What is your role and how long have you worked at Mowlem and Co.?
I have been a designer for Mowlem and Co for 4 years.
What does your average day to day work life look like?
The main focus of my role is designing beautiful bespoke cabinetry. This entails quite a process, talking through the brief with the client, completing the site survey, working on all the design drawings in CAD, creating visuals for the project, and then finally presenting to the client. All of this is the most enjoyable and fun side of what I do. Project management is probably the harder part of the job, which includes doing all of the background work to the job, i.e. ordering appliances, arranging fitters, project managing on/off site & of course assisting our clients throughout the whole design journey.
What is the best part of your job?
I personally love working on a project where you ‘crack the design’ by this I mean that perhaps our clients weren’t quite expecting for example, the layout but then when we design something that really works for them and they absolutely love it, you get a real sense of achievement. I also really enjoy the client relation side of it as well, no day is the same and I love that we get to manage the project from start to finish, building up the relationship and hopefully creating that dream space.
If you were building your own dream kitchen, what would you include in the design?
I would introduce a stained oak element into the kitchen, for example the 40mm shaker door detail on the Calgary Kitchen is right up my street. It feels contemporary & homely without it feeling too minimalist. I would also have a stone centre piece which really stands out, for example a Calacatta Vagli, which in my opinion feels elegant and striking. I also love Gaggenau as a brand, so I would introduce a Stainless steel fridge which feel premium along with the 400 series ovens.
In your opinion what’s the most underrated kitchen design feature?
Definitely a Quooker tap, perfect for instant hot and still/sparkling water which means you don’t need to have a kettle. Also a double larder – great for extra storage and if you have any appliances they can be hidden away, making the kitchen feel so much tidier.
What’s been your most loved feature in kitchen design this year?
I adore the La Canche range we have specified this incredible piece a lot this year and more specifically I would say the stainless steel with brass trim detail. I love the look of a La Canche and I feel like it makes the kitchen without it feeling too ‘bulky’ which a lot of ranges do.
What’s been the highlight for you professionally of the last year?
Being nominated for the two design awards 😊
What are your trend predictions for 2025?
I think that people will start playing around more with a mixture of materials. This year we have designed a lot of natural oak kitchens, which feel Scandinavian and homely. Next year I feel that people will become more daring with colours and push the boundaries more on the ‘bespoke’ element. Most of our clients ask for a kitchen that nobody has, so the truly bespoke element that we offer, suits this. I think we will design more ‘one off’ pieces whether than could be a free standing dresser, or a media wall that perfectly suits the space. Curved arches are very popular at the minute, so incorporating this into design might become more of a feature whether that is an arched door to the pantry, or curved extractor hoods etc. I also feel like traditional heavy beaded door styles are coming back into fashion but with a modern twist. I.e. neutral hand painted kitchen with a statement stone like Breccia Viola.
How do you spend your time outside the office?
I love spending time with the girls mainly eating and drinking in all the delicious places Newcastle has to offer. Also very focussed on the gym, I am all about the healthy lifestyle and feeling good to live my best life. And of course spending time with my family in Yorkshire & my beloved dogs i.e. the babies. As a designer I also of course spend to much time on Pinterest/ Instagram getting all the design inspiration I can. Last and by no means least my own house renovation, these last six months I have been focusing on designing my little flat which I love doing and consumes most of life, outside of work!