What does an interior designer do?

I’m often asked “What does an interior designer do?”  At Gemma Dudgeon Interiors we are home makers, but that means something different for every client we work with.

I would say that our core skill is defining what “home” means for each individual.

When working with families and couples it can be a challenging process to prioritise how to use the available space and find an aesthetic that works for all parties involved.  Supporting you in that process is what we at GDI find the most rewarding.

So what does an interior designer do to make every house a home which the owners all love? We spend valuable time really getting to know our clients. This way we can deliver what is important to them and what brings them joy in their home

How I became an interior designer

As my father was in the RAF we moved house a lot when we were growing up – my parents moved 18 times in their first 25 years of marriage.  I went to boarding school young and moved dormitories every term.  For as long as I can remember I felt a strong need to customise & differentiate my space as soon as I arrived somewhere new.

That is still true today – on holiday or when staying with friends the first thing I do is unpack and personalise the room I am staying in with things that make me feel at home. My creative energy seems to find its way into spatial design and home making, wherever I am in the world. When working with other people, it fascinates me how differently each person wants to define their corner of the world and how wildly priorities can vary.

How to make a house a home

So to answer the question ‘What does an interior designer do?”; in addition to being home makers we are also problem solvers. 

One client I work with required 77m of bookshelves.   Another dreamed of a room dedicated to prayer.  In one property we ensured that every fabric we used could withstand the attentions of an enthusiastic German shepherd.

You can see some of the elegant, efficient solutions we came up with in our portfolio.  I am really proud of our attention to detail – it is what characterises Gemma Dudgeon Interiors.

Within my practice I am also constantly focussed on being of service – I never use a client’s project to indulge my designer’s ego.  Our client’s homes are entirely unique to them and not a reproduction of a designers signature style.  At the end of a project we really want you to feel that every penny you have spent has contributed towards your vision of home. 

In my own home recently I have spent every spare moment decluttering, organising, re-arranging and decorating to ensure every inch of space available is working as hard as it possibly can to meet our varied needs.  Does that sound like something you need help with?

Now, more than ever, your home is so incredibly important.  It may need to be a place of work, nourishment, refuge and entertainment… If there is one thing that we have been consistently complimented on at GDI it is our ability to really get clear on what each home needs to do for our clients.  Both practically and aesthetically, our process ensures clients a home that works for them.

Tell us about your home

We have been fortunate enough to work on projects with very generous interiors budgets. We have also enjoyed providing support to clients who are trying to create a home they love with limited resources.

If you are struggling with the contradictions and conflicts of planning your home and want someone to untangle them with a caring, collaborative and creative response, we’d love to help you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch

“Gemma has transformed my house into something extremely special to me. She was superb in the initial stages of the project at teasing out of me what I really wanted my home to be like, whilst contributing a myriad of ideas of her own.”