Celia Sawyer is a luxury interior designer, art collector, property developer and charismatic business woman with her own design firm Celia Sawyer Luxury Interiors. Celia is well known for her work on the Channel 4 programme Four Rooms and in 2014 hosted her own show Your Home In Their Hands on BBC1. She is also a columnist for Hello! magazine and the Mail Online, and also carries out charity work. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Celia Sawyer. Also it's worth noting that "Your Home In Their Hands" starts February 1st at 4pm on BBC One.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
My style is described as cool, luxurious classical contemporary with a twist. I love creating theatre, using a star piece in every room to catch the eye. I am also very inspired by my surroundings, for instance if I am designing by the sea, I love using natural elements in the project to reflect the outdoors.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
Talking to the client is the first step and finding out how they live and what they love. Then I start working on the space and how I would lay it out for functionality, and finally the colours, then the fun bit comes into my mind on how I can make them say “wow” as they enter the space!
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
It was an artist I met some time ago. He created some images for me. He was so creative, but I loved the attention to detail in his work. This is a key factor in interior design.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
I use my eyes to take in the outdoors and nature. This is something I always do, for instance if I see the way the sea ripples or the waves crash, or tall grasses blow in the wind, it gives me ideas for textures and lighting for a space.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
It came by accident as I was adding space to a property I owned and as soon as people saw it they asked me to do theirs which of course I didn’t expect to happen. From there it just went from one recommendation to another. I would say, getting really stuck in and working on projects, even as work experience is one of the most important things to do; college will teach you a great deal, but you cannot beat work experience.