.

He isn’t being stubborn or difficult.
He’s reacting to what’s around him.

At one year’s old, he can’t filter things out. He depends on his environment to help him understand what’s being asked of him, whether that’s eating, resting or slowing down.

And then I realised how familiar that actually feels.

Maybe We’re Not As Different As We Think

As adults, we like to believe we can function anywhere. That we can concentrate, relax or switch off regardless of what’s happening around us.

But how true is that?

How easy is it to focus when your workspace feels cluttered?
How relaxed do you feel in a room that’s visually busy?
How quickly do you unwind when there’s always something catching your eye?

We might not throw our dinner on the floor when things feel overwhelming, but we do become distracted, irritable or drained – often without being able to put our finger on why.

Our surroundings are constantly shaping our experience of the day, whether we notice it or not. They can either support what we’re trying to do, or subtly make it harder.

Small Changes That Make Daily Life Easier

What this experience reminded me is that support doesn’t have to be complicated.

We didn’t change the house.
We didn’t add anything new.
We simply removed what didn’t need to be there.

Clearing the table.
Putting things away.
Turning the TV off.

Small adjustments, but the difference was immediate.

This is something I see time and time again through interior design. Often, it’s not about adding more layers, but about being selective. Creating spaces that help us move through daily routines with a bit more ease.

Designing for Real Life

And it does make you pause and imagine the potential of taking this way of thinking further. If small, simple adjustments, clearing a surface, softening the light, reducing visual noise – can change how easily we eat, rest or focus, then what could be possible with a full re‑design approached in this way? A home shaped not just around how it looks, but around how it supports the people living in it. Spaces designed to guide daily routines rather than compete with them. Rooms that help us slow down, concentrate, gather or switch off without effort. When home begins with an understanding of how design influences your mood, energy and behaviour, it becomes more than just a space to live, eat and sleep – it becomes an active support system for everyday life.

So when I think back to my little boy, it’s hard to ignore this: if a clear table and a calmer room can support a one‑year‑old so clearly, there’s real power in considering how our homes might better support us too.

The post Design for daily life: Dinner time tantrums appeared first on Natalie Holden Interiors | Interior Design Service In Liverpool, Cheshire and Manchester.

I had a plan to do so much; to finish off the full version of my home design e-book, to start a DIY project that I can share tips and advice on, to sort all my receipts so I’m up to date on my accounts. But my motivation levels are ALL OVER THE PLACE!

One day I’ve been super productive, running in survival mode trying to adapt, and then the next day I have been exhausted and struggling to get any motivation whatsoever.

The reality is that sometimes I feel scared, and at other times I keep telling myself that everything will be fine and everyone will get through this.

The reason why I’m sharing this is because I think it’s really important we all open up about how we are feeling during this uncertain time and hopefully by opening up, we can all support each other.

Here are a few things that have helped me this week:

• The Calm App – to help me get to sleep
• Yoga – Studio One Yoga have online classes!
• I started watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel – it is hilarious and has kept me laughing!
• My dog – he’s the funniest little thing ever and keeps me smiling
• Deleting people on Facebook who are posting negative things that bring me down

Hopefully by next week, I’ll have finalised my home design e-book where I’ll be sharing lots of interior design tips and advice, resources, a mixture of projects ideas, home office ideas plus an insight into colour psychology and design for wellbeing. If you’d like the free version then you can sign up here.

I hope you all stay as healthy and as positive as you can. Just know that it’s ok if you are not ok too and you can and should open up about it.

Natalie x

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Despite the crazy weather, I noticed a hint of blossom on the trees for the very first time and it made me feel relieved that Spring is finally starting to make an appearance. I tend to slow down in the winter and then when Spring appears I end up with a new found burst of creativity, inspiration and motivation. If you are anything like me, you are probably starting to think about the next interior design project that you can start!

Starting a Spring Renovation

We can often find ourselves getting impatient to get things done as soon as the weather improves, I know I’m guilty of it sometimes! I can end up powering ahead, without thinking things through properly first in areas where I’m no expert. I.e. the marketing side of my business. It can be a challenge to think clearly when you have limited time to do it!

So in this blog I’ll be sharing my area of expertise of interior design, to help you break your project down into bitesize tasks.

Step one – create your brief

Really think about what you actually want before you jump into a renovation project, because you can find yourself spending a lot of money on something that isn’t right for your needs, if you don’t think things through strategically. Consider asking yourself some of the following things to start off with…

Who will be using the space?

What is the style of your property and what style interior will complement the Architecture?

What will you be using the space for? Will you need this space to function for multiple uses?

What is your daily routine and how can the design of the space interact with it?

I always run through this exploration process with my clients at the very beginning of an interior project and we will spend a good two hours chatting about all aspects covering my client’s lifestyle and hobbies, personality, functional needs, style and mood, current daily routines, future aspirations and both practicalities and maintenance. The outcome of this exercise will give us a clear foundation for the design brief.

Step two – don’t miss the details

Measure up. Don’t forget to consider the details such as socket positions, radiator locations, door openings, window heights, ceiling height, skirting board thickness and access into the property.

At the start of a project I will always take accurate measurements for my clients, so they don’t need to worry about making any errors. I use a laser measurer which speed things up and is a lot more accurate than a tape measure, plus I also have a room measure check list to ensure nothing is missed! When carrying out a design, I will always start off with creating a scaled furniture layout on CAD/Sketch up, to figure out what is going to fit and what will proportionally work for the space, before I even start to look at the style of the space or researching products.

Step three – get organised

Now you have measurements and you have figured out what your needs and brief are, try to stay focused and don’t divert from this! Always refer back to the brief you have created when hunting for products and always check the access is sufficient for deliveries. Sometimes you can find yourself going off on a tangent with the enormous amount of options that are presented to you, so remember to reign it in!

Create a folder to store everything that you have found in one place. This could be a box folder to store magazine clippings or fabric/product samples that you gather. Also create a Pinterest board or Houzz idea book to save all of your inspiration in one place. These digital tools are a fantastic way to help keep you organised and you can access this information where ever you are.

My interior design clients often share their Pinterest boards with me so I can access the board and view it online. It’s a great way for me to be able to visually understand their vision for a space. I also use an interior design project management software which enables me to keep track of a project and obtain feedback seamlessly with product selections through the platform. The whole process becomes really easy and efficient!

Interior design service

If you’d like to tackle a project alone then these three tips are a great way to get started, however if you’d like to save time and money, discover how hiring an interior designer could work for you by booking a free consultation. My design fee often ends up cost neutral due to the savings I have been able to make on a project, so what are you waiting for?! I work on interior design projects across Liverpool, South Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester and you can see some example projects in my portfolio.

07817288712

All interior design clients will receive the following resources inclusive of my service:

• Home design guide to help you understand what your needs are
• Weekly project planner to keep you organised and focused
• Decision making check list to speed up your decision making process

The post Spring Into Action appeared first on Natalie Holden Interiors | Interior Design Service In Liverpool, Cheshire and Manchester.

Happy New Year!

I wanted to start off by wishing you all a Happy New Year and share some ramblings before I kick off into (hopefully) another busy year! How strange does it feel to reach a brand new decade? I see 2020 as an exciting opportunity for change. For some it may be a new career, a new home, starting a new renovation or even just a new way of thinking. For me 2020 will be about improving my interior design service to enhance customer experience, researching and using more sustainable brands in my projects and on a personal level I want to start prioritising exercise. The past couple of years I’ve unfortunately put fitness to the bottom of my priority list whilst focusing on the business and I’m starting to notice the effects.

Reflecting back on 2019

Looking back at my intentions for last year, I promised myself I wanted more balance and I’m proud to say that I’ve definitely prioritised self care in some ways (meaning less hours mindlessly scrolling Instagram, less time wasted online and more time being present and in the moment). But along with that, inevitably my blogging has lapsed too, as well as sharing updates about projects and design trips.

So…before you think I’ve gone AWOL, I thought I’d best start off by sharing a re-cap of 2019 because this past year has been one hell of a whirlwind. The last year has been full on working on a mixed bag of design projects, an exciting trip exploring New York Architecture, a nourishing escape to a yoga retreat and knowledge enhancing visits to various design events.

There are more and more things happening up North now for the design industry which is fantastic to see! Some of the events I visited last year were Design Crawl Manchester, Design Central and London Sleep & Eat. I feel like it’s really important to support and attend events like these, to ensure I stay updated with the latest knowledge of trends and products.

Interior design projects – work in progress

I’ve been working on a few exciting new show homes that are due to launch early 2020, a commercial to residential conversion and I’ve also been working on a few private homes across the North West. Some of which include a 1930’s house with a Hampton’s style design brief, a few Victorian properties in Crosby and the Wirral and a complete house renovation for a property in Aughton. Many of these projects are ongoing and they take a lot of time to complete, so I’m unable to show any finished projects yet. But as soon as I can, I will!

Concept North updates

With Concept North we did a tour around the North West and launched Studio: Concept North, a commercial interior design studio. 2020 promises to be another exciting year and we look forward to improving the events and working on hospitality, retail and pop-up design for spaces such as hotels, bars, restaurants and retail.

I want to end this post thanking all clients, trades, suppliers and partners for working with me this past year. Each and every project’s success is due to a whole lot of dedication, trust, skill, attention to detail and passion from an entire team of people and I can’t wait to work on more exciting projects in 2020.

The diary is already starting to fill out so if you’re interested to work with me on a smaller project this year please get in touch and for larger projects please get in touch with us at Studio: Concept North.

Natalie x

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Setting new year goals and writers block

So in my ploy to gently ease myself back into work on New Years Eve, I thought I’d start off with writing a nice easy blog to share my goals for 2019… and it ended up the hardest blog post I’ve ever had to write in history. I was literally wracking my brain for about two days. I re-worded sentences, deleted massive paragraphs and then completely started all over again about three times. I had about 1600 words written down at one point but I just wasn’t happy with how it all came together. It got to the point where I just gave up and resorted to using a quote to summarise my jumbled up thoughts on an easy Instagram post instead. It just shows that you sometimes can’t force things if you aren’t ready or feeling uninspired, and sometimes it’s better to stop, take a break and come back to it again when inspiration flows.

So today I managed to get my inspiration back at the most random time and I opened up the draft copy of my blog post again at 10:40pm. Ideas always come to me very late in the evening and I wanted to take advantage of this motivation and creativity whilst it lasted! So here I am finishing off my blog post as we approach midnight, the day before my first day back to work. 

In my Instagram post I scratch the surface on a topic which has really transformed my life and allowed me to do what I’m doing now. It talks about being brave, confronting fears and overcoming anxiety. I found a really good quote from Nelson Mandela which explains it really well.

I explain in my instagram post that by making a conscious choice to be brave, despite my fears has had such a positive impact on my life and led me down the biggest path of personal and professional development; it’s not only allowed me to overcome my unhealthy anxieties, but it has allowed me to achieve so many extra things I never thought I’d be capable of, helped me grow in confidence, and made me feel empowered. 

I know on the surface my post may have sounded so cliche and just another annoying ‘New Years Resolution’ but it does dig a lot deeper for me and links back to quite a sensitive subject of mental health. A few years ago I suffered so badly with crippling anxiety to the point where it affected everything in my life. It knocked my confidence, stopped me from doing the things I wanted to do and changed me into a shadow of my former self.

My story of fear and anxiety

I started to live my life controlled by fear and shying away from change, staying in my comfort zone, always taking the easy option and afraid to do things in the fear of it failing and having to start all over again. After a lot of personal work on myself over the past couple of years, I’ve managed to completely move past the unhealthy anxieties I felt and found ways to cope and prevent it getting to the point where it ruled my life. Anxiety after all is a normal emotion, I suppose it’s just how you cope and deal with it that can help you avoid it from becoming a problem.

It hasn’t been an easy process but I’ve now got to a point where I am able to accept the feeling of anxiety and stop it from controlling my life. One of the main things that has helped me was initially plucking up the courage to do one brave thing and then realising that everything was actually ok afterwards and that life went on! This brave thing led to doing another brave thing, and another, until it got to the point where I felt my confidence growing more. I finally had enough courage to leave my day job and take my ‘side hustle’ full time (something I’ve dreamt of doing for years but always been too scared of actually putting into practise).

It’s such a liberating and empowering feeling to know that you can take control of your life and make it a happier and more fulfilling one, so it’s become really important for me to be able to encourage and inspire others to do the same through both my interior design business and with Concept North.

What is my why?

Through the interior design service I offer, it’s not only about creating spaces that look good, but it’s really important for me to also guide people to make brave and conscious choices that are best for them as individuals and the design of their home or business; choices that are only going to help them lead a more fulfilling, balanced and happier life. What I’m finding fascinating this year is the growing awareness and focus on the link between psychology and interior design and the prioritisation of using design to influence moods and behaviour. Wellbeing really has been the buzzword of 2018.

A great example of this is that many of London Design Festival’s events last year were centred around the themes of emotion and wellbeing, plus so many of my client’s last year were requesting spaces that are calming for them. It’s no surprise that with all the chaos, stress and uncertainty going on in the world at the moment, people are craving spaces that make them feel at peace. I’m really enjoying the conversations I’m having with people about what they enjoy doing and what makes them happy as this will really influence the outcome of how I design a space.

My mission and purpose for the year ahead

In 2019 I want to continue making brave choices for myself, live a more balanced life and continue to focus on my own wellbeing, self care and living more authentically. But in my business I also want to help other people do the same through the interior design of the places they interact with. I’ve created some mission statements for 2019 and hopefully this will help me stay on the right path!

“I want to help people make brave design choices that are authentic to them in their own homes, without being controlled or influenced by society, trends and this incessant need of ‘keeping up with the Jones’ “

“I want to design spaces where people can experience joy and peace whether that be to work, live or play. I want these spaces to facilitate happy moments where people want to stop time.”

“I want to reassure, encourage, uplift and give people confidence in the design decisions they are making to make the process a positive and enjoyable experience.”

“I want to help others lead a more balanced and stress free life, by taking the interior design burden off them because until you actually try to do it yourself, you don’t realise how time consuming and stressful it can be whilst juggling work and family life at the same time!”

 2018 has been an intense, exciting and rewarding year full of so many achievements, but I’m not going to hide that it’s also come with its fair share of challenges, fears and disappointments too. I’m just so happy at how far I’ve come and I’m excited to  continue to help more people on their own personal journeys too! 

Natalie x

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