In June, I put myself forward for election to the British Institute of Interior Design's Council of Directors. Each year, ahead of the AGM, Registered Interior Designer members are invited to nominate themselves if they'd like to volunteer on the Council of Directors for a term of two years. You...
Is animal testing outmoded? I discuss the current status with charity the Naturewatch Foundation...
Creating an effective sustainability plan for interior designers, architects ...actually anyone!...
My business is eighteen. I'm am completely grateful - it feels a big achievement for a small business and I'm very thankful to the very many people who have supported what I'm doing over the years. Here's my half yearly check in on progress usings some of my GIVING BACK (handprint)...
July was bonkers. After years of dearly wanting to win both, I won my professional body BIID's Continuing Professional Development award swiftly followed by PETA's Compassionate Designer 23 award. I admire the dedication and endless ways the People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) work...
When I first heard about B Corp I was instantly interested after working for an ethical business for so long. Much of it echoed with what The Body Shop International did - monitored by themselves. I could see from inside the business that it wasn't always the most convenient set of...
Interior Design Declares - one year in! The end of March '22 marked the end of our first year as a community working together to improve our industry's shocking impact on the climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. "The UK construction industry contributes 25 million tonnes of waste to landfill...
It’s my company's birthday, Materialise Interiors is 17! I'm hugely grafeful to have been in business for so long and to all who have supported my business. THANK YOU! I review my company giving each year on my company birthday and at the financial year end (Earth Day 22nd...
It would have been #AnitaRoddick s 80th birthday today.I’ve been re-reading her company biography ‘Business As Unusual’. Wow, what a remarkable path she trod for other businesses to follow. As part of Natura The Body Shop are part of the world’s largest B Corp UK....
It's been VEGANUARY - have you given it a try? It's what finally nudged me to be fully vegan 4 years ago - but it's not an 'all or nothing' thing! Maybe it's encouraged you to swap out the occasional meal or ingredient for a vegan alternative? My...
It’s my company's birthday. My little business is 16! The perfect time to have a fresh look at my company giving and I’ve decided to make some changes and it's also a time to reflect and show gratitude. My job at The Body Shop HQ had come to an amicable end and thanks...
The Sustainable Specification Guide which I co-wrote with my fellow committee members from the British Institute of Interior Design was launched at the brilliant Planted design show at Kings Cross, London.I was so fortunate to have an excellent grounding in sustainable design during my time at The...
I have a huge interest in MATERIALS. So much in fact it influenced how I named my company. I studied Furniture & Product Design in the late 80s / early 90s - that was A LOT about materials (and processes). One of my degree projects was a piece of furniture made from a board...
In a nutshell - it's because there's milk in some potato crisps! Animal products are in so much of what we buy and consume - even if we think we are managing to avoid them. Food and drinks mostly have labels, as do products. But would you check the label for a...
So this is our family story I touched on recently. My mum had discovered the newly opened Body Shop in Brighton’s North Laine. My Grandparents and Uncle lived miles away in Nottingham. These were the early days when the labels for products were handwritten.My lovely Uncle...
I love this photo of Anita Roddick. Growing up in Brighton in the 1970s at the time this first special shop opened here - me and my friends knew The Body Shop so well! It was where got your ears pierced -or not - if you like me you weren’t allowed! For me it was where I choose the next...
I’m very proud to be VEGANDESIGN.ORG CERTIFIED™. This is a pretty big deal for me. It’s really exciting to be recognised as ‘Designer of the Month’ especially as it’s based in the US with a network globally.Read about it...