The life of an interior designer is always interesting, with new trends to incorporate into the wants and needs of each client. Rebecca Hughes has experienced it all since she started her company, Rebecca Hughes Interiors. Fine & Country Interior Design sit down with Rebecca to talk interior design secrets, inspiration and her most troublesome projects to date. 

1. What has been your vision for Rebecca Hughes Interiors since you started the company?

I have always found the idea of ‘home’ to be both a physical and emotional concept. From day one, my vision was to help clients understand what home means to them, and rather than trying to impose a style. I help to lean them towards aesthetic choices that will be beautiful and unique to their individual needs and aspirations. 

2. What is the most important thing an interior designer contributes to a client’s home?

Ultimately, my job is to fully realise and understand the vision of each client. The most challenging aspect is interpreting their brief in the most beautiful, yet practical, way. Once you understand their vision, you can design and execute a project with great care and attention to detail.

3. Where does your inspiration for designs come from?

Everything inspires me! From fashion, art, and nature, to my children and conversations with friends. I constantly want to be open to new ideas and I am always spotting little details or the small choices people have made. I get obsessed with materials; at the moment it is antique bronze with glass and Perspex accents. Pinterest and Instagram have transformed the way I collect inspiration and opened a world of ideas and colour. 

4. How do you approach each new client’s home and their expectations?

The starting point is to listen well. If the client has a strong vision or direction, it is a really good starting point. Quite often clients can lack confidence or haven’t had the time to think about what they would like, so that is when I work to try and draw out their tastes and inspirations. This can be through mood boards, inspiring images and understanding what excites them. I can then begin to create an aesthetic specific to them.

5. What advice would you give to someone who is about to begin their own home redesign project?

The most important tool for any design project is a tape measure. You can spend a lot of money on a property, but if the scale isn’t right and different areas of the room are not proportionate, the room will not look good. Scaled furniture plans dictate everything.

I also encourage my clients to think of their home as a whole and not just individual elements or distinct rooms. Each room can vary in colour, style and have unique features but it needs to work with the other spaces, ultimately achieving a continuous flow that runs throughout.

6. Tell us about your most challenging project to date.

I recently completed a stunning villa in Kazakhstan. It was very large, the size of a palace, and it was a difficult to manage logistically due to the sheer size, but it was an incredibly fun and beautiful project. We organised items to be shipped across the globe, all within a very tight installation date. I was working alongside many teams across Europe, including architects, joiners and specialist decorators, so managing a large team was challenging, especially when there was a slight language barrier.

7. What is the most unusual client request you have received in your career so far?

I had a client who had a painting of a nude lady, which he absolutely loved. In his drawing room he insisted that her left breast must be visible from all angles of the room, meaning that my lighting choices had to be slightly amended.

8. Do you have a favourite creative home that you love?

I am big fan of Rose Uniacke. She has a timeless look that celebrates the history of a building whilst creating a serene space. I love her London house for its sweeping staircase, high ceilings and rustic floor.

9. What is your next project? 

I’ve started work on two beautiful apartments: one in Warwick Avenue, overlooking the canal, and one in Richmond. I am also about to start designing a fashion label’s new store in Belgravia.

• To find out more about Rebecca Hughes Interiors, click here. 
• Are you thinking of redesigning your home? No matter if you have just moved in or if you want to stage your home to sell, Fine & Country Interior Design can help. Click here to find out more about their services. 
  

More from Fine & Country