Welcome To The Journal
Welcome to our blog - The Journal - and thank you for joining us. With so much going on in the business I wanted to take the opportunity to create a space for reflection, discovery and connection. I’ll be sharing the latest and greatest from the world of interiors, tips and tricks from the design industry and plenty of inspiration. Beginning with a Q&A, below you will be able to find out a bit more about me, my business and my passions. I hope you enjoy the read, please do stay with us for more exciting things to come in the next few busy weeks on the design calendar.
Why did you start Charlotte Stuart Interiors?
I grew up in a very stylish environment created by my mother. It was never about needing new things, we simply worked with what we had wherever we lived, but my mother made it unique. Often I would return home to a new furniture layout, which taught me about scale, space and changing the feel of a room. Once, on my mothers return from a specialist paint finishing course, I discovered a faux marble fireplace in our living room. Interiors was exciting, fun, and something to explore.
Having previously owned a successful fashion accessories business, it felt like a natural progression on my career path to transcend into style for the home. I was always asked for help with interiors before I decided to formally train, then going on to work with Farrow & Ball as a colour consultant before starting my own practice 5 years ago.
Spanish Villa Project by Charlotte Stuart Interiors
Where do you get your inspiration?
Design for me is like a passionate love affair – I often find myself in an embraced clinch seduced into an obsession with a particular colour, style of pattern or even era, the list can be endless and random. Luckily, I am married to a man that is open minded, particularly when he came home to find the kitchen walls painted black as I simply had to get it out of my system. Such a cliché to say inspiration comes from here there and everywhere, but truly it can be a flash moment that can linger for days, months and even years.
How would you describe your style?
Always an interesting question as my style is forever evolving, and I feel as a designer its important to be fluid and constantly adapting. There are many sides to my design personality and in some way I have to cater to each. Having trained as a costume designer in my younger years for the National Youth Theatre, on some level there will always be a dramatic room in my house. Whether that is a bold wallpaper in a cloakroom, or a midnight hue for the sitting room walls when I was channelling my Studio 54 moment. Yet, its often a surprise to find the other side of my design personality in need of a calm neutral for my bedroom that is pretty in an old English way.
When it comes to working with my clients I am always aware of their personal style. Its about creating a home akin to their comforts, and fulfilling their zing. A client has their own personality to unfold and stories to share, I am the conductor waving my baton in the right directions.
A bedroom scheme designed by Charlotte Stuart Interiors
What do you like about your job?
Sometimes I ask, what’s not to love about my job?
Working with stunning designs, colours and creations, let alone incredible projects that could not vary more in scale, history and architecture really is a privilege. I have been lucky to work with some incredible clients, that have been open minded and taken bold leaps of faith when it comes to being brave with colour. Every project is different from an interior Consultancy project to a full end-to-end build, it’s a cliché but its really the people that I enjoy working with most.
What are the challenges?
Recently we have all faced many delays, shortages and price increases. Challenges can also include access to the property, beams in the wrong places and a long list of anything and everything else! Sometimes I think people presume that interior designers wave samples of fabric in the air and skip around in their own self importance. However, it couldn’t be further from reality - a good interior designer’s character is gritty, adaptable and able to pivot quickly to respond in the moment, despite the glossy veneer.
What are some of your favourite looks?
I have to confess that I am currently in my element with the revival of colour in the home. Yes its true, I went through a grey phase, trying to blend in and pretend that I was cool with the kids. However, I moved on and out of that era and more or less fell down an 80’s rabbit hole. Again, something I had to try including the scalloped blinds and frills. It brought a comfort of childhood and a sense of detail and polish to a scheme. Aside from that, other looks I am currently crushing is lots of layering of patterns, something I think is a strength of mine.
Spanish Villa Project by Charlotte Stuart Interiors
How do you manage a work life balance?
When you run your own business you are constantly juggling work and home life. A project can go through several stages of intensity at any one time, and you might have several projects on the go. I am a perfectionist and love what I do, so that can mean its hard to know when to stop. However, as things are evolving in the world of work I think its important to have conversations around this theme, to ensure we move towards a culture that recognises the impact on our health when we get the balance wrong.
What does a perfect day look like?
In the design world I think my perfect day is spent in my studio with the rain lashing down, a good radio programme on in the background and having the time to create designs. This can entail pulling out fabric swatches, colour cards, finishes and anything else, mostly sitting on the floor creating a mess. The magic happens like a jigsaw when you pull everything together to create the scheme. I love battening down the hatches to get cosy and go into my creative space.
Favourite material to work with, and why?
I love fabric, it’s the greatest material to work with and predominantly one of my strengths when it comes to design. Combine it with colour and the possibilities are endless – whether in pattern, scale or texture, anything and everything can come together to create the story. Fabric has the ability to add softness, drama, darkness or interest – it’s a versatile medium that I can instinctively look at and know what’s going to be right for my client, and right for their project.
Charlotte Stuart Interiors Studio
What’s next for Charlotte Stuart Interiors?
As a small creative business we are always looking ahead, it’s never standing still and whenever our long list of goals are ticked off, the dust never settles before another is being constructed. Projects are ranging from classic Georgian properties to New Builds, all varying in scale and taste. We are focusing on our Interior Consultancy service that can provide the answers and quick solutions to design projects led by the client, without engaging in the full Interior Design Service.
We will pause with the nation next week to reflect on, and pay our respects to the life and commitment of our late Queen. Following which, we will be returning to Focus Design week in London, where we will be bringing you all the latest and greatest from the London Design Festival. I do hope you’ll join us then when I’ll be sharing all my favourite new collections and highlights from the week.
