I normally ask for a scope of work, this would detail what level of work are they prepared to do, what is not working for them, what is, what they are hoping to achieve and what is the end goal. I then book my inspiration visit and talk them through their options after I've seen their space.  I put forward a proposal of works, weather is be recommendations on window dressings, soft furnishings, lighting, layout plans, using furniture pieces from elsewhere in the home etc. I let clients have this and after talking them through it, I leave it up to them to get back to me if they want me to help them further with the project and usually it always progresses onto either more styling work or shopping trips etc. 

I think the breath of Scandinavian design really alights itself as a "trend" to my design aesthetic. I like it mostly from rustic, to minimalist or Japandi but not really the super traditional Scandinavian design. I find it timeless and adaptable. I'm glad that the palm leaf print and the gold pineapple trend is over as it doesn't fit at all within my aesthetic. ​

Today we speak to one of our tastemakers - Pandora Maxton (@pandora.maxton). On a lovely sunny afternoon, we join Pandora by the terrace doors in her living room looking out onto her gorgeous garden. With nearly 50k followers on Instagram, she is well known for her eclectic and maximalist style and is focusing on celebrating country living and lifestyle. We delve into some of her tips on maximalist décor and she reveals the top three things that her space must have!

​There is definitely a knack to maximalist interiors. My first tip would be to keep an eye on the colours that you use and make sure they are cohesive and work well together, but also that things aren't TOO matchy-matchy as it quickly becomes boring. I usually have a warmer element within my spaces even if it is just the glow of a lamp or some fairy lights. A second tip would be to use a dark colour as a base colour to tie all the other colours together, something like Downpipe from Farrow and Ball works really well instead of having a white/off white. Lastly, I would also suggest that you mix different styles together including mid-century, antiques and rustic elements. Try to overcome the fear and risk making a mistake - but this always something you can learn and improve on. I am constantly turning spaces within my home around, it keeps things fresh and interesting. Just before speaking to you, I moved my dining table around and it just gives the space a new perspective.

​Must there only be one?? I am so frustrated with the lack of natural light inside our kitchen. I would love to have the opportunity to re-do it and glaze a whole side. We spend so much time in the kitchen and its quite gloomy but I appreciate that we are lucky to have an already beautiful kitchen, so it is not a priority but will get to it eventually.

​Today we have the privilege of speaking with Rohan Blacker, the founder of Pooky Lighting. He gives us a sneak peek into his journey into the world of lighting, the values of Pooky and what is next in the pipeline.

​I've always been an appreciator of beautiful things, I guess one can say I have an interest in beauty. Despite never going to interior school, I can tell you what I like and don't like and what works within a given space. I am very careful that I am not designing for myself, but for my clientele. I want to design stuff that lasts, I do not want to be making tomorrows landfill. One of my frustrations with the interiors market is that is has become like the fast fashion industry. People shouldn't be changing their interiors with the seasons as much as they do. When you buy something for your home, assume you will hold onto it forever and pass it down to your children. There are huge numbers of companies that make gimmicky lighting - they are quirky but are going to go totally out of fashion in a few months’ time. Not only because their design is fleeting and ephemeral but also the quality isn't necessarily great. Which is why most of our lights are made of solid brass, which doesn't rust and will last! 

​I would describe it as above all decorative with a love of colour and shape. At the same time, our designs have longevity and classical roots. We have a lot of lights that are based on a very classic column, but we tweak, such as making a brass base, a green resin shaft and a brass pediment. An example of such is our Longford light, it’s a twist on classicism, not in a silly or quirky way but in a fresh way that will stand the test of time.

​ I am trying to sell, beautifully well made, long lasting, decorative lights that are mid-market.  We start off trying to design for interior designers, who have responded well to our designs. We also sell directly to retail customers of course. We aren't low end at all, but as I said before, lights for a tenner are next year’s landfill. Our lights range from £40-£250, in contrast, at some high-end lighting stores one could easily spend £1000 on a lamp base.

​Wall lights, despite quite a traditional vibe, have really come back and we love that. Also, people are much braver with colour than they have been, so even though someone might still not be brave enough to paint their full room in orange, they might slowly introduce bright colours in their light shades. Introducing pops of colour can create eye-catching punctuations. The trend that I am glad is over is gimmicky lighting. I think that quirky can be a good thing, it eludes to a sense of eccentricity and fun but if it is pushed too far it becomes contrived. Quirky for the sake of quirky will create short lived designs. 

1. Bring the outside in. Its not just about bringing a tree in, but think about increasing the amount of real greenery in your home. Consider adding a garland on your fireplace or stairs. Use foraged greens such as ivy, holly and conifers and hang dehydrated oranges, dried pomegranates and pine cones to add detail and interest. If you are ambitious enough why not try a suspended garland aka a flower cloud?
2. Layer it up. Make sure you create extra cosiness with beautiful throws and blankets around the house. Consider adding window treatments or upgrading to thicker curtains to really create that snugly feel. If you want an eclectic look consider layering rugs (especially useful if your rugs are slightly undersized or if you have awkwardly shaped spaces) to cut out any draughts and keep it toasty underfoot.
3. Lower the lighting. With longer darker hours remember to increase the number of lights but keep them dimmed and muted, or at low levels. I suggest having at minimum of 3-5 sight sources in a room including lamps, candles and fairy lights. These create a truly magical ambience and help you cosy up this season. 

Sight
This seems obvious when talking about interior design as it is mainly thought of as a visual art. But our sight is so complex and has many different considerations from the perception to the interpretation of what is around us.  Our vision as humans is dependant on light and the quality and intensity of it changes how we see everything. Our eyes help us see colour and our bi-occular vision (two eyes) gives us 3D appreciation of a space. All of this is processed in our brain and this is why people can be seeing the same colour, and depending on their situation, light intensity and mood, they will describe it differently and have various emotional responses to it.
Keeping this in mind when designing a space really helps focus the thought on light and colour. What is the orientation of the room in relation to the sun? Where is the light source coming from? When will this room be used and for what purpose? Lots of light is generally thought of as a good thing, it wakes us up and energises us, so it's great when your room has large windows that flood the room with light. It is also important to consider appropriate task lighting, such as a mirror with a backlight (check out the video) or your worktop/space having good lighting.
Next consideration is mood lighting, so when creating an intimate or relaxing space choose a softer lighting mode. An ingenious mode of lighting for night time which keeps us in our natural circadian rhythms is navigation lighting, which is a very low glow from the objects that we want to use or need to interact with at night time to allow us to not disrupt your natural wake/sleep patterns. The Geberit orientation lights which can either be under the WC or incorporated into the flush plate emanate a soft glow that allow the body to not fully wake up when using the space at night time, and therefore allowing you to drift back off to sleep easily afterwards.

Sound
With all the hard surfaces in a bathroom, they can sometimes become an echoic chamber and that is the opposite of a relaxing sensory space. So to tackle this, I advise upping the soft textures as much as possible, be it with open shelves displaying beautiful towels, lovely woven floor rugs and even lush planting to soften the space and create a better acoustic space. The sound of flowing water when running a bath or having a shower is another relaxing sound that we are drawn to. We associate it with freshness and cleanliness and imagine ourselves being under a beautiful waterfall, bathing ourselves (you have the visual now I'm sure).  Maximising the positive sounds in a bathroom is great, so I always recommend playing some relaxing jazz or soul music when having a bath, it allows the mind to distract itself from our thoughts and just be in the moment, with the water and the music. Geberit have thought of this element too in reducing sound transmission from the waste pipes in your home and even the way the toilet flushes. They are real sticklers for the detail - they even have a sound lab in Switzerland! They use three unique ways to test sound. First is to have their entire flushing and drainage system on a pre-wall including having a wall hung toilet, this reduces the vibration and hence sound going through the walls of the house. Secondly they have silent drainage pipes, that dampen the sounds of the water going through them. Last but not least, their rimless Turboflush WCs have the most silent flushes I have EVER heard - or not heard... You get what I mean.