LMY08 Ribby Hall_Interior Designer.qxd - Ribby Hall Village

Fromlab toliving roomAbove: Cream was usedin the living room tomatch the furnitureChemistry student Vicky Lonsdale decidedinterior design was the perfect mix for a newcareer. Amanda Griffiths reportsPHOTOGRAPHY BY KIRSTY THOMPSONVicky Lonsdale is forging acareer as an interiordesigner thanks, bystrange twist of fate, to achemistry degree.It’s not the usual path for someoneintending to go into a world of flair andfurnishings but it’s one she decided tofollow when friends at university inManchester asked her to give theirrooms a make-over.‘I loved getting bits and pieces fromManchester markets and then theybegan saying they thought I was reallyquite good at it,’ says 30-year-old Vicky.‘I never really knew what I wanted todo when I was at school. Although Ihad a creative flair I wasn’t good at art.I ended up going down the science and00 LANCASHIRE LIFE May 2010 lancashire.greatbritishlife.co.uk

❝I wanted to keep thecharacter but make itquirky and different❞The formal dining room isVicky’s favourite room with thebeautiful showpiece chandelierVicky wanted to make at least one ofthe bedrooms a girlie retreat, thispink twin room does the trickVictoria Lonsdalemaths route. I don’t regret it, but Ialways knew it wasn’t right for me.’From re-designing students’bedrooms, Preston-born Vicky hasprogressed to having an integral roleredesigning and refurbishing theholiday cottages at Ribby Hall Villagein Wrea Green as well as their newlyacquiredWhite House. This Georgianproperty sleeps 14 and it is hired byanyone from celebrities and footballersto families enjoying a break.‘I’m really very lucky,’ she says. ‘I’vegot no formal qualifications in interiordesign. I just walk into a room andknow what to do with it. I guess I havean instinct for it. I obviously do someresearch to make sure that my feelingsare correct, especially when you’relooking at something like the WhiteHouse. I wanted to be sympathetic to itsGeorgian heritage but give it a moderntouch too.‘The Georgians were really big onwallpaper, so I used that but as a featurewall rather than on all four. Not onlydoes that give it a modern air but it’salso cheaper and easier to replace.‘I’ve used Georgian colours wherepossible, particularly the greens andduck egg blues, but I also wanted to addsome bolder colours. Apparently, inGeorgian times the bolder the coloursyou used, the more affluent you were.Here I added splashes to give the “wow”factor.‘I felt it important to give each room adifferent personality. I wanted there tobe at least one that people would walkinto and love. I wanted to keep thecharacter but make it quirky anddifferent.‘The formal dining room is myfavourite, probably because one of myfavourite colours is teal. I think it’s alsothe one room I’ve had the most positivecomments about.‘I try to use one eye-catching pieceand mix budget items with it. You ➢lancashire.greatbritishlife.co.uk LANCASHIRE LIFE May 2010 00

The masterbedroom inmuted creamsand goldsdon’t have to spend a lot of money toget the right look. In the dining roomthe chandelier has that “wow” effect,but the black tables are only from Ikea.’Vicky has also used mirrors to thebest effect to bring light into the house.Originally employed in the marketingdepartment at Ribby Hall, Vicky soonbecame involved in the refurbishments,not only because of her love for interiordesign but also thanks to her previousexperience at Burnley-based WilmanInteriors, which make and designgorgeous fabrics, wallpaper, furnitureand soft furnishings and now uses a lotof their products along with wallpapersand soft furnishings from othercompanies like Laura Ashley andHarlequin, to create her visions.‘At Wilman I would get the newcollections, the fabrics and coloursAbove and left:Black and white issimple but elegant,the trick Vicky saysis not to over-dothe blackcoming through for the next season andit was my job to get that photographed,’she says. I’d hire houses like this, tocreate and shoot those room scenes yousee in magazines and help put togetherlook books and tips on how the readercould use our fabrics to create the lookin their own homes.‘I came here just over two years agoand because of my experience in theworld of interiors at Wilman have beenable to get more and more involvedwith the interior design here.‘I love the creative side of it, but alsothe project management. I work with agreat maintenance team who do thework. They say I’m like a whirlwind!We only have a few weeks to get thework done before they’re occupied againso we have to keep to a tight schedule.That deadline makes it all exciting!’Vicky’s tipsDon’t spend a fortune to create impactin a room. Use a wallpaper on one wallto highlight a chimney breast, or behinda sofa, then pick a colour from thewallpaper and add splashes of this aroundthe room in accessories such as vasesand cushions. This makes a look easy tochange and update.Replace a plain lampshade with a bold,striking design. This needn’t cost muchbut will have a dramatic effect.Choose a bold patterned curtain fabricyou love and make the design the focus ofyour room. Choose an eyelet heading,which will cut down the amount of fabricyou need while giving your scheme amodern feel.Nature has made a comeback in design.Choose natural woods and mix withelements such as slate and stone inflooring and accessories. To complete thelook team with fabrics in botanical andlarge floral themes.Following on from fashion, there is a biginfluence of lace and geometrics, delicatehandicraft and brocade designs right now.Use them in the home to create a bright,airy and feminine feel and team withdelicate ceramics to complete the look.Strong colour influences forspring/summer are colourful shades ofturquoise, deep blues, coral and violet aswell as soft feminine hues of soft pinkteamed with light greys.The inside storyDo you have wonderful interiors whichdeserve to be featured in the pages ofLancashire Life? Drop Amanda a line atAmanda.griffiths@lancashirelife.co.ukDon’t forgetthere are dozensof fascinatinginteriors featureson lancashire.greatbritishlife.co.uk00 LANCASHIRE LIFE May 2010 lancashire.greatbritishlife.co.uk