INTERIOR INSPIRATION
BY KATE KINGSTON
Kate Kingston , Managing Director of Kingston Shaw , an award winning interior design company with offices on the Wirral , London and Dubai , shares with us the latest trends for creating the perfect home .
MASTERCLASS
Three of the questions I am asked the most are : Where can I get interior inspiration apart from magazines and TV programmes ? Where can I study interior design ? What perfume are you wearing ! ( it is often asked and never revealed ) but seriously the third most popular question I am asked about interiors is ‘ how do I know what my style is ’?
These days there are many ways to study interior architecture and design , depending on what your circumstances and end result will be :
• Most universities offer an interior architecture or interior design course , but they are not all the same course . You need to decide what you want to do at the end of the course , if it ' s commercial design , or residential design etc . One of the best all round courses is Manchester University as they offer a research and practical course .
• The Inchbald , my alma mater , is a fantastic interior design course , one of the oldest and comprehensive . You can check out their courses at www . inchbald . co . uk .
• KLC , a more progressive institute offers short and full courses both online and in person . If you want to make a business out of your study this may be your option as they offer courses on business too ! www . klc . co . uk
November is here , fires are lit and blankets on your designer sofas with a cup of tea are mandatory , too tired to lift the spine of a book and leaf through , just want to close your eyes and be inspired by the genius of others then I ' ve got you covered ! The podcast has been around for a while but it is only recently that my industry has opened up and discussed what ' s good and what ' s not through this medium . It might seem strange that such a visual industry should be so captivating on a purely aural level , but it is , here are a few of my favourite podcasts :
1 . The Modern House Started by the cult estate agents , it has been described as desert island discs for house lovers , beautiful curated guests and a must listen to for all lovers of modern interior architecture and design .
2 . Material Matters Grant Gibson waxes weekly with his guest of the week on a single material , his take on episode on laminates is both thought provoking and hysterical .
3 . The Couch Hosted and curated by the Italian brand B & B Italia , yes it is shamelessly plugging its own furniture but it does highlight the origins of furniture and how it ' s made , really fascinating .
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I simply say to you , it does not matter if you don ’ t know what your style is because you already know what you like and what you don ’ t like - you just need to tune into that . When it comes to interiors , they are forgiving and truly should be an expression of you , that ’ s it . Interior Designers like myself do one thing and one thing well , we are good at reading people , yes we are creative , yes we focus a space but a true interior designer can pull out of their client their true reflection and recreate that in their interiors , so if you truly struggle with expression and / or are short on time or inclination , hire a professional . If you are doing it yourself and still struggling with creative expression , stick to the basics and build on that , pops of colour are like jewellery , don ’ t wear your whole collection ! It ' s not life and death , it ' s creative expression and should be fun , go on I know you can do it , and remember I am always here for a chat !