Meet Dr Vanessa Brady OBE

Recently we welcomed influential interior designer, business consultant and founder of the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) Dr Vanessa Brady OBE for a tour of our factories in St Leonards-on-Sea. Highly accomplished and an advocate for fairness and the protection of the creative industries, Vanessa established her first Design Showroom in Marble Arch in 1982 and is the founder of long established Interior Design Services (IDS) in Central London.

A down-to-earth persona coupled with an impressive career, Vanessa’s portfolio includes commercial projects such as Hard Rock Cafe, Kabaret Club through to high security government offices, with private clients including royalty, diplomats and VIPs. In 2014 she collaborated with Sunseeker International on its Predator II yacht.

From studying fashion at Bournemouth in 1976, what made you move into construction and design?

I didn’t want to work in a mean environment and I quickly learned that fashion was very mean! I liked colour, texture and fabric so I crossed over into textile design. On my way to study I passed numerous contractors, in those days they all shouted out! I spoke to one property owner about his choice of colours, he said the builders chose them and invited me in to see their work. He proudly showed me some kitchen cabinets which were fitted on the wall but not into the right angle - there was a gap of approximately 150mm, so I asked why. The builders looked at me as if I was stupid and said, “because there isn’t a batten in the wall over there love!”

It was a lightbulb moment; I’m structured, organised and visionary. I began to work with the construction side of fit-out and was invited to set up a business by two men in Bournemouth who had business interests in London soon after. I suddenly knew what I wanted to do. It was a great opportunity for me to get to London, away from the sleepy misogynist small-town environment I grew up in. I negotiated a flat, a small weekly sum (£50) and 30% of the business that I would help build. After some shouting from them, it was agreed and I got everything I asked for. I remember saying “you can keep 100% of nothing and you’ll still have nothing”. I asked for it to be converted into a contract which was drafted by solicitors, we signed and that was it.

I generate a huge budget for legal fees annually as I learned a) in business, everything begins and ends with contracts and money and b) everyone thinks they know best. I have built a team of law firms around me that advise me on specialist subjects on contract law, finance, Company Law, conveyancing, IP, HR, Employment and more, each have a specialist area of knowledge to cover the areas of business I operate in and some are more qualified than others so I balance out the right firm for the task. I lived in a flat just off the Kings Road and had just bought my first house in Bournemouth at the age of 19 years with a £1k deposit, so I went home at the weekends. It was an amazing opportunity for me.

Steve Moss begins the factory tour, explaining how our plates, including Prism, are manufactured.

Which aspects of design were you drawn to based on your own strengths?

I am pragmatic and good maths management is in my blood, but I didn’t want to do a desk job or join the civil service as was my family’s proposal. I loved blending textures, but in those days, interior design was not really a job, it was not even understood, so I was unusual. I coordinated the builder’s property, so it sold fast and for more money. Very quickly the new company received funds to furnish an investment property and two years later I was given funds to buy houses in Mayfair and Kensington and refurbish them. I later built my own fit-out team and created a turnkey service for the ultimate clientele, but I always remember it started with that gap on the wall and builders deciding on colours and the location of an installation. I thought - I can make this so much better. Who knew it was going to be a lifetime’s work. For me it was a passion.

What was your first project and what were its biggest challenges?

I have never been asked this question before, it was to furnish three two-bedroom flats for rentals. I did not know where to go and buy anything, I had no accounts, or credit, I didn’t know about deliveries and lead times nor did I know about budgets and return on investment. But I chose well, I bought strong bamboo furniture and plain carpet, it was the 80s!! And it lasted and looked great let after let. Word of mouth got around and soon I had a big team. Nobody else was doing it. Investors chose what I had already done and wanted it repeated. Today we would call it a trend. The biggest challenge was sourcing, we didn’t have the internet then (how old am I!!) so finding products and stock was a huge challenge that with social media no longer exists.

Do you have a favourite project to date?

Yes it was a ‘Portofino property’ I’ll just say that.

Founder of the SBID in 2009, what led you to set up this member organisation and subsequently the launch of its International Design Awards to celebrate individuals in the industry?

Vanessa get 'hands on' with some metal plates in production.

Age. I started to think about my exit. And that led me to the Stock Exchange to see how much my company was worth. I saw plenty of construction companies - many fail but they still float - but there wasn’t a single interior design company and that made me think. We were the go-to industry for contractors and investors when the last few properties didn't sell. Designers are asked to ‘stylise’ or dress a property and immediately it sells. I said, if you brought us in at the beginning, we would sell them all faster and at better prices for you. We might influence the relocation of a doorframe to enable a better position for furniture within rooms. They listened. I also did want to pass on my knowledge, and I didn’t want to write a coffee table book - it seemed to me that it was the only thing designers did other than sell their homes and move out of London as they could not afford to live in London.

I decided that I would hand over the knowledge that my generation had created and in turn we might learn from the new generation of emerging trained talent from a profession that was now included on the budget line of every construction investment – Interior Design had arrived. I felt I could make a difference and give back some of what I had gained in a different era. I thought that it would take about a year to set up and then I would hand it over. OMG I walked into the biggest and most bitter war for daring to enter the ring where others felt they had ownership. Never being one to back away from a fight or a threat, I continued. I knocked out every competitor one by one. I didn’t do it alone, I surrounded myself with an amazing team, the best professionals and I sucked up all that was dished out to me in a most vicious smear campaign and personal spat I’d ever known of.

Steve Moss explains how designers special orders are managed.

What is the future of interior design and its place in construction?

Without one - the other cannot be as good as it can be. There is a newfound respect because designers have learned how to cover their backs and communicate with documents and sign-off for each and every approval. Building regulations dictate how things must be installed, budgets and longevity create price points and qualities. Design practices have become structured in their delivery, process and instructions to trades, also we have BIM as well as methods for sourcing materials. It’s now amazing and a huge industry worth over £100B p.a. - and finally it is a highly regarded profession. An investor would not consider a project without a key lead design team. More magazines are sold for interior design than any other subject… Just think about that!

When visiting our factories and speaking with our employees you were struck not only by the high morale and staff longevity, but the sustainability built into manufacturing processes and materials. Which area of the electrical accessories manufacturing journey did you find of most interest?

I found all of it so interesting, from the cutting of the metal to the age of some of the machines. I was in awe of the craftsman who made parts from other older machines to keep the operating machines working - how they make and adapt things when they don’t exist, even though it’s not their job, it’s just an added interest in the company to succeed. Everyone belonged and seemed encouraged to try something different. It seemed that almost everyone through the entire business supply chain had found a solution to a problem when there wasn’t an off the shelf solution available.

You viewed Prism in manufacture, a product you’ve specified for your own projects. How important would you say it is for designers to see and feel product components up close?

Vanessa learns how the Prism edges are flame polished.

I have used Prism for many years in my projects and in my own house. Damian, who makes the covers, told me how he was personally not satisfied with the way the machines finished the edges so he devised a solution and showed me how he created a piece of machinery. I have just fitted several of them and I can’t stop thinking about the care into detail that is created at the workshops, and how everyone seems to be a relation or husband of another employee. It truly is a warm and protected environment where everyone is cared for and cares for each other.

How influential is the broader topic of sustainable construction on decision making when it comes to sourcing materials for interiors?

It is now a real decision and consideration and not a box tick which many years ago it really was. We live in this world for a short time and when we lose a loved one, we are more aware of how fragile human beings and living things like our animals and plants are. I don’t think there has ever been a time when people cared more and are as aware of the damage we do to the planet by the way we live as they are now from the impact their decisions have on the planet, particularly the wellbeing of the next generation.

Does this limit choice or open new exciting opportunities?

I think that every action creates a reaction - it should spark a thought, that creates an idea, that builds to a solution that improves lives - it doesn’t have to be that difficult, but often greed gets in the way and people push and shove their way to wealth over quality. The new luxury is experiences and longevity. I think awareness of sustainability has driven innovation and created opportunities to do things better and more thoughtfully.

Appointed an OBE in 2013 in recognition of your services to the interior design industry and the UK economy, what would your advice be to young designers just starting out?

The finished product - Prism by Focus SB

Conscience. Whatever you do, be kind, have a conscience, it's your best guide. Think about the consequences of your actions and that will always be your best guide to a great design. I am just selling a flat I did as a seaside home 25 years ago - yes, the light switches need upgrading and the kitchen cabinets are dated but not ‘old’, the rest of the flat is timeless and could have been completed last month. I like classic design, so it is comfortable, not a ‘show-off’ environment. That is truly sustainable, and we see that in clothes (coming round full circle here). Peter Jones has a vintage jewellery department, Selfridges has a ‘pre-loved’ clothing department - who knew that such stores would be selling what we used to call ‘second-hand’ or ‘jumble’ and they do it with respect for the craft. I think that’s a great formula on how to live a life, respectful, caring and cared for. Money comes and goes and is there to make our lives more comfortable. It is a by-product for me of doing things properly. It’s not my driver.

Tell us about your favourite spare time activity.

I like walking and I love people watching - visiting new cities, travelling and critiquing fabulous hotels when I should be relaxing in one! I also love cleaning - I do it when I am stressed with overwork - I cannot abide poor workmanship, dirt, untidiness or bad manners, other than that I’m very easy-going and a bit of a petrol head, I love cars and a drive into the countryside is always a great day out for me.

Visit Interior Design Services Ltd (IDS), The Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) and SBID International Design Awards.

View our 2024 SBID award-winning design collaboration with Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard on the stylish Focus SB Ambassador Wall Light.