Anna Bly - Director & Head of Interior Design

What made you want to pursue a design career?

I was always creative throughout my school years and I enjoyed it so it made sense to go into a design career. I chose a career path of Interior Design as I was interested in Architecture however interior design seemed a little more creative and technical at the same time so it seemed like a good choice for me.

What do you love most about your job?

That every design project is different which throws up new challenges and design ideas, I love seeing new trends emerge and products and finishes. I work with such a great interior design team here at Pick Everard which certainly makes my job enjoyable as a designer, we have such a great dynamic.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

I find you can pick up inspiration from everywhere and everything you see. Interior design trends normally follow fashion trends so a lot of it comes from here I take a lot of inspiration from Scandinavia and Mid century designs which I would say has influenced my design style over the years.

Name a recent project you’re particularly proud of and why?

I worked on our head office refurbishment recently, this was my first completed project at Pick Everard and the end result looked exactly like how I’d visualised it. This project has really showed the practice and our clients what we can achieve as a creative interior design team and has demonstrated how well we can work together with other disciplines and design consultants.

Are there any new design trends that excite or annoy you?

There are certainly a lot of design trends that annoy me, I’m not one for jumping on the ‘band wagon’ and follow quick trends which a lot of people do especially now the like of Instagram blogs are rife. I don’t believe in quick trends and I’m a firm believer in designing for longevity. Trends that I do like are using natural elements, biophilic design and creating mindful spaces.

Do you have an era that has been particularly influential to you and if so why?

I do like mid-century style and I do try to use influences of this throughout my designs.

What is your top interior advice?

My interior advice would be to try not to follow any quick trends and design for longevity.

What’s one thing that you think people often get wrong about interior design?

People often think its interior design is just about choosing colours and home furnishings which is normally referred to as home styling, our profession sometimes gets confused for this kind of design a lot but Interior Design is more technical and architectural than what people may think, theres a lot more to it that just ‘cushions and curtains’.

Why would you say our clients pick us as their interior design partner?

Our interior design team has a wealth of experience over many sectors and services, we are a design-led thinking team giving our clients creative solutions to their projects.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in interior design?

I would encourage anyone looking into a career of interior design to gain some work experience or work placement during their degree. This will give them an insight into the profession, strengthen their technical/software skills and enhance their CV.