THE JOURNAL
VICTORIA PRESTON
Parsons Green-based designer Victoria Preston set up her business in 2019, having earned her stripes at Todhunter Earle and Alidad. Her elegant, layered interiors have a lovely timeless quality.
Do you have a specific starting point for a project? I will always ask if the client has any existing furniture, art or rugs that they want to incorporate. With these in mind, I like to start with either the walls or the rug, drawing colours from them to form the rest of the scheme.
What’s the thread that runs through every scheme, regardless of the aesthetic? I love designing spaces that look like they have always been there. Not only do I love sourcing antiques I think they are grounding in interiors, and think they look great alongside newer pieces of furniture or art. I also love balancing colour and pattern in every project.
Is there any business advice you wish you’d known when you started out? The life of an entrepreneur can be lonely, so consider having a sparring partner or good network around you to help from the start.
What projects are you working on at the moment? I have just finished working on a beautiful house in Wiltshire. My clients were fun to work with and open to lots of design ideas.
What projects have you got coming up? I am excited about starting work on a house in Fulham.
What’s your latest discovery at the Design Centre? I recently found myself in Watts looking for wallpapers and was reminded how exquisite its designs are. Its scenic and chinoiserie wallpapers can be printed on to a number of different substrates, which gives the design a different quality and texture, so beautiful.
RACHEL ALLEN INTERIORS
Law graduate Rachel Allen learnt her design skills on the job at Jamb, Christie’s, Rita Konig and Robert Kime. Her Hoxton studio of three was set up three years ago and she works on projects in the UK and US.
What projects are you working on at the moment? A family house on Mount Desert Island in Maine. It’s right on the water in an incredibly beautiful and quiet spot.
What’s the thread that runs through every scheme, regardless of the aesthetic? Old things. I couldn’t do a project that didn’t require any antiques.
Is there any business advice you wish you’d known when you started out? I was lucky to learn a lot about the design business from Rita Konig, who is incredibly generous with her advice. You need to learn to value your time – but it’s still a struggle for me.
What projects have you got coming up? There’s a little traditional house in St Kitts on the cards. We’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed.
What project are you most proud of? My boat. I can’t take the credit for my projects because it’s always a team. But my boat was all me, in my mid-twenties and on a shoestring.
What are the details that matter the most to you in your work? All the details are important to me, down to the loo roll holder. But I suppose the bones must be right – the floors, doors and fireplaces.
Describe your style in three words “Looks like Robert Kime”. I hope. I’m not going to pretend to be original.
What’s your latest discovery at the Design Centre? Namay Samay’s chick blinds, via Tissus d'Hélène. They originate from Bengal and surrounding areas, but thanks to designers like Rita Konig and architect Gil Schaffer they’ve become synonymous with a New England look. We’re using them in our project in Maine.
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