Designing Around What Matters
Two bedrooms, two personalities, and an early exploration of colour, geometry and space.
Some of my earlier design projects were closer to home. Many years ago, I designed the bedrooms of my two children, creating spaces that reflected their personalities while allowing room for them to grow.
Each room began with something personal.
My daughter's room was inspired by a little green blanket she had carried with her since birth. She was also fascinated by foxes, and these two influences became the starting point for the colour palette. From there, I selected the furniture and accessories, bringing the different elements together through bold geometric shapes and vivid color.
My son's room followed a different direction. We already had a blue bed, and his Minecraft-inspired bedding became the starting point for the design. The colours, furniture and accessories were selected to complement that initial choice, creating a graphic, contemporary space of his own.
Both rooms were bold in their use of colour and geometry, but the intention was never to overwhelm the space. The designs were playful without being overly themed, allowing each bedroom to carry its occupant from childhood into the teenage years.
Looking back, I recognise something in these projects that continues to inform my work today: the importance of beginning with what matters.
A treasured object, a favourite colour or a particular interest can become the starting point for an entire design. The challenge is to translate that personal connection into a space where every element feels considered and belongs.
My work has evolved since then. Today, I am increasingly drawn to quieter compositions, architectural structure, proportion and the interplay of light and space. Yet the underlying process remains familiar: observing, finding connections, and bringing individual elements together to create a coherent whole.
These bedrooms belong to an earlier chapter of my creative life, but they remind me that good design is not simply about how a space looks. It is also about understanding the people who inhabit it, and creating something that feels distinctly their own.
