Hi everyone! So, I have decided to venture into the realms of blogging. I thought it best to begin with an introduction about myself, to give you an insight into how I have gotten to where I am today and how our core values were established.
From a young age, all the way back to my first years at secondary school, I knew that I wanted to be a designer. I would rush home from school to catch ‘Art Attack’ on TV, being completely obsessed with anything artistic, creative or that involved painting or making things. As I got older, I loved home transformation shows, such a ‘Changing rooms,’ enamoured by the way a designer’s vision could come to life.
My dad was an upholstery teacher when I was growing up, which I think also had a big influence on my interest in drawing and creating, and I have fond memories of him taking me to work in the holidays. I specifically remember being obsessed with the big A1 drawing boards that had the 3D sketches of all of the furniture on them. It became a mission for me to have one of my own one day, so that I could create perspective drawings. By the time I’d started my university degree, my parents surprised me with my own A1 board to use for my studies, which was a true ‘wow’ moment!
I chose to study a BA Honours degree in Interior Architecture and Design, as I wanted to understand more about the bones of the building as opposed to just the interior decorating. It led to me working for an architectural company that I somehow managed to balance part-time with my studies during the last two years of my degree. I gained a first-class degree and then ventured into the world of architecture for another couple of years before focusing on interior design.
The Core Values Behind Samantha Pope Interiors
After years of working at a variety of companies for interior design, I eventually found my own path in terms of design style and values, which was when Samantha Pope Interiors was launched!
I pride myself on the following three core values: understated elegance, longevity, and well-being. The first being about a more paired-back approach to design, focusing on quality rather than quantity. I firmly believe that design speaks loudest when less is more. Maintaining a tasteful luxurious aesthetic, homing in on quality finishes and texture, brings an ageless sense of elegance whether this be for modern living room ideas, company interior design, or a country interior.
Achieving longevity is also central to our designs. I like to think that any furniture that we design are the ‘Antiques of the Future,’ that last the test of time, and, where possible, are sourced more sustainably. This is something that more and more companies and suppliers are striving towards and is something that should absolutely be encouraged.
This brings me to my final core value: well-being. As a population, we’ve learnt a lot through COVID-19. By spending a huge amount of time indoors, many more people are realising the importance of their home interiors and how it can affect their well-being. Your house design style and interiors should be considered from many different angles, and should provide you with an ease of flow, functionality, and practicality amongst the often blurred vision the client may have with their wants and desires. We dig deep into the client brief to understand the purpose of each room, to know who will be using the space, how much time one would spend in there, and how they wish to feel in the space (i.e. whether this be energised or relaxed). We can use this knowledge to implement colour psychology, choosing a colour palette that will also subconsciously influence the client to experience the qualities that the room is set out to achieve.
So – this is me! My background, an insight into my core values and a glimpse at the design journey underway. Join me next month after I take a Christmas-inspired interior shopping trip, where I will be sharing decorations, luxurious, sentimental and timeless, with you.
We design with a purpose to not only add luxury to your home, but to improve well-being and happiness with your home.
