Name: Kate Aslangul
Company: Oakley Moore Interior Design
Position within company: Founder & Creative Director
Website: www.oakleymoore.com
Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)
I am lucky enough to have lived in different countries throughout my life, including over a decade in Paris quite recently, which has given me a fabulous richness of influence and inspiration to reference. After a lifetime working in and around the design world (first at Colefax and Fowler, then as a curtain maker, later as PR and Marketing Manager for Tiffany & Co. during the tenure of John Loring as Creative Director) I retrained at the prestigious KLC School of Design and then went to work for a leading firm of London interior designers working on a variety of projects, before setting up my own boutique studio, Oakley Moore, in 2017. Oakley Moore is a culmination of my working life and passions, bringing my fresh, client-focussed creative approach to interior design to deliver unique and beautiful interiors in the UK and internationally.
How would you describe your personal design style?
Fresh, Detailed, Chic, Effortless. I focus on layering, playing with texture, pattern, colour and scale; juxtaposing the old with new. Interiors Matter – I believe passionately that a home is both a sanctuary and a canvas for self-expression reflecting the owner’s identity
Where does your design inspiration come from?
Everywhere: From listening to the client to talking a supplier; from looking at something in nature to visiting an art gallery or museum; from my travels; I am a bit of a sponge and am always soaking up inspiration and putting together colour palettes or photographing patterns and textures for reference. I am a designer by trade and a traveller by heart and I believe that good design should not be constrained by boundaries or rules.
In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
We don’t follow trends or work to a formula, each of our interiors is unique for the client and project in hand. We like to acknowledge the past to design for the future so strive to find creative solutions that support local craft, and artists, and to ensure longevity in all our designs.
Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2019 and beyond.
Sustainable sourcing
Longevity
Quality
Craft
Colour
If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
Don’t shy away from the confident choice
How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?
These prestigious awards are internationally recognised and provide a rare platform to gain recognition in a competitive industry for all the work involved in interior design projects. The awards not only put designers in the spotlight but they give value to the craft and the industry.
What projects are you currently working on?
We are currently working on several London townhouse renovations, including completely refurbishing a stunning Georgian house in Primrose Hill. We are gutting, extending and refurbishing a Victorian terraced house in Fulham for an investment fund for the rental market. We are near to completing the decoration of a villa on the shores of Lake Geneva which is particularly lovely as we renovated a chalet in Switzerland for the same couple last year and it is always nice to be asked back to work with the same clients. We are working on a project in Paris.
What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
The current big focus outside of our projects is to launch our new website and we are in the process of designing our first furniture collection – all very hush hush so I can’t say any more but it is very exciting!
Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Your most treasured possession?
My passport – I love to travel. Next up I want to go to Namibia, Beirut and Japan.
Your favourite holiday destination?
The Ile de Ré off the west coast of France
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?
Favourite Hotel : El Fenn in Marrakech – for the colour
Favourite Restaurant : My latest discovery is The Sea in Chelsea – a fishmonger and deli by day and a seafood bar in the evening. A great concept and delicious food.
Favourite Bar : The evening bar set up by Jack’s Camp on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans of Botswana watching the setting sun with of course a sundowner in hand!
Your favourite book, film & song?
I’m not a great one for revisiting books and films but …
Book : I’ve just read Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly which I loved and next I want to read Machines Like me by Ian McEwan
Film : La Haine for its cinematography and Something’s Gotta Give for its feel good factor
Song : I was recently taken to see Roger Hodgson at the Albert Hall – what talent …. Proof that quality lasts! I loved his performance of Breakfast in America.
Your favourite food and drink?
6 Gillardeau No 3 Oysters with a glass of Sancerre
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?
Either arriving in a new destination ready to explore or sitting chatting with family and friends in the sun – ideally on a beach!
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
Marine Biologist – I love diving on coral reefs, the gardens of the sea, and believe we really need to work together to save our oceans and our planet – quickly before it is too late.
Anything else interesting?
I trained and worked as a photographer in Paris – a skill which informs my sense of scale and proportion, and the use of light and shadow. As a lover of craft I frequently attend workshops to get insight into the various crafts such as upholstery and gilding as I love to understand the possibilities of what can be done.