Hazel Lightbody
Interior Designer [Edinburgh]
Expert Touch Ltd
Why Interiors?
My passion for interior design comes from how my brain works I think! I see the world as a series of shapes and I LOVE rearranging those shapes to create optimal spaces – weird right?! But whereas looking at old, tired interiors makes most people feel tired and old, they give me a TOTAL BUZZ – it’s a blank canvas for joy! I also just can’t get enough colour in my life, if anything sparks joy for me it’s pushing the boundaries with colour *but* the satisfying part is getting it spot on – anyone can throw up a rainbow in a room, but the artistry of creating harmonious schemes that people want to spend time in is just the best feeling in the world for me. Watching my friends and family enjoy the spaces I create is my happiest place, and having over
1,000 complete strangers now following along with my adventures online has lit an even bigger fire under me
to keep experimenting!
What is your style?
I’d describe my style as “eclectic” - I don’t mind a bit of clash but I’m generally going for rich, textured, layered designs that draw people in and make them want to stay and explore. I specialise in high-end refinished furniture, I make my own stencils, I can mount and frame artwork (from scratch), and make piped cushions, tie-backs, curtains – you name it! I have an eye for creating luxury looks on a budget, and the bargains I’ve found on Marketplace would make your Granny weep! Through pure necessity I've learnt to stage like a Boss, and love pulling together all those finishing touches to give my interiors that WOW factor.
Your Business Journey
I’m entirely self-taught when it comes to interior design, but my furniture refinishing business was born out of Covid - in January 2020, when coronavirus wasn't even a whisper in our lives, I had booked a 1:1 weekend course after seeing my first ever piece of professionally refinished furniture and thinking "I've got an old sideboard, let's see what I can do with it". It was never meant to be anything more than that, as my husband and I had just had an offer accepted on a hotel in the Highlands and were supposed to be taking it over in September. Then the world fell apart, we'd sold one business but thankfully weren't committed to taking over the new hotel (phew - bankruptcy avoided!) so we were left jobless, having just moved back to Edinburgh from the Isle of Arran, and our future plans went up in smoke overnight. But we're pretty good at pivoting! So I decided to try and do a couple of wee pieces of furniture, maybe see if I could sell them. I did a little rotating card table, a chest of drawers and a coffee table, posted them online and was blown away when they were snapped up within days! I've never looked back since then, and now have a waiting list - it's honestly the most flattering thing that's ever happened to me, that people are drawn to my own unique style and choose to bring a bit of *me* into their homes, it makes my heart so glad!
The fact that Covid forced me to think on my feet and start this entirely new business from nothing, doing something I didn’t even know was a “thing” 18 months ago, and for it to have taken off like a rocket is, frankly, blowing my tiny mind! It’s been a rollercoaster for my mental health since Covid began but what’s kept me level is sitting back and looking at what my life is today, which is something I couldn’t have imagined in a million years, and realising that everything works out for a reason. It’s really boosted my confidence to just go for it with my interiors and have a 100% “what’s-the-worst-that-can-happen" attitude in all things!
What do your clients say about you?
I think what my clients appreciate is the personal touch - every piece I create is totally unique, and designed exclusively for *them*, their home, and the way *they* live. What they give me in return is the greatest thing you can give an artist: creative freedom. Once we've chosen the perfect colours and we get down to discussing the actual design, the majority of my clients say to me "you know what, just go for it!" That they feel so confident in my creative abilities and trust me to design a piece they'll treasure is just the best feeling in the world.
Why did you choose
KRAYA Photography?
I decided to have KRAYA come in to take professional photos of our renovation for a few reasons - firstly, because I finally had the confidence to try something mad: applying for Interior Design Masters on BBC! Will I get on? Who the heck knows, but I knew I wanted to give my application the very best chance at success, and that meant having those killer shots, hi-res photos with proper lighting. I knew they'd serve more than just that purpose though which made it a worthwhile investment - the idea of refinished furniture is still quite abstract to people, especially when they see single pieces in their feed: when I finish a piece I move it into the "staging bay" in my studio, add some props and take good photos to show the overall look and the finer details. But while that's great for instagram it doesn't necessarily help potential clients visualise that type of furniture in their home. I've spoken to a few friends who LOVE what I do but just couldn't imagine what one of my pieces would look like in *their* home - would it look a bit much? So in pulling together the renovation of our own home, I thought it would be a great opportunity to show my audience what a real room actually looks and feels like when you incorporate a few key pieces of bespoke furniture. They *should* work harmoniously in the overall scheme, and I think the photos that KRAYA have taken show that off perfectly. The last reason for hiring a professional was I just couldn't get my head around how to photograph the enormous floor-to-ceiling installation I'd just finished creating up our stairwell! I can't wait to show my mother-in-law THAT creation! KRAYA did such an amazing job, and was a real pleasure to have in our home. I was seriously blown away when they sent my gallery through, it looked like a Homes & Gardens spread ready to go!
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