You may have already seen some of the incredible stories from the key women that work hard behind the scenes at My Bespoke Room(MBR) but now the time has come to learn more about the aspirational women that make up our design team!
You've probably seen these four sharing their design tips and tricks but here you can learn more about how they became the brilliant designers they are today.
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Experienced, knowledgeable and a font of design expertise, Lucy is the Head of our outstanding design team! She became the interiors expert she is today long before she joined us here.
After gaining a BA (hons) in Interior Architecture she completed a year's work placement with an architectural company over in Xi'an in China. She then secured a job as a junior designer at Focus Design where she worked on many hotel, bar, and restaurant projects over her 12 years with the company where She worked her way up to Senior Designer level. Lucy spent lots of time on-site and worked on all aspects of projects from concept, detailed joinery details through to project management on-site.
Lucy was another member of the team who came to find My Bespoke Room in the most random of methods.
Lucy: “I met Laura at a baby class we both attended when our girls were little and made a great connection over all things interior...and our love of gin! I was in the middle of our self build house project at the time! I was excited to join MBR as a start-up company with inspiring female co-founders and I loved the concept of offering a professional interior design service to people who may not have considered hiring an Interior Designer in the past.
The offer of flexible working (way ahead of the pandemic!) was very appealing with 2 primary school kids. I was also excited to come on board as Head Of Design and build and train an amazing team of professional interior designers and help develop the tech and design process to take some of the heavy lifting (admin) away from designers to let them do what they do best...design and communicate easily with their clients.”
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
After being with us for nearly 5 years, Lucy is now much more used to working in a female-dominated team than her previous companies.
Lucy: “I have never worked with a mostly female team before but I absolutely LOVE it. We have such a lovely, smart and super talented group of women who work for MBR that really inspire me and make me proud to be part of a female-founded and led company. I have the most amazing work colleagues and leaders who I am proud to call my friends.
I feel super proud of the team of freelance designers I have brought on board and trained and the wonderful, supportive designer community we are all now part of. We have been able to offer many professional interior designers and architects the opportunity to work flexibly from home to ensure they can get their work-life balance right and give many the opportunity to set up their own businesses as freelance designers.”
Lucy is an inspiration all on her own, however, she also had an interesting role model for her career.
“Zaha Hadid was really the most inspiring female in the architectural and design industry. I always looked up to her at uni and poured over many of her outstanding and boundary-pushing designs for hours throughout my studies and many of her buildings are still so relevant and iconic.
She was always very forward-thinking and futuristic in her designs and in 2004, she became the first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize which was an amazing achievement!”
Zaha Hadid Image Credit: britannica.com
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Claire has always been passionate and loved everything there is about design and interiors. She started her career by studying Interior architecture and design at Arts University Bournemouth before gaining experience in an architectural practice and finally making the move to residential design and working for My Bespoke Room. Originally Claire came across My Bespoke Room after meeting Laura and Lucy at her degree show in Bournemouth.
Claire: “I was really interested in the concept of affordable online interior and loved that the company was female-founded.”
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Now Claire has been working with us for four years and thoroughly enjoyed working with the MBR team. In fact, she was with us when we were only a team of 5!
Claire: “It's a really supportive team with plenty of encouragement (along with genuine constructive criticism) and we have a good laugh too!
Everyone works so passionately with the same goal in mind, incredible design and customer care for our clients as well as creating an amazing support network for all freelancers - I think that is so cool and really makes us a strong team.”
In an industry where we’re constantly asking our clients for inspiration, we also have to find sources to aspire to.:
Claire: “I’m a big fan of Alex Dauley - Gorgeous designer and Co-Founder of United in Design, a non-profit organisation on a mission to address the lack of diversity in the interiors industry”
Image Credit: @alexandriadauley
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Similarly to Claire, Rosie also studied Interior architecture and design at Arts University Bournemouth. She then moved on to a placement at an office design company.
Rosie: “This really gave me the drive and confirmation this was the right career path for myself. After uni, I went on to freelance for a local interior designer before then working for MBR.”
I learned about MBR whilst at uni. As they were a local company and they had employed my colleague Claire the year prior.
The business concept really piqued my interest as they were an interiors company shaking up the industry by bringing in new ideas and tech whilst making it more accessible to people who previously may not have been able to afford traditional interior design."
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Now Rosie has been with us for almost 3 years and now she is very much an integral part of the design team. Here is how she feels about working for My Bespoke Room:
Rosie; “I'm so proud to be part of a female-founded company, it is very inspiring and so nice to work with a largely female team as it is a very supportive environment.
As it is still a relatively new company, I really like how we are able to help shape and develop the business. The team is also so supportive and great fun to work with which is a great bonus.”
Just like our Head of Design Lucy, Rosie is a big fan of Zaha Hadid.
Rosie: “Although she is on the architecture side she's still a great inspiration of mine. She made a name for herself in a very male-dominated industry and her design style was so different it really captured my imagination.
Want to have your home reimagined by one of our talented designers? Then book a free call with us now and see how we can give you the home of your dreams for a price that suits you!
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Olivia is one of the most bubbly and enthusiastic of our designers! She is so passionate about design that she practically started her career at age 10 when she realised that by using different sized posters she could create a gallery wall!!
Olivia: “I used to spend hours making my own wrapping paper for presents and delicately repeating the pattern. My father is very creative and my mother is very hands-on with upcycling and reusing items, so this led to my passion for making old-good.
I once filled an entire house with items from charity shops, flea markets and auctions. When people came to my home and were in awe of what I'd done, I swiftly realised design was my passion, and the rest is history!
I was finishing my Interior Design qualifications when I was approached by My Bespoke Room, as my friend was already working with them. On gaining a distinction, I was offered a position as a freelance designer and was completely enticed by the work flexibility and the amazing pay structure was a no-brainer!
Being a mum of 4 and having complete work flexibility, was vital to my lifestyle when the kids were younger and more so as they are older.
I've worked at My Bespoke Room for almost 4 years and may I add it's been the best 4 years of my work-life ever!!! Just putting it out there…”
Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Since Olivia started her career as a freelance designer with us, she has now joined the head office team as a full-time designer.
Olivia: “Now I work as part of the head office team (and what an utterly amazing team it is!). It's opened my eyes to how a team of women can work on a level I've never experienced before. I am proud to work with such strong, talented women who literally inspire me every day to be better at what I do and to work harder, with such positivity and support.
I love the incredible work ethic and structure of My Bespoke Room, the business formula works on such a level that clients continually return again and again. When one of the team gets a review, or positive work recognition, it is spread throughout the whole community to see and celebrate together.“
Olivia’s inspiration is quite different to that of her colleagues in the interior design industry but we love it!
“I am inspired by so many women in the interior design industry, from architects to globally recognised designers but I have to stay nearer to home and give a big shout-out to Jane Rockett and Lucy St.George. I just love how they offer unique and individual, quirky pieces and aren’t afraid to push boundaries with their products”
Image Credit: The Times
There are so many more incredible designers that create phenomenal designs for our customers that are just waiting to help you fall back in love with your home for a price that suits you. Click the button below to book a free chat with our team and start your interior design journey with our inspirational designers.