A chat with an Interior Designer: Natalie Holden

I'm so excited to be sharing this today - an interview with Amara-nominated blogger and interior designer Natalie Holden of Natalie Holden Interiors! Natalie has some fab tips for anyone wanting to make a move into the interior design or blogging world, or if you're simply looking for some styling advice to apply to your own home. She's also shared some pictures of her recent projects - those mismatched drawers!!

"Interior design isn't just about making spaces look nice with cushions and flowers; there's a lot more to it than that to ensure the interior is functional, practical and within budget." 

Show apartment interior styling by Natalie Holden, furniture by Furnish That Room

Tell us a bit about yourself and your business 
My name is Natalie and I was born in Malaysia, however I grew up and live in Liverpool. I'm an interior designer specialising in residential interior design and I also have a blog where I love to write about my passions and inspirations. I often write about anything to do with art, interior design, architecture and travel!

Where did your interest in interior design start?
My creativity began from a very early age and I loved drawing and making things as a child. Art was my favourite subject so it made sense to pursue a career within a creative sector. With interior design, I loved the idea of combining my creative skills with analytical problem solving. Interior design isn't just about making spaces look nice with cushions and flowers; there's a lot more to it than that to ensure the interior is functional, practical and within budget.

Upcycling and interior design by Natalie Holden

How would you describe your own personal style? 
I'd describe my style as an eclectic mix of old and new and I love creating contrast in a room with varied textures, different sized objects and pops of colour. I don't really follow trends and I often incorporate items found on my travels into my home decor.


What’s your ultimate career aim?
I hope to develop my reputation and create a signature brand like Abigail Ahern and Kelly Hoppen have done. I'd also love to design my own homeware collection one day with a range of vases, ornaments, cushions and art. There are so many things I want to do and I often have some crazy ideas; I don't know how I'd find the time to do everything!


What advice would you give to anyone struggling with styling a room and not sure where to start?
A well styled room is all about balance. To create balance it's good to contrast textures, colours and play with scale. It also works well to style things in three's, and if you are using three different objects next to each other, vary the height of those objects that are placed near each other. The key is to experiment; it's about trial and error. You can move things around to different places until it feels right and if you buy products that don't look quite right you can always return them.

Show apartment Interior Design by Natalie Holden, furniture by Furnish That Room

Where do you find inspiration? 
I love to travel and explore new places that I've never seen before. It's quite liberating not to plan your trip, have a spontaneous wander and leave things to chance without being influenced by what google or social media are telling you to visit. You often come across things that you would never have found otherwise. I have just returned from Berlin and did just that. I discovered the most amazing furniture shop and spent ages taking photos for inspiration!

"It also works well to style things in three's, and if you are using three different objects next to each other, vary the height of those objects that are placed near each other."

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to go into the interior design world?
I'd recommend that you gain some work experience within an interior design company alongside your studies because it can be a very competitive job market. Also visit as many design events as you can to find out about the latest products on the market. Networking events are also key in this industry to get yourself known. The majority of my recent projects have stemmed from networking. 


What made you want to start blogging?
I was invited to a blog workshop almost six years ago by a media agency. They were teaching people how to monetise a website and at the time I had a very simple website just showing my portfolio. I'd always wanted to start a blog but never had the courage to create one and the idea of sharing my thoughts publicly scared me! After the workshop I decided to give it a shot and I've loved the whole journey!

Interior Design by Natalie Holden. Photography by Stephanie Fawcett

Is there anything you’d do differently if you were starting a blog today? 
I'd have invested in a decent camera at the very beginning if I was to start my blog again. I look back at some of my first posts and they are quite shocking! It's amazing how good quality imagery can improve the overall look and readership of each blog post.


What’s been your proudest achievement so far with your business/blog? 
Last year my blog was 1 of 60 blogs shortlisted in the Amara Interior Blog Awards out of 800 nominated blogs from around the world. Even though I didn't win I was so happy to have achieved that!


How do you balance your business and blogging? Do you feel that one takes priority over the other? 
It can be a challenge to keep on top of the blog especially when I'm juggling so many different things. I try to blog once a week to keep some consistency but sometimes that's not always possible if I'm away or working on projects. Design projects will always take priority over my blog if I have a deadline.

Show apartment interior styling by Natalie Holden, furniture by Furnish That Room

What part do you think blogging plays in interior design nowadays? Do you think it’s making the industry more accessible to the everyday person? 
I think blogging in the interior design sector is great because it allows the every day person to discover so many new products and find advice and inspiration from other people. So many people are sharing their home projects online and it's really interesting to read about real life experiences and the challenges people face along the way. There are so many friendly and supportive people in the interior blogging community and it's great to be part of it.


What fab advice! Thanks so much Natalie for chatting with me, and I hope you found her tips helpful! You can have a read of her award-nominated brilliant blog here, and make sure to give her a follow on Instagram & Twitter too.

Thanks for reading,
Sam Xx