I’m Passionate about Creating the Wow-Factor

London designer Nick Sunderland

Formerly the director of ad agency Young & Rubicam, Nick Sunderland’s career took on a new direction when he redesigned their offices in Camden. He loved it so much, he retrained as an interior designer.

Since then, he’s worked with the likes of Kate Moss and Benazir Bhutto. He regularly speaks at Grand Designs Live and is creative director at www.nsinteriors.com.

Here, Nick talks about creating space, home automation and the perils of being ‘on-trend’.

TV Has Inspired a Generation

Interest in interior design has grown dramatically over the last five to 10 years. British property owners are getting creative with their interiors and according to Nick, TV has been a huge influence.

“The biggest change has been the sheer interest in interior design, and I put that down to both good and bad TV programmes. They’ve made people realise that with very little money, they can transform their homes. So that’s generated a lot of interest.

“TV programmes have really inspired people to do something with their home and not put up with the standard fixtures and fittings. It’s made people think about it. Even if they don’t fully know how to do it, people are making the effort to try and improve their homes. I think these TV programmes have inspired a generation to think design.”

I Love Creating Space

One of Nick’s biggest challenges is when trying to work his magic on a small, cramped space. But transforming awkward interiors is what makes interior design so rewarding, he says.

“I love creating space in awkward situations. Most people have very cramped or awkward homes they don’t know how to deal with. One of my great passions is to create a wow-factor so when people walk in, it’s not the case of walking through a hallway and going into a room and then into another room. It’s about opening up the space so they feel immediately when they walk in that they’ve got a very large home – even if it’s a one-bedroom apartment.”

In this pad in Hammersmith, Nick uses open plan design and integrated storage to increase the feeling of space.

Nick uses a few tricks of the trade to create the illusion of more space.

“We work with what we have. It might be a case of building in storage so lots of things can be hidden away and the floor is clutter free and clear. Or perhaps creating a seamless floor covering right the way through the apartment. If you’ve got wooden floors, carpets, and then a tiled floor, it breaks up the whole space. I like to have a seamless transition with the flooring right the way through.”

Play a Blinder with Blinds

Bay windows are often a desirable feature, but they can be difficult to dress. Nick offers his tips on how to make the most of them.

“Bay windows are always tricky. If it’s a big enough bay, you can have rails made to fit. But if it’s a small one I would rather have the curtains either side of the bay itself and put sheers actually at the window so the bay looks bigger than it is.”

A cleverly dressed bay window, large mirror and white walls bounce plenty of light around the room.

He likes to use curtains – but when space is an issue, blinds can help to open up the room.

“Personally I have a preference for curtains because I think they really do make a room look stunning. But some rooms can’t really take curtains because they’re too small. A blind gives you that greater feeling of space,” he adds.

Keeping up with Fashion Can be Costly

Nick likes to keep his designs modern and fresh – but that doesn’t mean being a slave to fashion.

This bathroom uses high quality materials for a look that will last for years.

“If you’re designing your own home or decorating, the one thing to avoid is a trend, because trends come and go. If this particular year, lime green is the colour everyone is going for, don’t go around painting your walls lime green.

“Use the colour trend as an accent. You can put a few cushions, a few throws, and little things like that around. Maybe buy a couple of vases, so you’ve got that colour in your home. When you get tired of it, you can very cheaply and easily change it.”

Technology is Set to Take Over

Avoiding trends is one way to future-proof your home. Embracing technology is another, and these days people are using home automation to make their lives easier.

“We do a lot of properties with home automation. People expect to be able to use their iPhones or tablets to run their home. As people are made aware of it, they want to start introducing it. Sometimes it’s the whole house where we’ve done everything – the blinds, the TV, the lighting. Or it could just be remotely turning your lights on and off.

“If we’re doing a full development and rewiring, we always put Cat5 wiring in throughout the property so they can use home automation later on. Then they don’t have to start destroying their home to put the wiring in. We always think ahead and encourage it.”

Home automation is no longer resigned to sci-fi movies. According to Nick, it's the way forward – and with it becoming more affordable, households will be using technology more than ever.

“It’s not a gimmick – it’s the way things are going. It’s so much cheaper now than it used to be.”

This interview was produced by The Curtain Pole and Track Company, whose curtain poles and accessories help bring a little more style to homes across the UK. Check back for more interviews with leading interior designers or call 01494 535699 for advice on how to dress your windows.