One of the things we’re particularly proud of is our interior design service. Every floating home or office we produce is decorated and furnished by our specialists to create a unique and stunning home that’s completely to your taste.
In this blog, we talk to our interior designer Pam O’Shea to find out more about the process and the work that goes on behind the scenes:
Ideas and inspiration
It’s important that, before I start thinking about the design, I get to know the client. So we always have an initial chat to talk about their vision for their floating home, how they’re going to use it, and where it will be located.
Most of our clients have a vague idea of what they want. Some talk about the style they’re looking for, others have favourite paintings they’re going to put on the walls, others turn up with upholstery fabric swatches. From that, I will come up with interior design ideas that reflect the client’s personality at the same time as fitting in with the natural surroundings their floating home will be located in.
Occasionally a client doesn’t give me a brief at all - they’ve seen what I’m capable of from my other projects and are happy to leave everything to me. Often they don’t want to be involved in the process at all. I love having this kind of free reign and thankfully, the clients have always loved my work. It’s also very flattering that they put so much trust in me.
For me, interior design is an organic process and I don’t work to any kind of format, which gives me the freedom to do any design and make sure my clients get what they want. I’ve been doing this job for a long time and the way I design interiors has become instinctive, which again gives me a lot of flexibility in my approach. I much prefer to think outside the box, rather than following the ‘school’ way of doing things.
Coming up with design ideas
Before I even start creating a mood board and looking for furniture and decorations, I like to spend time thinking about the design first. In my head, I take whatever has sparked my imagination and ‘place’ it into the room where it will be. For example, on a recent project, this was the wallpaper destined for the cloakroom. I’ll then do a ‘walk through’ of the house, linking the colours, shades and theme so the design and colour themes lead seamlessly from one room to the next.
I’m lucky that I have the ability to think visually and spatially. This means I’m able to see how things will fit together physically as well as aesthetically which is a real gift when it comes to the work we do - on floating homes we have to be clever with the use of space.
Once I’m happy with the design in my head, I’ll start creating a mood board, beginning with the colour or fabric the client has given me, and build out from there. I’ll look for colours and fabrics that compliment the original and get hold of as many swatches and samples as possible. I love using wallpaper in my designs, and love being bold with it. It’s difficult to get people on board with the use of wallpaper these days, but once I show them samples and tell them what my vision is, they’re more than happy for me to go ahead.
When it comes to colour, you have to be aware of where the floating home is going to be located. In a bricks and mortar house, people often use white paint on the walls in smaller or darker rooms as it reflects light and gives the illusion of a larger room. However, with a floating home, having white walls is a mistake because of the glare from the water. Floating homes also need to reflect the fact that, whether they're situated on a lake, river, marina or harbour, they're in a natural setting, so the interior design needs to make them feel connected with the nature that surrounds them.
Getting the right ambience
It doesn’t matter if I’m doing a floating house, holiday home or office, my overall aim is to create a space where people feel comfortable and welcome. I designed our office to show clients what their floating homes could be like. Some have liked it so much that they’ve stayed far longer than intended - even some of the busiest, high flyers have been known to miss their train because they’ve felt so comfortable and relaxed. Which is, after all, the feeling that I’ve set out to achieve!
Creating the interior
Once I'm happy with the mood board, it’s time to start collecting the furniture and decorations. I love going around antiques warehouses and junk yards picking up things for specific projects, or objects I love and know I’ll be able to use at a later date, such as knobs and handles, locks and hinges.
Most of my clients are more than happy for me to use vintage furniture in their projects and over the years I’ve got to know all the places that are most likely to have what I’m looking for. Refurbishing antiques is a great way to ensure the upholstery is a perfect match for the overall design, as well as being sustainable. And I work alongside the carpenters to ensure that anything that will be repurposed into cupboards and kitchen units fit in with my theme.
As soon as we’ve finished building the shell of the floating house and fitting it out, it’s time for me to weave my magic. This is when a floating home really comes to life. I do the painting, wallpapering and decorating myself, working to a high standard to ensure a design that will look great and last for a long time.
Projects
Explore our Projects section to see photos of some of my interior work. The interior design of your new luxury floating home is something we will talk about in detail at the concept stage, of course. If you would like to book an appointment, contact us online or call 07308 148807.