Arabian Homes caught up with Sue Henson from Summit Interior Design, Bahrain’s specialists in designing workplace spaces, hospitality projects and multi-residential developments.

 

Can you tell us a little bit more about your company?

We grew through a need to offer good interior design of western standards, locally. Clients who were looking for high quality design had to pay exorbitant consultancy fees to branded companies – usually outside of Bahrain.

We also felt there was a gap in the market to offer design and specialist furniture procurement. Our strength as a company is that we have the expertise to offer our clients furniture from our European manufacturing partners, at the same rates as the South Asian counterparts. I am extremely proud of our portfolio and we are getting noticed.

How did you get started with interior design?

Before completing my degree in Interior Architecture, I was a regional fashion retail merchandiser in the UK for Topshop, travelling around the country installing seasonal window displays. I used to build the backdrops for the mannequins and loved the 3Dimenionality of it all. When I decided to go to University, it just seemed natural to study interiors.

When did you gain your first client?

After graduating I worked for large international companies in the UK and then in Bahrain before establishing SID. My first independent client was Ramee International – the project was the Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa in Seef, and I will always be appreciative that they gave us our first foot on the ladder.

What kind of projects are you willing to take on or do you prefer?

Our projects are hotels, restaurants, multi residential and workplace. We tend to refer private residential projects onto recommended local designers.

What is your goal when taking up a project?

First and foremost a delighted client, because they usually have positive feedback from the end user. Also a client that feels they have had good value for money.

How much input do you usually get from the owner?

I suppose it depends on what kind of project it is. If it is an office or workspace then usually it is a collaborative effort with the client from beginning to end. This is because the space has to work in a very particular way, and there are a lot more technicalities involved, whereas in a restaurant or nightclub, the client gives the brief and then tends to leave the designer to their own creativity.

How would you describe your approach to design?

It is about creating an interior that answers the brief in the simplest and most elegant way.

In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of being an interior architect?

Design is very subjective and designers get very precious about their work, but I think it is about having to understand that your way to a good design is not necessarily the best way. It is also about being decisive, listening to your own instincts and resisting the urge to test every option in order to confirm that your first idea was your best idea…..it saves time and money.

How do you get to know your clients’ tastes?

For this reason we stick to commercial design, it is very direct. For example, when you design a hotel or corporate office you are given a clear brief, a budget and deadline. The client does not
provide you with their personal tastes (unless it is the CEO or MD office), they just want an elegant design in a certain style that is going to meet the budget. The clients’ decisions are made on a business level because they themselves usually have superiors to answer to.

What are some of the common decorating mistakes people do?

They think more is more, especially in this region and unfortunately a lot of interior design is over-designed and under researched (thanks to Pinterest).

What project are you most proud of internationally and locally?

The Rib Room and Agency Bar in Jumeirah Emirates Towers (JET), Dubai. – Actually it won Construction Weekly’s Best Renovation Dubai 2011. I am also proud of the guest room refurbishment in the JET Hotel too, as the beds were arranged at an angle with the office space on a raised platform behind. It was very creative and quite ambitious from the client’s point. The feedback from the
operator was really positive and it just goes to show…..there is no such thing as a good designer – it is a good client.

Who has been the biggest influence in your work to date?

I am lucky to have worked with some of the most creative people in the business. Past peers who have been older, wiser and more creative than anyone I have ever met since. However, if you need me to name contemporaries who are inspirational, then; Yabu Pushelberg, Tony Chi, Joyce Wang, Kelly Wearstler and the list goes on.

Any tips for our readers?

Keep it simple, and there should always be a concept to tie your scheme together. For example, in a residential space, choose a feature item in your room as a starting point for your design, and develop your scheme around that. Your finishes and furnishings can be linked by shape, colour or texture, but there should definitely be a link. The basic colour palette should not be more than three colours and remember to create focal points.

What do you predict will be the trend in 2016?

More of the same. Interior design has always reflected the state of the economy the same way that fashion does. The current global economic situation has created the recycled, reclaimed and urban style that everyone seems to love at the moment. It will be here for a while as it reflects the austerity measures that clients and designers alike have had to make because of their tight budgets.

When you think of the late 80s for example, Laura Ashley and Ralph Lauren style furnishings were all the fashion. The interiors were full of overstuffed sofas, lots of heavy drapery and so many accessories, that you could not turn around for fear of knocking something over. It seemed the world had lots of money and it showed. So, for a while, in commercial interiors at least, the trend will continue for finishes such as concrete floors, brick or simple painted walls in block colours and graphic wallpaper, exposed ceilings, and vintage style furniture. However as far as colour goes… my prediction is less monochrome and more pastels.