Episode 3 - Architecture & Interior Design 101

In this episode, Susan and guest architect Nicola discuss the intricate relationship between architecture and interior design, emphasising the importance of collaboration in residential projects. They explore the journey into architecture, the approach to residential projects, and the significance of sustainability in modern design. The discussion also touches on current design trends, common mistakes, and the growing desire for luxurious spaces that reflect personal lifestyles. Additionally, they highlight the importance of incorporating nature and outdoor spaces into architectural designs.

Takeaways
 

•  Nicola's passion for architecture began in school with geography and drawing.
•  The journey to becoming an architect typically takes about seven years.
•  Collaboration between architects and interior designers can enhance project outcomes.
•  Sustainability is a key focus in modern architecture and design.
•  Clients often seek to create luxurious spaces in their homes.
•  Design trends are influenced by lifestyle changes, especially post-COVID.
•  It's essential to consider the functionality of spaces in design.
•  Incorporating nature and outdoor areas can enhance living spaces.
•  Smart home technology should be integrated from the beginning of a project.
•  Understanding client needs and lifestyle is crucial for successful design. 

Contact
 email - contact@allaboutdesign.online
 Instagram - all_about_design_podcast
 
 Novo Interiors - www.novointeriors.co.uk
Insta novointeriors_uk
email - susan@novointeriors.co.uk

Nicola Hopwood - The Little Architecture Company

www.thelittlearchitecturecompany.co.uk

email: nicola.t.hopwood@gmail.com

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Transcript

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Welcome to episode three of All About Design. If you're planning a large-scale project such as a renovation or even a new build then you will want to talk to an architect definitely and our subject today is how interior design and architecture can work together and I'm lucky enough to welcome Nicola from the Little Architecture Company. Which has been running over 10 years 
 In a previous life Nicola worked on large commercial projects such as Team GB's accommodation in the 2012 London Olympics. Nicola's also a previous examiner for the RIBA, not to mention a Mum of three. So welcome Nicola, thank you for joining us. 
 
 So first question, What made you get into architecture? when I was at school. I just loved geography and drawing and maths. Used to like driving around with my... 
 parents and looking at lovely houses and it just suddenly dawned on me that I should be an architect. Didn't quite appreciate how much work that involved. I chose to go to quite an artistic school of architecture in London, College called the Bartlett. Had a whale of a time and then five years later entered practice in London 
 
 I mainly do residential architecture now, so it's all come full circle. I love houses. That's what I've ended up working on, which is great. So you spent about seven years in total training to be an architect. That's right. mean, some courses vary, but if anyone has children thinking of going into architecture, then it's a three year degree, 
 
 And then if you continue, you do a year in practice, then another two year masters. And then you do your professional examinations. 
 
 It might vary from school to school, overall it's probably about seven years. It's even longer than being a doctor, isn't it? about the same. the same as a vet and a doctor. I don't think there's any need for it to be that long. 
 
 When I first started Novo Interiors, you were very kind to refer our first client to us. you remember back in... Oh, well, you're very welcome. Eight years ago, I think, something like I think you always remember that first referral, a friend did it for me 
 
 You say you work on residential projects primarily these days. How as an architect do you approach them? It'd interesting to see how we can work together, but as an architect, clients come to you from the initial get-go, don't they? So as a client, most of my referrals come from either word of mouth, a lot come through school or from previous clients or from my website. And then somebody will generally just phone me up and I'll spend some time talking through the process with them, which is... should we go forward and you're happy with the fee that I've quoted, then I would come and measure your house fully. I like to do the survey myself because I feel I get a better feel for all of the nooks and crannies in the house. Then I go and draw up the survey and I do a number of layout options for each floor level of the house, including furniture. And I think this is a good overlap with yourself Sue. So I like to show furniture and around the furniture. I don't concentrate on the elevational style at the start and I'm quite clear with clients that whilst I have my own preferred style, I don't try and inflict that upon them. It's very much about trying to tease out of them what they like aesthetically. If it's terrible, I do try and steer them away from it. But generally, it's your house, it's either a new house or an extension, it has to be something that you like. encourage them to do something a little bit more exciting and interesting, then even better. So I would give them an options set of drawings, we have one or two meetings and then I go away and draw those options into a more developed design and develop what it looks like, the elevations of the house and then I would submit it for planning permission for them. And then there's other stages but that's really the first stages to get planning permission for your work. 
 
 So, that's similar in that we say, here's a couple of ideas around... your brief is, but here's a wild card. Absolutely the wild card. Because sometimes you can see that that house and they will really benefit from that. and you're not trying to push that on them for any other reason than, actually, I think you'll love it, How often do people go for what you've come up with that they didn't even imagine and think about? Well, I would say lately, 
 
 I think prices have increased significantly so perhaps less so now but certainly over the years I have had some lovely clients who have chosen the wild card and they put all their faith in you One very lovely client who had recently lost his spouse and at start wanted an extension, And I did lots of options and it was such a lovely retro style house that I just spent a little bit of my own time. saying, you could do this. And he said, well, that's what I'm going to do. I think there are ways of doing quite imaginative projects without blowing the budget. think that's quite important that it's about being clever with materials and designing. It doesn't have to be boring at all. 
 
 So one of the main reasons I wanted to speak to you is because I've had quite a few projects recently, larger projects, whole houses, where the interior designer is brought in at the end or when the build is actually even finished. And I've always thought that we could work really well in tandem with an architect. it would be great to see from your point of view if you think that'd be a useful thing as well. 
 I think so and I think absolutely that clients are very much focused on one thing at a time and often aren't thinking about the interiors or the landscaping at the early stages. It's really important that perhaps, both collectively, we should be mentioning this to clients actually. In your case, maybe it's a little bit that perhaps you need an architect to think about some of the spaces, but more so for me to say, you know, actually it's the light in this room and the frame views are really important, but you have to think about how they are dressed as the project completes. And perhaps it would be really good to bring on somebody at this early stage to think about things like that. 

There are obviously wiring, smart wiring in houses now, which to be honest, it's probably even a little bit past me. We learn every day. But it's getting these things right from an early stage, making them seamless. that's exactly my thought. 
 
 Smart home technology is coming in more and more but in terms of being able to say to a client if you're thinking you've got a huge window how are you going to dress that and actually does it need some sort of electric hardwired in to start with because you don't want battery-operated blinds you want to have something 
 that's been thought through. So that's one big example that I see time and again that people have got the solid lintel in, they haven't allowed a pocket for the blind to recess into, there's no wiring and they're like well how am going to dress this huge window and it's like well I wish I could rewind for you but you know when there is no solution other than you're going to have to have a battery operated blind or do it manually 
 
 But what I really like that you said is that you also do the furniture layout for them. I do think it's really important. they're only employing me at that point, then it's really important that they understand how much space you need around a table. You don't want to perhaps... £2,000 a square metre on an extension and actually 30 % of that is wasted as circulation because you haven't thought out how the space is used and to have the backup of yourself to explain how that 
 work best would be absolutely amazing. And things like if they've got, an heirloom or some giant dresser that they've got to have in the kitchen or sofa that I definitely want to bring it's two years old sort of scenario. So Nicola will put a, general sofa and chair and I can come along go, well actually how big is this? How big is that? What's your view? Which you also mentioned vistas, which is so important when you're planning your own home. And if you are going from scratch. 
 
 so many questions to ask, if you are spending a lot of money on something, what are you going to be looking at? What's your line of sight? You know, door openings, where are the radiators going? How big are the windows? these glass corner windows are great. but then they've got no wall space to put anything against. About having wall space, not just for the television is always a key. In the family room is always a key question. It's a bit of a Marmite one because some people are, we don't have a television in the family room. Some people it's all about the television. it's also really lovely to have wall space to hang artwork. 
 
 But radiators you mentioned is another one. You talk about putting underfloor heating in, which is great but it can be difficult to do that with an extension for example matching up an existing floor and an extended floor. So you are back in the realms, into putting radiators. There are some amazing... radiators on the market. But where do they go? How much room space do they take up? Where do you put them to get the best heating effect out of them? So many houses have... 
 especially upstairs in the bedrooms, with half-height radiators underneath the windows. Short curtains are really bit of a no-no in the interior design world. they look like short trousers. But if you draw curtains across the radiator, then you you're losing quite a lot of the heat. So it's thinking maybe with the architect at the get-go, well, perhaps we'll use a column radiator here and then the area under the window is free or you can perhaps do a longer window or a picture window. So those are the big questions. And then actually, I think the initial conversations. 
 will be enough between an architect and interior design to then allow the architect to continue and the interior design to be happy that all the bits and pieces that they want to integrate further down the line have been thought out and then perhaps come together when it actually is on the site and it's being built. I love going to a build with a hard hat and the high vis jacket. It's really exciting to see it come off the page and start to go up and generally, I don't know how you feel, 
 I've seen rooms that are going to be added on to something, think, oh, it looks a bit small. And then once the walls go up, they become huge. And it's really interesting to mark out in real life the client, perhaps cut out some big bits of cardboard, that's where the sofa's gonna go and that's where this is gonna go and that's where the TV's gonna be on the wall and is that big enough? and it's interesting you should say that, Sue, because I would say that... 
 certainly that the most successful projects in my mind and for the client are the ones where they have been brave enough to take me through the whole project. then I've gone on site, I've carried the problems with them, solved those problems into every detail. It does end up in... much more successful project in my mind. So that's not to say you have to commit to employing somebody all the way through a build, but I think it's certainly worth considering. And I think some people aren't even aware that they can take the architect through. I think that's a very good point because well, you become a bit like a friend as well as a project manager or the person who's their contractor. And there's so many tiny details and yet as a designer and as an architect, 
 
 Those are big details for you because the finest things in a design are when it flows properly and if you're on site to catch that there's lots of reasons you know you've got a vision and the architect or the interior designer can walk in and go let's just look at that is that quite right? 
 
 I definitely think it's worth, keeping us on throughout the whole thing, really, where possible. getting us involved from the start. 
 So, what sort of trends are you seeing in 2025? don't think aesthetically. 
 there are that many new trends as such. I think that the market is quite challenging. As we know, costs have increased significantly for materials and for builders and house prices. So often people either are buying a house and have limited means of... improving that house or then they're not able to move. So it's making best use of their finances. And also in some areas such as where we're located, there's a smaller stock of more interesting traditional houses, which is perhaps a lot of people's dream is to have an Edwardian house. there's a lot more. 
 later mid-century houses and actually what people are realizing is you can do some very interesting things to those houses and make them look quite stunning and also improve the sustainability of those houses at the same time. So by rendering them and adding very efficient windows. pushing the aesthetics to one side slightly but you can have a very beautiful aesthetic but also improve the sustainability of the house, which is going to lower your running costs moving forward. So think that's very much at the forefront of a lot of my clients who are considering larger projects and new builds. It's sustainability is probably the key issue. Okay. And as an architect and obviously the RIBA, how do you keep abreast of everything that's going on? 
 
 Well, as a Chartered Architect, you are generally a member of the RIBA and the ARB and you have to carry out a certain number of hours of CPD a year and you have to prove that you're not actually allowed to rejoin each year unless you've proved you've done it. So there are 10 core topics and two of those are sustainability and...health and safety and fire safety following on from Grenfell. There's been a lot of changes, even to domestic projects. So if you're in middle of domestic project as a client, you're probably aware of those extra responsibilities. And it's great because that means you're constantly learning, constantly keeping on top of your game. And you get to see other people's projects and examples. 
 
 and it really enthuses you you see a project and you think, oh that's really clever, look at those materials they've used, look that's beautiful. It really spurs you on, I think we all need to encourage each other don't we? well I think you never stop learning in any industry but interior design and especially the environmental and sustainable approach, there's so many changes and so much happening now. I was reading about some sustainable fabrics, I'm talking more about upholstery fabrics and curtain fabrics but I know obviously you're talking more about the things that go into it the build but they're hand in hand together the whole thing together makes such a difference they're now making fabrics out of waste that's taken out of the ocean. Wow. but you can make fabrics out of pineapple leaves obviously we bamboo we know about you know recycled cottons but cork flooring, cork on the walls it's one of the most sustainable products. 
 out there and it was sort of in the 70s everywhere now it's back it's inherently fire retardant I believe warm acoustics it's a of an architect's favorite you take it off the tree it'll grow back again I think 200 times you can harvest from that tree if you want to so really important but as an interior designer I have to go off and find out 
 things and it's great that you're doing the CPD training to keep on top of your part of things and then that's again where the architect and the interior designer can help each other I think. 

We're talking about trends and fashionable things. Have you seen any things that you steer clients away? I'm thinking design mistakes or things like a couple of my clients have wanted to have the laundry room on the first floor is that something you see or is it think that's a bit of a fad? I think it's always in the States I understand that that's much more of a thing where people have laundry or utility room on the first floor guess it depends on the size of the property. I do really get the laundry chute. I like the idea of my teens and slightly younger, not quite teen, opening a chute and putting the laundry down it. I doubt it would happen. I was going to say, do you think it'd make it to the chute? I doubt it so, but I could use it. it would have benefits. 

It's interesting on utility design because there are parts of the house which are always really important. everybody would love a utility room, just somewhere to hide things really and to keep the clutter away. 

 But where do you put that utility? A lot of people always imagine it as directly access from the kitchen. But actually, if you think about it, you come down the stairs with your clothes, You put the clothes into the washing area, you wash them, you may hopefully hang them in the garden in the summer. then you take them back upstairs. that laundry room could be not necessarily located off the kitchen, 
 
 And when you mention that, it's like a light bulb. You'd say, actually, yes, we don't need that. Yeah, just because it's always been that way. Sometimes we stop seeing the obvious, don't we? Because it's not put in front of our faces. We're like, we have always carried it through five rooms, dropping socks on the way. Just what I do. And I've talked about the trend that everyone had huge windows that went to an apex. Absolutely. you know, and then the front of a house, I always think, well, in the middle of the night, you go down for a glass of water and you're lit up like a rabbit in the headlights. But also if they're in bedrooms, they've become quite an issue to properly dress, especially the ones where you can't even reach them to draw. Then you have to either say, well, I'm going to be able to sleep with light coming in, or you have to employ some sort of expensive system to get blackout. do you try and steer people away or if that's their dream, obviously you work with them? work with them. historically large windows were part of the sustainability approach to a property to use solar gain as part of the sustainable approach to the building. I think unfortunately a lot of people have seen those projects and think, I want a big window on the front of my house and... or one reason or another they are encouraged to incorporate that and perhaps if it's facing in the wrong direction it's not doing a sustainable job it needs to or at worst the specification is poor I've seen houses with very expensive glazed atria windows at the front that have shattered because... goodness. And that's a very expensive mistake. But similarly, unfortunately, because people have realised that their privacy is compromised, they then drape net curtains over them and what a shame. it's been very sensible about how do you... 
 
 How do you think about those things? And also, like you say, you don't want it to be a five minute wonder where it's fashionable for 10 years. 
 
 when you have a designer is is asking them how should we move forward in the example of using timber cladding externally, for example, a of people, it's a beautiful material. I think people are aware that it silvers over time, which some people like, some people don't. You have the opportunity to stain it and retain its coloration. 

 I think to use people's knowledge and skills, to say, how can we make sure this looks beautiful in 10 years time? because it is a commitment. And if it suddenly looks like the whole house needs updating just because you've got your timber at the front has faded that doesn't reflect the house if you did clad it with timber and you're looking for that rustic feel but then you go through the door if the rest of the house doesn't quite marry the styles need to have a flow wherever possible there's nothing wrong with having different styles in one house it's just how you blend them together I guess it's trying to have an overall feel for what you're trying to achieve and the look you're trying to go for between the architect and the designer from the get-go I'll come into a project and I'll see the house from the outside or from drawings it's not yet built and you get a feel for it so hopefully you can integrate that just because it looks nice on someone else's house down the road is that what you really want for the next 10 years? I think it goes back to what you saying earlier Sue, I think perhaps the way I work was to do the design options and I give clients a large number of precedent images of what their house could look like, know, like, crittle doors or large... slimline sliders. But that very much would tie in then what's the aesthetic of the inside of the house, the kitchen. A lot of people are only really interested in the kitchen. And I think having that overlap with yourself early on would be absolutely fantastic. I think even if it's, as say, the initial stages, the interior designer can go off and say, I'll see you in six months. I'll come and poke my head in and have a look at the build as it's going on and happy. 
 speak with the architects again but actually we know where we're heading now. As an interior designer I think places I'm seeing people spend money now is they want that feeling of luxury and we'll talk about COVID again in a minute I know it's sort of done to death in a way but it is important in terms of home design because I think everyone realized actually I'm at home a lot I'm working 
 from home less so now. I think there's more hybrid working going on. But you thought, I'm going to actually surround myself with luxury and I'm going to have a nice kitchen the beautiful marble. the master suite bedroom with an en suite, and kitchens, bathrooms and master suites. I think some of the main parts I see people wanting to spend a bit more money on now. Yes, absolutely. I think the kitchen's very important, worth remembering that not everybody can afford to have the big statement. there are some great ways of achieving that look. In a different way, there's a broad range of providers of kitchens that can achieve that look from dovetailed oak joints. 
 
 Down to, dare I say, an Ikea kitchen, which is tested to death. think they're amazing kitchens. 
 
 I think it's how it's finished, isn't it? so it can be an Ikea kitchen, but perhaps it's the other bits you put in with it. So I would say to somebody who's got sort of slightly less of a budget, absolutely an Ikea kitchen. had one, I used to live in London and I had an Ikea kitchen in there. And after 10 years, it was still fantastic. So it's about the work top. It's about the taps. It's about handles and the splashbacks and the lighting. 

 and obviously some units are better than others, it's about hinges but we're saying you can still achieve the aesthetic Another clever one that I've experienced with clients is where they'll perhaps go to a higher end for the main kitchen and then match it with a more budget range kitchen, almost identical in the utility unit. That's a good idea. By passing through a door into the utility, you really don't notice the difference, but save yourself quite a considerable sum of money. very good indeed. Yeah, I like that. 
 
 So we were just talking about the aesthetics of a house and actually something I've noticed recently is some beautiful details coming onto houses, such as the stone surrounds, stone windows. picking up on details that are on the house next door So it looks like it's sort of always been there, but different sorts of cladding and weatherboard going onto houses that I haven't seen before. Is that something you're seeing much more of? 
 
 Yeah, certainly. mean, the stone surrounds is a really good example. So, and that can be in a slightly more contemporary fashion or slightly more rustic fashion. And it's a really good way of energizing an older property. So I have seen this a lot where people have stripped the facade off, but kept the majority of the house. And then you can render. re-brick the house with a facing brick on and then introduce these beautiful stone surrounds which also have intermediate mullions and then you feed the windows into those stone surrounds it can be a really beautiful thing to do. 

 So it elevates the whole look of that property It does, it's very interesting that you touch on the row of houses, it is a slight issue where one house suddenly becomes very different to the row but I think in time there is a limited supply of houses that's out there so I think people will buy a house on a street and then slowly the street will change. I'm talking about 
 
 about 
 
 70s style houses that aren't particularly pretty. And actually I grew up in a classic 1970s house with floor to ceiling windows in lot of the rooms and not the prettiest architecture. But actually these homes now are being taken and... 
 because of low stock opportunity in catchment areas for schools completely changed and some interesting details put onto them that looks authentic and actually then the houses either side that happens too and suddenly the streetscape has completely changed. Very much so, there's some streets in the area we live in and they're... almost unrecognizable in the last five years, particularly, I think since COVID, people decided to stay put and do an extension or renovate their property because they've realised... so good for you to live in a place you love And spending time and effort and money on your home isn't a frivolous throwaway. And I always have this bugbear that people think an interior designer just faffs around with some cushions. it's much more than that. It's helping with the space planning. we get the architectural layout, then we say, right, how do you live? How's your lifestyle? What do you need to do in this house? 
 and what makes you feel good, what you enjoy, and it's so important that you walk in and go, I it here. You touched on something there Sue, where quite often I have... clients have a very fixed idea that they want to create this additional space to their house. And they will come back and say, we only live in that new room. We love it. Perhaps a discussion with... with yourself early on, so how do you live? It's such an important question. What doesn't work for you? Not just what do you aspire to, but what isn't working for you? What do you find tricky? And quite often I have discussions with families that have young children. It's about the playroom. having had young children myself. 
 
 It's difficult to explain to them that the playroom stage doesn't last very long But those needs do change into having... not a room where you lose the children. go and play on their Xbox or do their homework or have their own privacy So those need to change. How can you design a space that adapts? it's very true. And a lot of the time now. talking to them about the next five or 10 years. So often I'll design a room they've gone through the baby stage when the room was decorated for them. And now it's time for the boy or girl, more often I've done girls' bedrooms lately And I'll always try and get them involved and say, what do you want from this? Obviously, mum and dad will say, this is what we want from it. I'm trying to design for five years from now when you don't want pink. on the walls being stereotypical or you you will need a desk but you'll need a chill out area you'll need x y and z so that's on a more of soft furnishing scale than an architectural scale but i think it's still important they might say well actually i think i'm going to work from home or i've got this hobby i have that i've got nowhere to do it maybe that room could be used for it you know have you got enough storage where can we build that in is a really important thing just to make your life feel less cluttered because that mentally can be pressing in on somebody and feeling like, I've got nowhere to put anything. everywhere's always a mess. Actually, you'll feel much better if we can accommodate that into the new space and then it's accessible when you need it. So that's a big one, I think hobbies and interests, then they are important. They're something that's like, I shouldn't spend money on You really, really should because it's your life. of the reason you're you're here and enjoying your life is because you do your hobbies or your interests or your fitness so needs to be incorporated and thought about 

 So another question I have, nature is a big driving force in interior design for me, from a point of view of an architect, do people consider... if they're lucky enough to have a garden or a terrace area, is that part of what they ask you to incorporate into the design? I would say, if I'm honest, not really. they often think of that as the next stage. Get the house done first. Get it looking beautiful and then it's the garden, 
 
 I try and engage in first of all in a lot of houses that are perhaps mid-century, a lot of houses you come into the hallway and there's no view of the garden, there's a wall in front of you. So one of my key things is trying to open that up so that you get a clear view through to the garden. And I think once clients... are engaged with that view of the garden, they realize actually there is the possibility of planting a tree at the end of that view having a window that frames a view, perhaps it's a flower bed or a beautiful patio area. The other... area that perhaps is becoming more common for me is people asking for green roofs. Okay that's good to hear. Which is really interesting so quite often I will be asked to at least design a green roof and allow for the structure to accommodate the green roof. To the weight of it. The weight of it yes or a sedum roof sometimes they're called brown roofs. 
 
 And quite often, again, they don't get installed in the build because it's one thing to come off the list, but I do see them installed and when they are, it's lovely. And you see them develop over time and you see insects flying in and 
 
 It's great. So I think that's definitely something to consider as well as the garden. Is there an area perhaps it's on a garden building or on the flat roof of an extension that you could encourage nature? So that's lovely to hear. What we always say is put some lighting into the garden so that it's almost an extra room. thinking about, the vista outside coming in, but at night you haven't just got a dark window to look out onto, you can put some lighting in there, suddenly you've got this really interesting space to look at. Do you get asked to look at garden kitchens, outdoor kitchens? Yes and no, so obviously there's specialists that do that, but it's coming a lot into my clients train of thought and it's designed into the larger projects and when they've got the space in the gardens,I think outdoor kitchens. 
 
 I mean, in this country, you almost need one that's got some sort of shelter available somehow, whether it's some retractable roof or... it just needs very careful planning. It's a lovely thing to have, I think, is being mindful that it will probably not be in use for... 45 weeks of the year. We'd hope a little bit more but the likelihood not great deal so it's keeping it looking beautiful. 
 
 Thank you so much for joining us today if you've got any questions at all for Nicola or I then please email to contact@allaboutdesign.online and I will speak to Nicola and hopefully she'll come back in future episodes and answer those questions. 
 because I think when you're doing a build of your own, there's things that will come up that you haven't even thought about, and it's great to have an expert point of view on it, And I'll share Nicola's details, her email address, and the website at the end of the episode as well. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you Sue. See you soon. Thank you.