How I Became An Interior Designer

In 1980 I visited the Ideal Home Exhibition. Whilst there I purchased a book called Soft Furnishings – Ideas and Fabrics by Designers Guild. This book inspired me. Every spare moment I got I was either reading it of just gazing at the fabrics and the way they were put together. I was eager to have a go at making cushions, curtains etc, so much. But my sewing skills were limited. So I asked a friend of mine Val Wood to show me what to do. I bought a very old second hand sewing machine. (Which now stands on a table in my Lobby). You guided the fabric with one hand and turned the handle with the other. I bought some seconds Sanderson fabric. My husband Keith cut out Buckram for the Pelmets (now all our Pelmets are cut out of ply wood). We covered the pelmets and I made the lined curtains. There were three windows in my Lounge – all different sizes. Keith had managed to get all the proportions spot on. Something he is still good at. I was so pleased with them.

Now I had really got the bug. My every spare waking hour was spent looking at fabrics, co-ordinating and Designing. We owned a DIY shop at the time and we had four children. However we managed to open another shop in West Malling, Kent. This was called M & K Fabrics.

Clients were asking me to look at their houses and advise them. Keith would come out with me and measure their windows whilst I got an idea of the client's personality and the type of things they liked. We would then ask them back to our shop were I would pull out the books that I thought suited them and giving them lots of ideas.

I worked in the shop all-day and sewed all evening. I did that for seven months. I then had to get help, I got some curtain makers and help in the shop and Keith went out to fit them. He is an excellent fitter. I love my work and people seem to like what we do. In the early days people would ask what training I had had. But of course I had none. However, after a few months I went to Sanderson's on a small course. A man who had three shops and had been in Soft Furnishings for several years beat me by only one point. I was on a high. I later went on another course, this time I came first. I asked, do you think I should do a City and Guilds or something. I was told that I would find it boring because I had already taught myself. So again I came away very exited.

Now we have virtually all of London in our workroom – over 800 books. Zimmer Rhodes, Jane Churchill, Colefax & Fowler, Zoffany, Osborne & Little, Nina Campbell, Casemance to name but a few - and of course the one's I started with, Designers Guild and Sanderson's. I am still as eager as I was in 1980, when Keith returns from a job. He gets bombarded with what did they say?, did they like it? The day I don't do that is the day to give up.

Don't forget ring me if you want help, measuring and advice is free.

Maggie Smith

Call Vine House Interiors now on 01732 882904 to arrange a consultation.

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