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Designer Profile: Justine Knox
We sat under an ivy and vine pergola sipping Earl Grey on the first day of summer, while I asked her a number of questions to help define who she is, how she works and what makes her such a successful designer. Justine is a creator, who draws on an assortment of sources that inspire her imagination and her zest for colour. Colour, in fact, is paramount in her work. Her many years’ experience as a consummate scuba diver has broadened her chromatic range to embrace the underwater wealth of tonalities and textures of seas and oceans worldwide. Her signature colour is aqua, and the rich hues of tropical fish, the textures of corals and shells, the capricious shapes of driftwood are forever present in all her projects. On the other hand, Justine the businesswoman is a team player and a team leader, which is not an easy dual role to handle, but she does it well and invests time and effort in ensuring her employees are provided with many personal and career opportunities and that her tradesmen are loyal, committed and professional.
Q- What inspired you to start in interior design?
A – I think I have had a flair for design from an early age and have always appreciated well-decorated interiors. It all really began over 15 years ago; while I worked doing the admin of our building company, I was often asked by clients to help choose tiles, fittings, and then fabrics and colours. I loved doing this, so I decided to hire a replacement admin and to begin training in interior design.
Q – How would you describe your style? Do you have a signature look?
A- My design styles are built around a client’s needs, the emotion they wish to create and the house in question to be decorated. I enjoy working with lots of different styles, as it keeps it interesting and fresh.
Q – Describe yourself in three words.
A- Honest (often bordering on the undiplomatic, but I cannot avoid telling it as I see it!), creative and hard-working.
Q – When starting a new project, where do you go for inspiration?
A- I find that there is always a starting point; for example, the client falls in love with a cushion in the store and this provides the colour scheme and the mood. It could be any object, a tone, a piece of art… otherwise I ask the clients about the emotion they are seeking to evoke.
Q – What do you like the most about being an interior designer?
A - Seeing my clients’ delight at the finished project. I love to please people and it gives me great satisfaction to see that they are happy with the result.
Q – What is your top interior design tip?
A - The first thing you see when you enter your home should fill you with joy.
Q – Why should clients choose you?
A – Because my projects are delivered on time, on budget and fulfil every detail.
Q – Which project has been your favourite so far?
A - I think it would have to be the first project when I was given the keys and carte blanché to get on with a full refurb and design which the clients did not see until completion. It was a huge success …. This has happened several times since, but the first one is indelible.
Q – What would you say has been your biggest challenge in a project to date, and how did you overcome it?
A – The biggest challenge is undoubtedly a tight deadline. I deal with it in conjunction with a team of trades that I have put together over the last 10 years, who I know will pull together and achieve the seemingly impossible when asked to do so.
Ella Fitzgerald once said “Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” I think that therein lies the key to the success of Knox Design as an enterprise and Justine’s success as the vital force at its helm.
