Q. How did you come to be an interior stylist?
A. "I studied surface design at university and while in my final stages of the course I gained valuable work experience opportunities with a couple of freelance interior stylists and magazines. The summer I graduated, I started working as a freelance stylist assistant on photoshoots and at magazine head offices. After a year of assisting a range of established stylists, I started orchestrating my own styling projects and an image I had styled from one of my early photoshoots was chosen as the cover shot for Real Homes magazine. When I was 24, I approached Ryland Peters & Small with my first idea for an global/boho interiors book which they loved and decided to commission. My first book Bazaar Style is a best seller and has been published in six different languages in both hardback and paperback formats. I have since published even more books about homes and gardens and I style images and photoshoots for many commercial clients."
Q. This is your seventh book – why did you decide to focus on botanical style?
A. "With all my books I have tried to choose titles and topics which will be on trend when the books are released. When I started working on an idea for my seventh book I was inspired by an emerging trend for all things botanical. Houseplants were making a comeback, catwalk designers were using floral motifs in their collections and images of plants and botanicals filled my Instagram feed. I wanted to share my ideas on how to style your home with the latest trend of botanicals and how to achieve different botanical looks from tropical to boho."
Q. Was there a section of the book (Vintage, Boho, Industrial, Tropical or Natural) that you enjoyed working on the most?
A. "Each chapter was interesting to work on and I enjoyed aspects from each. I suppose I’m drawn to the natural botanicals which best reflects my own personal style. I have plants in woven baskets and lots of white painted wooden flooring throughout."
Q. Which workspace or location that featured inspired you the most?
A. "Rachel Whiting, the photographer I worked with and spent five days shooting in Sweden was amazing. We got to visit some fabulous botanical inspired locations and gardens and the trip was a highlight. I really enjoyed discovering a gorgeous plant shop called Minaideer."
Q. What tips would you give someone who wants to style their home with houseplants or flowers but doesn’t know where to start?
A. "Start by visiting a local plant shop or florist, choose flowers which inspire you and that are in season. For a budget saving way to display one bunch of flowers, split up the stems and use a collection of recycled bottles to display each single stem and then group all the bottles together on your table, mantlepiece or shelf. If you're new to houseplants choose something which suits your home's interior. There are lots of tips in the book for which plants to choose to accompany different interior styles."
Q. What’s the biggest lesson learnt from the experience of researching and writing Botanical Style?
A. "You can never have too many houseplants or vases of flowers in your home - the more the merrier!"
Q. What’s your favourite flower and your favourite houseplant?
A. "My favourite flowers are old fashioned garden roses with an amazing scent, especially the pink, peach and white varieties. I love cheese plants (Monstera) as they are super easy to look after, look interesting and fill a space nicely."
Q. On a day-to-day basis, where do you find your inspiration?
A. "Everywhere! I love exploring markets and antiques fairs and I’m often inspired by old pieces I discover along the way. I also take inspiration from fashion catwalk shows and pop up cafes/restaurant decors as well as Pinterest, blogs and Instagram."
Q. What’s next?
A. "I’m currently thinking up ideas for book number eight and working on a number of styling projects for various publications and clients. When I’m not working, you'll find me in my garden where I’m striving to create my own dream botanical garden."
Please note: The Selina Lake competition is now closed and the winners have been notified.
