In Your Shoes - Eleanor Howe

I've been an interior designer for over 25 years, with 18 of those in commercial and hospitality design. I love creating spaces that nurture the people who use them and environments that help a business thrive. Working alongside our talented team of architects, designers and technologists every week brings unique challenges and opportunities as we shape spaces that inspire and endure. So, what's it really like to work as a commercial interior designer? Here's a recent week in my life.

Monday

The week began with an early train to Edinburgh alongside our Graduate Interior Designer, Amy Morris. We met with a client to discuss an exciting new venture - the transformation of two listed Georgian townhouses in Edinburgh's prestigious New Town. The day involved detailed dimensional surveys and extensive photo documentation, laying the groundwork for what promises to be a remarkable preservation and adaptation project.

Tuesday

Back in the Dundee studio, the day was dedicated to collaborative work with our project teams. Alexander Stewart, one of our Architectural Technologists, worked on some of the technical aspects of our Newcastle development, while Amy and I refined our initial concepts for the Edinburgh project. These studio days are so important for maintaining project momentum and ensuring our designs are meeting project requirements.

Wednesday

This was my big travel day, going first to Edinburgh to meet up with one of our architects Jon Ascroft so we could get the train to Newcastle. From the station it was a short walk to Bank Street where we met our clients in their co-working space. We had the chance to meet the wider project team on the client side and do a site walk-through of their (soon to be) new premises. We spent four hours onsite and then enjoyed coffee and lunch with the team. These in-person opportunities are so valuable to a project, giving us onsite perspective and connecting us with the project team.

Thursday

The morning began with a productive meeting with a local tile supplier in the Dundee studio, followed by a furniture update session with Julie Carson from Joint Design Directive. I ended the day in Aberdeen at Peterson's office opening, where I had the pleasure of catching up with the team and celebrating their milestone. Peterson recently consolidated their office and moved into a single floor in Marischal Square for which we did the interior design, and it was great to see the team interacting with their new space.

Friday

I finished my week with focused studio time in Dundee, coordinating with our teams across Edinburgh through resource planning calls. This quieter day allowed for reflection on the week's developments and strategic planning for upcoming projects. Not all weeks are this busy with travel, but the client connections make the extra miles worth it.