The Interior Design Business

We are all eagerly anticipating WOW!house 2026 which will run from 2nd June until the 2nd July so what better time to take a look at the phenomenon that is WOW!house. From a standing start in 2022, WOW!house has, in 5 short years, grown to become the UK’s premier showcase for luxury interior design talent and style. Going way beyond the mere setting of trends, WOW!house has come to embody the aspirational direction of travel for the whole UK prime residential market. But how did it all begin? Where did the original inspiration for the event come from? And, how has it developed year on year to become the most hotly anticipated event in the London Interior Design Calendar?

For this show, recorded in front of a live audience of designers in the Design Club at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Susie and Jeff are joined by Durgesh Sinh from returning WOW!house sponsor, Nucleus AV, acclaimed interior designer and WOWzer, Benedict Foley, and the woman who launched WOW!house, CEO of the Design Centre, Claire German.

We are a Wildwood Plus production. 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Welcome to Wowhouse
(00:01:36) - Interior Decorator at the Tate Modern
(00:02:30) - The creative team at Nucleus
(00:04:25) - The Wonders House
(00:07:07) - The design centre at Zandon House
(00:10:29) - Kips Bay and the Other Events
(00:10:52) - The Warehouse's first show home
(00:13:05) - The First Whale House
(00:17:12) - Project Runway: Success
(00:18:00) - The World's First Design Event
(00:18:49) - Wond House: The Exhibition at 150
(00:23:23) - The Warehouse Alumni's 2nd year
(00:26:26) - Wilson: I'm a Wozza and a Wowza
(00:27:59) - How do you pick the designers for Warehouse?
(00:30:05) - The Warehouse's media room
(00:31:47) - What's the Value of Being a Sponsor in Warehouse
(00:32:28) - Inside the Science Exhibition 2017
(00:34:23) - Benedict at United in Design
(00:36:22) - A Round of Paul Watson

We live in a mostly mass-produced, machine-made world of globalised banality. Interior spaces from north to south look and feel the same. Yet, as human beings, we revel in our individuality and crave the means to add a personal stamp to the way we live and the places we inhabit. We yearn to possess things that are unique to us and that no one else can have. Artisan-made items created by skilled and loving hands will deliver those special touches that make a room memorable and distinctive, but where should designers go to find these precious pieces? How can craft makers find an appreciative audience for their work? And how can designers best explore and source from the vast range of crafts in existence? To discuss this topic, we're joined by makers, Natasha Mann and Claire Coles, Louisa Pacifico from Future Icons, Sam Fisher from Decorex and internationally renowned interior designer, Katharine Pooley. Recorded in Katharine Pooley Studio in London. A big thank you to our series partner, Decorex

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Welcome to the Interior Design Business
(00:01:21) - Three of London's best-known artists and their business
(00:02:43) - What is craft in France?
(00:04:03) - In the Elevator With Craftspeople
(00:05:22) - How to Train to Become a Painter
(00:11:57) - How Do You Find an Interior Designer?
(00:13:00) - Are Artisan Made Materials Naturally More Expensive?
(00:15:12) - Making Spaces at Decorx
(00:16:41) - Making Spaces
(00:20:40) - Interior Designers Work With Makers
(00:23:08) - How to decorate a large house with an online gallery
(00:24:52) - Claire's Small Business
(00:26:21) - Storytelling in the Art World
(00:27:02) - When You're On Your Own
(00:27:50) - The Story of Interiors
(00:31:39) - Will Your Objects Go to an Art Gallery?
(00:32:20) - Bespoke Design: Managing Client Expectations
(00:37:26) - The Color of Light
(00:37:40) - Where should designers go to find the makers of tomorrow?
(00:41:34) - Crafts in the Interior: Future Icon Selects

As interior design gains ground as a serious career and profession, more and more academic institutions are offering degree and master’s level interior design courses to teach the rudiments of this highly technical subject. But is this enough? 

Susie and Jeff are joined by three renowned designers - Charu Gandi from Elicyon, Franky Rousell from Jolie Studio and Laura Hammett from Laura Hammett Interiors to discuss whether design schools adequately equip budding designers with the skills they need to take their place in our industry.

We explore the the important subjects that they don't teach at design school, and invite our panel to suggest what students and employers should do to identify and plug those gaps.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience of designers at Arte in the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.

Thank you to our series supporters, Decorex 2026.

We are a Wildwood Plus production. 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - What Don't They Teach You in Design School?
(00:01:45) - Interviewing Designers
(00:04:53) - Interviewing: Fit and Hard Work
(00:07:04) - How do you test out a candidate's portfolio?
(00:12:13) - Have You Got What it Takes to Be a Design Designer?
(00:13:16) - Do graduating designers have the skills they need to survive life in an
(00:19:46) - Teaching the management of client relationships
(00:24:17) - The role of guest lecturers in interior design
(00:27:31) - Can Anyone Become an Interior Designer?
(00:28:59) - Are Interior Designers Team Players?
(00:30:26) - What do you think are the really valuable lessons that they can't
(00:36:27) - The Secret to Working As an Interior Designer
(00:38:34) - The Importance of Interiors
(00:39:33) - The Interior Design Exhibition

Entering an interior design award can boost visibility, credibility, and client trust - but not all awards are created equal. In this episode, Jeff and Susie are joined by two BIID award-winning designers, Jennifer Hamilton from The Vawdrey House and Melinda Kiss from Keyhole Interiors for a deeper dive into the awards process. We'll explore how designers can identify award schemes with genuine merit and industry recognition, how to present a standout project and the storytelling techniques that capture attention and bring design concepts to life. Thanks to our episode partner, the British Institute of Interior Design, for their support. We are a Wildwood Plus production. 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Interior Design Business
(00:01:25) - Jennifer Vaudrey House
(00:02:06) - The BIID Interior Design Awards
(00:04:00) - The British Institute of Design Awards
(00:05:56) - The Making of an Award Entry
(00:09:17) - The Marketing and Awards
(00:11:15) - The Impact of Client Wins and Awards
(00:13:52) - The BIID Awards
(00:16:37) - British Institute of Interior Design Awards
(00:17:59) - The BIID Awards 2017
(00:18:50) - What truly defines an award winning interior design project?
(00:20:54) - BIID Awards 2017
(00:22:29) - Projects for the Future: Eskdale vicarage
(00:23:48) - What Is The Secret to Timeless Spaces?
(00:25:17) - The Narrative of the
(00:26:42) - The Clients' Project
(00:28:58) - Outstanding Project
(00:30:09) - The BIID Awards 2018

Interior designers have a bad rep on building sites for being demanding, difficult and dis-organised, but is this fair? In their drive for perfection, are interior designers their own worst enemy? Do designers efficiently provide the information needed by builders, or do contractors sometimes wilfully misunderstand their design intentions? What can designers and contractors do to make each other’s lives easier? In this episode, Jeff and Susie are joined by renowned interior designer Joanna Wood, Founder of Joanna Wood Interiors and Paul Fitzgerald, Founder and Managing Director of Hawksmoor Construction to answer these questions and more.

 

This episode was recorded as part of the Design Talks programme at Decorex 2025. Thanks to Decorex and to our episode partners, Sofas & Stuff for their support. 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Interior Designers: Difficult, Diva and Irrit
(00:01:01) - Interior Design and Construction
(00:01:48) - Both of the presenters start off with a brief introduction
(00:03:22) - Do Interior Designers Have a Bad Reputation Among Contractors?
(00:05:06) - Are Interior Designers Accused of Neglect?
(00:05:54) - Do Interior Designers Have Prejudices About Their Jobs?
(00:06:40) - Are Interior Designers Bad For Contractors?
(00:11:02) - Projects and Construction Contractors
(00:13:09) - Tender Process
(00:16:41) - The quality of the Tender Pack
(00:19:05) - Choosing a contractor
(00:23:57) - Interior Designers: Do You Need a Contractor?
(00:26:18) - Paul, have you ever refused to work with an interior designer on
(00:28:26) - Paul and Joe: The Contractor Relationship
(00:31:24) - How often do you need to go to site on a project?
(00:32:59) - What's your biggest bugbear?
(00:37:12) - Interiors Design: When Problems Occur, Do Designers Let
(00:38:26) - What's the funniest, maddest thing a designer's
(00:40:14) - The Worst Contractor Ever Do
(00:42:26) - Inside The Interior Design Business Podcast