When Suzy Harris decided to embark on a career as an independent interior designer it wasn’t long before her perfect client appeared with her first commission

As design debuts go, this is surely an impressive start to an independent career. Interior designer Suzy Harris only launched her company, Homeology, a few months before she was introduced to the client who invited her to take on a period townhouse in the centre of London. ‘He was the most perfect client, a dream come true,’ says a thrilled Harris. ‘How lucky was I!’

When she came to the project it was a shell, with the entire structure taken down to the bare brick. Sacks Maguire Architects was already working on the project and Harris was asked to fit in with the existing programme. Despite being relatively inexperienced in terms of working with architects, Harris enjoyed working alongside the team: ‘It was really thrilling for me to collaborate with such an experienced and professional team. We liaised on what had already been decided and then they just gave me the plans and let me get to work. I showed Damian Maguire elements of my designs — things I felt were right by feel and by instinct. I would say “I like this better” or “this feels better”, and he would be able to tell me why it might work from a technical point of view. So, for example, I said I thought the bedroom would be better without the door in a certain position, so he said “Why don’t we move it?” He was very complimentary about my work. When I came to work on the project I felt there were only one or two things about the scheme I would have done differently.’

Harris’s previous work demanded a very quick turnaround which didn’t leave much time for deliberating over design issues. For several years she worked for In:Style Direct, a company which specialises in providing landlords with furniture packages for their lets. A quick turnaround was a crucial part of the job and Harris often worked on as many as 25 to 30 projects a year, sometimes providing clients with solutions in less than three weeks.

Harris always knew she wanted her career to go in a more creative direction so she decided to leave In:Style Direct and move out of London. She just had time to compile her portfolio before being introduced to her first prospective client.

One of the more creative aspects of this project was working with lighting designer Craig Jenkins. Harris commissioned a series of lights for the hall from Jenkins, including an impressive pendant sculpture which hangs down through the stairwell for the full depth of the house. Harris met Jenkins on his stand at Decorex in 2010 and found his approach refreshing. ‘Suzy liked what I was doing and chose three designs for this house — curved antique glass lanterns to be placed in the hall, matching wall lights, and the large hanging ellipsoidal light.’ Says Jenkins. ‘I was a bit worried at first as she said the client’s wife wanted something a bit more “bling” and we also had only a very narrow space to work with in the stairwell. But we soon found a great solution, in nickel-brass with an added crystal sphere at the bottom to give the pendant light a bit more glamour.’ All the luminaires were designed in Jenkins’ London studio and made in Italy.

The client was happy to let Harris do most of the work, with one exception. The client’s 10 year-old son came along to one meeting with an eight-page spread of ideas for his bedroom, which were duly considered and implemented. His was a very modern design and he specifically asked for primary yellow to be used; Harris decided to base the room on the paintings of Piet Mondrian and then included some 20th-century classic pieces to complement the scheme.

The client was delighted with the overall result: ‘I gave Suzy an open brief, simply asking for it to look elegant and to provide large beds. Her designs were a very pleasant surprise. Using the house’s Regency facade as inspiration and liaising with our architect and developers, she designed an interior that suited the exterior and delivered a very friendly and original house, filled with beautiful and interesting things down to the smallest detail. For the result we got, the price was very reasonable and the whole project happened almost without a hitch and without any stress for us.’

Harris is now working on a bar project in central London, a boutique hotel in Salisbury and a penthouse apartment that she describes as ‘a little dull. The client was not confident enough to go with one of the new designs I presented. He simply picked out an existing look from my portfolio’. Her career may be taking off but it could be a while before she finds a project to better that of her first commission.

This article was first published in idfx Magazine.