Why I Nearly Didn't Start My Business

I have always had a passion for great design. All the colour, pattern, texture and form.  Oh! the possibilities - it excites me!  I want to spend my days creating and to share my passion with others.  But something isn’t right.  Something doesn’t sit right with me. How can I advocate bringing more new ‘stuff’ into the world?  How can I ask clients to buy new furniture and furnishings, while discarding their ‘outdated’ things?  But to make a business, to make a living doing what I love - designing beautiful spaces and furnishings means doing just that - doesn’t it?

I’ve grappled over this for months, if not years.  Frozen into inaction with the ‘weight of the world’ on my mind.  Better to do nothing at all rather than make matters worse.

But I was left dissatisfied and frustrated.  I knew I wanted to do something for myself that scratched my creative itch, that could be a viable business, and that could do some good in the world.  Perhaps I could lead by example.  Show others that there is another way.  That we can be true to ourselves without being selfish.  We can respect the planet and create inspiring places in which to live and work.  It doesn’t have to be a trade off.

The Earth reflected in a convex mirror on a living room wall

So, to explain what I do in it’s simplest form… I create spaces in homes and businesses that not only meet the needs of my clients, but also bring joy and comfort.  Working with my clients, we evaluate what works and what doesn’t with what they already have.  What can be reimagined and what needs replacing.  I consider each element carefully and when it comes to procurement, I only specify ‘new’ pieces if I feel it’s really necessary and most importantly, if its eco credentials align with my own values.  But most of the time, I like to source special ‘not-new’ pieces.  Not only for their sustainability factor, but because I love that unique time-worn aesthetic.

So, that is what I am doing now.  That is my happy solution.  I can share my creativity with the world in a sustainable way and encourage others to follow suit.  Just imagine what a difference it would make if everyone who wants to update their decor, used this principal… If it became the norm to reduce, reuse and recycle our interiors.  Hmmm… ‘Reduce, Reuse and Redecorate’ - that sounds like a good title for my next blog post…