Today’s piece has two parts. Part one is a reflection on the highs and lows of starting my interior design business which I launched in July. The second part is the opportunity to ask me a home/interior/design related question. It can be anything: help with choosing a paint colour, finding a piece of furniture, deciding upon a layout… throw your problem at me and I’ll do my best to solve it.
Part One: Reflections on starting a business
In July, I launched my interior design business, Hannah Ashe Interior Design. I’d been thinking about it for months and after leaving my full-time job, I was finally in a position to do it. I’d designed my own website and had been fortunate to acquire one client before July thanks to a colleague passing on my details to a relative of theirs.
I’d advertised in a few places at the start of July and then off we went on holiday for two weeks (to France 🇫🇷 of course). During those two weeks, I’d planned mostly to relax and spend time with my husband and our friends who live near to where we were staying. I had taken my laptop with me, in case I needed to do any work, but I wasn’t expecting to be inundated with clients.
For many, the idea of hiring an interior designer feels like something that only very wealthy people do. I can understand why it seems that way, but that’s absolutely not the way I see it. For me, your home should be a reflection of you and your family and hold in it many memories and collected items from lives well-lived. The visual manifestation of that will vary wildly depending on your tastes and preferences, and perhaps also your budget. But, I believe that a sprinkling of creative magic can help to make a little bit go a long way.
I’ve always known what I’ve wanted my homes to look like and been able to visualise that in my head before embarking on making the changes needed. Many people find this very challenging and need some guidance with it. That’s where I come in.
Interior design as a concept really fascinates me. I’ve come to love and be passionate about it through the renovation of my own homes, most notably the house we currently live in which has had a top to bottom refurbishment. Here’s a photo of the living room before the renovation:
And here’s how it looks post-renovation: