Interview: Oh Fleur

Expert Interview with Ohh Fleur interior designer

Tell us a little about your background and how you came to start Ohh Fleur?

I studied interior design in Australia and worked for a couple of years before arriving in the UK in1998. My first job was managing the Mulberry Home showroom and after a year, went out on the road looking after the designers and architects in London. I also worked for an interior designer on hotels abroad before starting my own business in 2007. I built my interior design business up over 14 years and in the back of my mind wanted to have my own brand. I kept noticing gaps in the market and made notes, eventually training to create the designs in 2018 when a project fell through. I now have 7 wallpapers and numerous home decor items in my online shop.

When people choose to go with an interior designer what are the major benefits they can expect?

An interior Designer has an extensive contacts list and will know where to go to provide the client with the design they want within budget. They have the experience and ability to listen to a brief, ask detailed personal questions to establish how you use and what you need in the room, to provide a design that will not only meet their requirements but exceed them. Choosing trades can be tricky, who do you trust? Bringing my team to the table ensures that the client will have peace of mind. Clients come to me for my experience, skills, ideas and style.

Talk us through your process from receiving that first enquiry?

I like to have a comprehensive chat on the phone about the project and get as much information as possible. It’s important that there is an initial click of chemistry as it’s such an intimate relationship you’re embarking on and can take up to a year so you need to get along. If a client is verydescriptive it helps me immediately start thinking of ideas so I make lots of notes and gather images to support those ideas.

Who tends to take the lead when you are brainstorming ideas, yourself or the client?

It depends. In the first meeting I ask the client to give me all the ideas they have, their wish list, so I can endeavour to fulfil those requests. They might have magazine tear sheets or a Pinterest account that we can share. After that I tend to lead as I’ve gathered all the information, and incorporated their ideas into the scheme.

Are there any specific ‘must have items’ ‘you find clients are asking for at the moment?

Dressing rooms and bars always come up. It can be worth sacrificing a bedroom or pinching some space from an adjoining room to create a dressing area if you can afford to do so. It really depends on the size of house/ space. Lockdown has effected open plan living for a lot of people so the emphasis is on zoning.

Is there a past project you are most proud of?

I worked on an apartment for a wonderful lady who needed it to be completely accessible. After a life changing accident she needed her new flat refurbished so she could live there alone and unaided. Taking that brief was emotional and a learning experience. There are no white plastic grab rails to be seen. The bathroom is a wet room that can accommodate a chair. Having a colourful, comfortable home transformed this ladies life and was the most rewarding project I’ve ever worked on.