I am passionate about designing spaces that work hard for you;
that are joyful and easy to live in.
meet the designer
my story
hi, i'm nickie
In 2013 my husband and I were looking for a new home and a little bungalow came on the market. I was adamant I didn't want this bungalow until I had a dream about it. So, we went to see it and, although it was by far the worst house we had viewed, we fell in love. It had personality and so much potential. We renovated it and made it special. It didn't have much wow factor from the outside, but now on the inside it did. The space and style surprised people.
I've always believed it's not what you've got,
it's what you do with it!
And so, the thought of becoming an interior designer started to take hold. In the end I didn’t want to leave the little bungalow I didn’t want to buy! Now we have a new (old) bungalow to renovate into a something magnificent (in the words of our nine year old) for our little team of four. You'll be able to follow its progress in Projects.
my design background
the pandemic changed my perspective on things
Retail closures during this time meant I was effectively out of work and I realised was that I didn't actually miss it. I adore being a designer but what I missed was being more present for my family.
My husband Jake runs a successful, and very busy, building and home renovation business, so it suddenly made sense that, as our skill sets overlapped, we could form a collaboration. I started working alongside him in his building firm, designing clients’ projects and getting my hands dirty working on site so I had a more complete measure of the whole process. At the same time I studied for a diploma in interior design with The Interior Design Institute And actually I was pretty good at it; I graduated with a mark of 98.3%.
But, I've jumped ahead a bit. At the time of the first little bungalow I was working in the fashion industry. I spent 18 years designing handbags and accessories for renowned British retailers like Harrods and John Lewis, launching quirky independent brands to market and starting my own little fashion brand, Another Epic Day. This journey began with a BA Hons in Decorative Arts, has taken me around the world, taught me so much and was so much fun.​
my niche
I live the renovation life so I understand just how disruptive it can be. I am also passionate about the importance of family and creating spaces for them to thrive. I want to make it as easy as possible for you to create your dream home and I have a solution.
I can bring a unique service to your job with my designer and builder dream team combination
To make your project as simple for you as possible, I can bring Jake and his building services, JG Home Improvements, on board and let us worry about everything for you. An end to end design and build service. If that works for you. If not, I can simply design for you or I can design for you and then work with any tradespeople you have selected to complete your project. It's your project, so it has to work for you!
I don't just design it, I do it!
my promise
playfulness combined with function
is at the heart of what I create
My collaborative approach ensures that I will work closely with you every step of the way, respecting your unique style and preferences. I will prioritise listening to exactly what you want your space to be for you but I will also encourage you to make brave decisions... to be the surprise! So if you dream of a fresh but familiar home give me a call!​​
And one last thing before I go. My business was named by my (then) 7 year old daughter. When I was studying for my diploma I dropped a mark because I added a bay window to my project that was not within the scope of works on the brief. I was so cross with myself about it, and at the time I was trying to decide on a business name and so my daughter said "Mummy, that's what you should call your business!" So that's what I did. Teamwork!
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
Marilyn Monroe
