Isla McGlade has been working as an Interior Designer at Designed by Woulfe over the last two years. The role has enabled Isla to be involved in a variety of high-end residential projects across the UK and Ireland.
In this exclusive interview, she shares the idea and purpose of this year's VIP lounge at Decorex.
Fast forward to today, and the Decorex VIP Lounge, Le Boudoir, is her next project. The purpose of the VIP lounge is to encourage visitors to dive deep into their discomfort zone, as she explains in our exclusive interview.
Isla: Decorex is a fantastic opportunity for young designers. Firstly, it's a great way to expand your network by connecting with experienced industry professionals and fellow peers. This sense of community is especially valuable for recent graduates going from theory-heavy university studies to the practical design world.
Visiting Decorex also offers a load of inspiration that young designers can bring back to their studios. Exploring the event allows them to see the latest products and designs, as well as meet suppliers and discover new ones face-to-face.
The event isn't just about established brands; it's also a platform for emerging talent to shine. It provides an excellent opportunity for networking with a diverse range of industry professionals and learning how to apply those connections to your own work. [Decorex] is a must-visit for young designers seeking networking opportunities, inspiration, and hands-on industry knowledge. It's an great experience for anyone looking to jumpstart their career in interior design.
Isla: What makes the talks programme so valuable is that these talks feature real, experienced professionals who've been in the game for a while. Hearing their stories in person is way more impactful than just reading about them online.
What I find particularly interesting is when you have a panel of three different designers, each with three unique opinions and three approaches to a subject. It reminds us that there isn't just one right way to do things in the design world. Plus, it's a great way to stay in the loop with emerging trends in interior design.
There is also the interactive aspect. You get to ask questions and connect with these designers live. It's way more engaging, in my opinion. These opportunities can open new doors for designers. Speaking to established pros and fellow peers at these events not only validates your work but also helps you build connections that you continue throughout your career and become, well, a bit more known as time goes on.
Isla: The difference between this trade show and my usual work is commercial vs. residential. In university, my focus was more on commercial spaces, and Decorex takes me back to those roots.
For Decorex, we received a specific brief and had to fill out a space with certain requirements. This includes tasks like rigging the ceiling, which is something entirely new to me. The unique aspect is that we aren't designing for a particular client; instead, we're showcasing our creativity.
My company typically specialises in bespoke designs tailored to each client's unique needs, which we take great pride in. But at Decorex, it's a chance to infuse our own personality into the project, and that's really exciting. We also get to collaborate with various suppliers and designers, some who are more extravagant than your conventional brand.
One aspect I particularly like is working with vintage pieces. This is something we don't often get to do, but for this project, we're partnering with brands that allow us to repurpose and showcase these beautiful yet often overlooked pieces. It's not only creatively fulfilling but also environmentally friendly, as we're giving new life to these treasures.
Isla: Tthe inspiration behind our interior design project, spearheaded by Brian Woulfe, was to break down taboos in the client-interior designer relationship. We aimed to create a space that affirms how clients should openly express their desires without any reservations, emphasising that whatever they want, we can deliver. Our goal was to remove any stigma surrounding personal aspects of life, like someone’s sex life, and incorporate it into the design.
We believe that almost everyone has a sex life, and it shouldn't be a hidden or ignored aspect when designing spaces tailored to them. Whether it's enhancing their sex life or addressing more practical needs like creating storage for adult toys away from kids, we wanted our designs to cater to these aspects of life.
In terms of the actual design, we were determined not to follow conventional paths but to push the boundaries. Our aim was to make a bold statement that truly represented our client, ‘Lady Linbury’. It's an exciting opportunity to create something unique and thought-provoking that people will remember and discuss long after the project is complete, which is our primary goal.
Isla: Designing the VIP lounge came with its share of challenges and rewards. One major hurdle was managing the budget while juggling various design ideas and product choices. Finding designs and products that fit within the budget was tough, but we have managed to make it work.
Another challenge was initially thinking it might be difficult to find suppliers willing to participate in the project due to its unique theme. But, most suppliers were enthusiastic about getting involved, which was nice.
The most rewarding part of this project, I believe, will come to fruition at Decorex itself. Working with different suppliers and seeing everything come together will be the biggest reward. It's also provided an opportunity to showcase how various products from different suppliers can complement each other, something that might not have necessarily occurred before. So being able to facilitate this is great.
Isla: My first experience at Decorex was last year [2022]. What sets it apart from other interior design shows, like the massive Milan Design Week, is its scope. It has so many unique brands, suppliers, artists, and designers. The atmosphere is special, you can meet so many inspiring people and suppliers, making it unlike any other event.
The show is a nice environment, including the immersive experience such as the VIP Lounge and Making Spaces feature. It adds to its charm. It's not just about the size either but the quality of connections and the opportunity to meet suppliers, especially for those who are based in London. So yeah, it has a really good sense of community.
Isla: What we're looking forward to the most is seeing everything come together. It's definitely different to other projects that we've got because with daily design, you can see everything before they start to come together. But because we're working with so many different brands, I guess we won't really see how well they work together until the day.
So we've used a lot of artists work and different pieces of furniture and different sculpture pieces, so seeing them all together, I think will be really special. But in particular, the VIP party is what I'm very excited for because it will allow us to really show off our vision. What we've got planned for the party is really exciting. It will be nice to spend some time in the space as well.
Designed by Woulfe creates bespoke luxury interiors and property procurement for residential and commercial clients in London, Dublin and beyond.
Decorex and Designed by Woulfe have collaborated to create an exquisitely designed space, that effortlessly marries sophistication with a provocative allure, creating an ambiance that tantalises the senses and ignites the imagination.
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