Over a decade of timeless interiors
Canberra guru on classic interiors, Nadine Neilson opened Journey Home Interiors in 2012, recently celebrating their (belated) tenth birthday. Her favourite part of the job is creating spaces that her clients never want to leave. Journey Home Interiors offers seven separate services to suit any client’s needs, ranging from designer-for-a-day to full home makeovers.
What inspired you to start this business?
I have been in the furniture business since 2004. My dad was a builder, my mum was a decorator, so it’s in the blood.
When we moved to Canberra, I left the furniture business and moved into interior design.
What advice do you have for those aspiring to join or advance their careers in your industry?
It’s five per cent artistic expression, 95 per cent hard work.
Also, to just start somewhere, even if it’s in a furniture shop or tile shop or in the sales area. Then they will learn those products and gain industry experience for when they move on.
Don’t hold out for the graduate interior design job – just do something and move from there.
What are some important skills or qualities women require to excel in their careers?
Learn to see where you add value and learn to communicate that value to potential clients – which involves listening to what they are really asking for and adapting your services to those needs.
Listen to the words they’re using like, “I can’t pull it together”. I hear those words constantly. It means they have ideas; they know what they like (or at least what they don’t like), but they might not be confident in committing to things, or they struggle to see the big picture.
What do you see as the most significant trends in your industry?
In the classic genre, warm woods are coming back in fashion. We’re moving away from Hamptons and going back towards traditional: warm rattans, tiny florals, old fashion things done in a really strong way. Maximalism is the key word.
What do clients love about your services?
We have seven different services, ranging from our designer-for-a-day service to a full-service decorating job. Clients love the end result, and not having that to-do list in their head anymore, or they enjoy getting the help they need and being able to take it from there.
To find out more, call Nadine Neilson at Journey Home Interiors on 0401 466 199, email [email protected] or visit journey-home.com.au
