Leoma Harper
“Always start with the practicals and function of the room before the aesthetics.”
INTERVIEW
I would say classic/timeless, though I do also like to mix styles a bit, for example, adding a bit of mid-century into a more classic setting or some antique pieces into a more modern space. My eye is always drawn towards New England, French, and Scandi styles, which influence my style.
It all started when we moved home 10 years ago. We spent 3 months doing up the new home, friends saw what I was doing and asked if I could come and help them with their homes! Before I knew it, I had clients on repeat, so I decided to study for a Diploma in Interior Design to develop my skill set. As a child, I was always doing up my bedroom, moving things around, painting, etc., so I suppose it did start at a young age and was always there.
It started with individual rooms and more recently has progressed to working on entire homes. When complete, these definitely give me a great sense of achievement. I have also won HOUZZ pro for 5 consecutive years now. However, the best sense of achievement is happy clients and wonderful reviews.
I think the key is understanding your client, really focusing on their requirements, and translating this into something beautiful. I always do an in-depth consultation, finding out exactly what clients like/dislike, and I find it really helpful to look around the full house to get a feel of their character. Also, understand the space, light, layout, and best colours to work in it.
I always start with the practicalities and the client’s requirements, formulating a brief, followed by going through colour charts to see what my client gravitates too. I find this helps me understand their character and the mood they are trying to achieve.
favorite pieces from the Philia Collection
I love working on period properties; one of my favourites was a Victorian villa. It needed complete gutting, and a lot of the period features were missing. I loved bringing these features back into this home, bringing it back to its former glory while sympathetically adding a kitchen extension to the kitchen/dining areas.
Choosing the right colour for the walls can be tricky; you want to choose a complementary shade for the natural lighting aspect of the space.
I always advise getting sample pots and painting large patches on the lightest and the darkest walls in the room, rather than just on sheets of paper. This will give you a real feel for the true colour and show how the natural light affects the shade.
Always start with the practicals and function of the room before the aesthetics.
Think beyond trends and more about the client’s taste/lifestyle for a design that lasts.
Be prepared for items to be delayed or out of stock, and have back-ups just in case. This was extremely tricky during the pandemic, so many items were unavailable, and it took a lot longer to complete projects.
I have quite a few near completion, one is a beautiful Georgian house in the countryside, and I can’t wait to complete it. We created and orangery style extension for the dining room and kitchen with a very large pantry, all starting to look beautiful together. A lot of new exciting projects are in the pipeline, too. I have just been designing 5 rooms for a local Victorian villa.
Thank you so much Leoma, for this lovely interview!
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