Why clients should have a Love Interest...

'Hugh, I have fallen in love,' declared my client. 'Oh good...' I responded, a little uncertainly; this was not my usual Tuesday morning client/designer phone call. 

'Yes,' she continued, 'Page 21 of April's Homes & Gardens. I simply have to have that wallpaper!

Great interiors are a mix of good practical design and considered aesthetics - but also those elements that come from the heart to give a space warmth and personality.

In this case, passion came in the form of a Christian Lacroix wallpaper from Designers Guild, featured in the Hot House feature of one of my favourite glossy magazines. And I could understand my client's infatuation. The vibrant colours and striking design of 'Canopy' was truly stunning.

I acted immediately and ordered the required number of rolls, incorporating it into my finished design, using it on a feature wall in my client's dining area. 

I advised my client to go with a slightly softer colourway with a duck egg ground that complemented the rest of her home. The paper arrived at the At Home office the very next day, and was gracing the walls of my client's Norfolk retreat within the week.

So this was the latest wallpaper design, in the latest copy of H&G, in my latest design project. All quite a coup. But more than that, after months of renovations and 'nuts and bolts' planning, it signified one of the the personal finishing touches that set a home apart. Indeed, we pride ourselves on really listening to client's desires to give them the scheme they want. 

And of course, in life and decorating, it's always good to have a little love interest.

By Hugh Jamieson, Principal Designer, At Home interiors.
Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire.

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How great interior design can attract more clients to your business

I’m a designer, creating beautiful interiors that inspire and give pleasure. I’m not a plumber, a lawyer or top chef. If I wanted my loo fixed, a legal problem solved or a Michelin Starred meal, I would consult the experts.

So I am constantly surprised when business owners think interior design is something anyone can do – or they exist in bland spaces that say nothing of their skills, company values and overall ethos.  

People believe what the see, not what they hear. So if you say your company is forward-thinking and inspiring but your customers walk into a reception area that’s bland and out-dated, they simply won’t believe you.

Recently I met friends in a newly opened restaurant. While the food and staff were excellent, the interior jarred. The lighting was too bright, the furnishings mismatched, with a colour palette reminiscent of a cheap supermarket. This incohesive branding was out of kilter with the elegant food. It transpired that the owner had done his own decorating. While his cooking was fabulous, his taste in decor was not creating the ambience he’d hoped. Let’s just say we didn’t stay for pudding. 

So if you are creating a restaurant, a boutique hotel, a board room or reception area for your business, it’s crucial that the interior is consistent with your company branding. To coin two pertinent phrases: ‘Seeing is believing’ and ‘Each to his own’.

And as we all know, consulting the experts with ultimately save you money. At Home Interiors has access to trade accounts that you don’t. We tap into elements that are not available to the general public in terms of connections, resources and merchandise. Then we pull them all together to make your space unique.

And, like you, I know my trade. I understand when something wrong or right with a space, the result of 32 years of experience. I have rescued many a project that business-owners have tried to revamp, only to get frustrated when they’ve thrown money at it - then to find it’s still wrong, just in a different way

Your business space should reflect the heart of your company. And when it looks and feels right, you will attract the clients you desire.

by Hugh Jamieson, Principal Designer, At Home Interiors. 

Interior design and architecture in perfect harmony

No man is an island, and that includes interior designers! We have recently completed this stunning contemporary design in Cambridge, collaborating closely with NRAP architects, who share our vision of creating vibrant, imaginative spaces that are a joy to inhabit.

The project was a simple late-Victorian villa that had been extended in the 1980s. The owners wanted to replace the existing garden room with a new space that could open up directly into the garden, and to refurbish the rest of the house.

At Home senior designer Diana Trower respected the clients’ wishes to retain the character of the original rooms at the front of the house and upstairs, while breathing new life into the kitchen and the stunning new garden room.

Diana planned and oversaw the installation and decoration of the new kitchen and living spaces, adding soft furnishings to the library and piano room. The owners wanted to retain their traditional paintings and here Diana expertly showcases her skill of mixing old and new, ensuring even the most contemporary space feels like a much loved home. White-stained birch ply was used to line the staircase, hallway, and kitchen units, to provide a calming flow.

At Home Principal Designer, Hugh Jamieson said: ‘We are the link between you and your architect or contractor. We speak their language and can head off design misses. We are delighted to have worked with NRAP and together we marry aesthetics and practicalities, which is crucial in managing the client’s time and money, and avoiding hassle and headaches.’

At Home Interior Design www.athome-interiors.com

NRAP Architects www.nrap.co.uk

I have a dream...

Every great design project starts with two things: A dream, and a decision to make it happen. 

So, if you've decided to turn your dream into a beautiful, livable reality, please contact us. 

Because we do all the hard work for you...

Technology that cooks your supper

This is SO cool. We are very excited to be working with Vimar, providers of home automation technology. 

Everything in your home can be controlled remotely, wherever you are, including lighting, heating, security and it will even cook supper! (Well, not quite, but if you leave your prepared dish in the oven, you can set it to cook before you arrive home).

Contact Hugh for more details or click the link to watch the excellent video that shows you exactly what this system is capable of. http://www.vimar.co.uk/en/uk

Why Hugh is getting his kit off and becoming a Super Hero!

It's true. At Home's Principal Designer Hugh Jamieson has taken up the challenge to get his kit off - and on - four times in the space of a day! He and team mate Sue are in training for the Norfolk Super Hero Challenge, a gruelling test of stamina and fitness to raise cash for Wells Lifeboat.

The challenge requires teams to SWIM one mile, KAYAK for four miles, CYCLE for 45 miles and RUN for eight miles. As you can imagine, there are several fast-action kit changes to contend with (though sadly NOT a Superman cape) and a slick technique can save crucial seconds! Teams of two have entered, with combinations of mums and sons, dads and daughters, brothers, sisters, chums and spouses. Hugh is a member of the North Norfolk Wheelers cycling club and will be sporting the distinctive black and yellow kit during the challenge.

The challenge takes place on Saturday 6th June and the route meanders round the most beautiful parts of north Norfolk. Teams swim one mile from Gun Hill to the quay at Burnham Overy Staithe with the incoming tide,  kayak a four mile course through creeks, cycle a 45 mile circular route on north Norfolk's most scenic roads then run eight miles across tracks, sand, mud and marsh. 

Hugh and Sue hope to raise a massive £3000 for Wells Lifeboat which is manned by volunteer crews. If you would like to support them with a donation, please visit www.justgiving.com/NorfolkSuperHero112

The client doesn't have to know everything...

Sometimes you have to think round a problem: We were faced with getting a new bath into a bathroom of a house near Midsummer Common in central Cambridge. 

The new bath was much bigger than the one we took out (an old enamel roll top with feet) and would not fit through the bathroom door - it simply wasn't going to go! 

So... we ordered a fork-lift truck and lifted it directly into the bathroom through the front window. It caused quite a stir, and we are sure the neighbours enjoyed the show!


But the client did not need to know. It was not his problem, so why burden him with it?

We had the bath in and the fork lift was on its way back to Newmarket before the client arrived on site.

And that, of course, is the beauty of hiring a professional design team...

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A Norfolk garden inspired by Mies Van de Rohe's 1929 Barcelona Pavilion

By At Home Principal Designer, Hugh Jamieson

The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe,
with Georg Kolbe's sculpture 'Alba'

I was looking for inspiration for a small area of garden on a project in the genteel seaside town of Sheringham in north Norfolk. We had transformed a modest bungalow into a smart, contemporary dwelling – but the garden remained untouched.

I'd recently visited The Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, and fell in love with its serene simplicity, and especially the way the inside space flowed seamlessly into the outside. With the Sheringham project in mind, I could imagine large glass doors folding back onto a similarly serene but useful outdoor living area. Just add a rill of gently flowing water and fabulous night time lighting to create a gorgeous ambience.

Serene and sunny: The finished garden area on the Sheringham project.
The rill provides the gentle movement of water with stunning
night time lighting.

Mies Van de Rohe’s German Pavilion was built for the 1929 International Exposition as ‘a zone of tranquility’ for the weary visitor; the architecture itself was the exhibit. After the exposition the German government couldn’t sell it so it was torn down, not even a year after completion, the materials sold to cover costs.

This travesty was realised in the 1960s; luckily there were many original photos and the pavilion was faithfully recreated, using the same extravagant materials such as marble and travertine and Mies Van der Rohe's ideal of modernity expressed through rigorous geometry, precision and clarity, was brought into being once more. The curves of Georg Kolbe’s sculpture ‘Alba’ was the only contrast to the geometric purity of the building.

This was exactly the feel I wanted for the Sheringham project – a mix of modern and ancient materials used sparingly to create a place of serenity, blurring inside and out.

We created a walled area, providing a sheltered, sunny nook in winter, while in summer the doors could slide open to create a huge inside/outside dining area – perfect for parties and warm evenings. The neutral colours reflect year round light into the building and respect the home's coastal setting.

I have learned much from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Like many of his post World War I contemporaries, he strove for simplicity and order, coining the phrases "less is more" and "God is in the details,” both of which apply to this minimalist 1929 structure – and many At Home Interiors projects too.

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Introducing the At Home team

Hugh Jamieson is At Home's Principal designer and strategic director. His expertise is in managing larger interior schemes which include extensive building work, listed building consent and technical challenges.

Senior Designer Diana Trower interprets clients' briefs with flair and originality, be it a chic London pied a terre or a traditional country residence.