Staying ahead of the interior design curve is never easy. With projects that take multiple years to complete, David Ferns, owner of CID Interieur, explains how he stays on top of interiors trends and looks after his high-profile clients both in the UK and across the globe. 

Fine & Country Interior Design has caught up with CID Interieur, one of their licenced interior design firms, to find out how they have become so successful within the industry.

What has been your vision for CID Interieur since you started the company?

It has always been my intention for CID Interieur to be one the best interior design studios in London and the UK, and to create beautiful and elegant residential interiors. As well as this, we want CID to be considered a luxury English brand to be thought of in the same league as design brands that are quintessentially English such as Dunhill, Fortnum & Mason and Burberry. 

Our aim to achieve this not just through the quality of our design and exceptional craftsmanship, but also through the level of service and aftercare we provide to our customers. Our approach to create interiors that encompass cutting-edge design trends but very importantly have a classic elegance that will not date and will be timeless like a Bentley. 

Can you tell us about a particularly challenging project?

All our projects are challenging in their own way as we approach every project as unique. No two clients are ever the same, so each project requires its own blank slate to begin with. 

The more challenging projects often create the most rewarding and creative solutions. For example, we were tasked with designing a full leisure facility for a top London residential development, but it needed to be something completely unique as it was a major selling point for the apartments. Therefore, we designed the swimming pool where the entire floor surrounding it was flooded with water with dry areas which were floating within the water. It was definitely something that people wouldn’t have seen before.

What would you say is the most important thing an interior designer can contribute to a client’s home project?

For us, it’s the ability to realise our client’s vision. A lot of clients have an idea of what they want to achieve but struggle to know where to start and how to achieve it. We understand very quickly what our client wants, and we then interpret and realise these ideas into outstanding designs which are beyond their expectations. 

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

It’s very important to us that we understand our clients’ lifestyle and how they live and use the home every day so that we create unique bespoke spaces that are perfectly tailored to their lifestyle. 

Do you have a favourite creative home?

My favourite creative property so far is the 13,000 sq. ft. home that we created at Kings Chase on the Crown Estate in Oxshott. This was a two-year project due to its size and on projects like this you build up a real connection with the home and spaces that you’ve created. So much so that it almost feels like your home as you know every detail, from the cornicing around a door frame to each door handle. It’s often quite bittersweet when you finish these projects as you feel very proud of them, but also a little sad to say goodbye to something you’ve spent so many weeks and months creating.

A lot of the projects you design are completed many years after they were initially designed; how do you stay ahead of the curve with trends?

My team of interior designers are much like fashion forecasters; we have to predict and design at least a year ahead of any interiors trends hitting the high street. Attending all the interiors shows such as Decorex and Maison et Objets in Paris are key to predicting upcoming trends so we make sure we visit these throughout the year. 

Brass as an accent colour or on ironmongery, for example, has been a huge trend this year so far, yet we were including it in our designs over a year ago (during the time when bronze was monopolising the high street) in order for our projects to be on trend and current when they completed this year. It’s definitely an element which the team really enjoy.

If someone reading this was about to begin their own home redesign project, what would be your best advice to them?

It’s important to spend a lot of time on the space planning at an early stage and visualise yourself living in and using the space at all times of the day. It requires a lot of practical thought and imagination. Its also important to consider how you can future proof your design, as people’s lives and the way they chose to live them are always changing and a property needs to be adaptive.

What is your next project? 

We have several exciting projects in the studio including a large house on the St Georges Hill Estate in Surrey and two very large villas in the Middle East.

• To find out more about David Ferns and CID Interieur, click here. 
  
  
• Are you thinking of refurbishing your home? No matter if you have just moved in or are thinking of moving on, contact Fine & Country Interior Design today for their help and advice. 

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