Interiors by Clair Strong Interior Design Ltd
Tricia Guild is an icon of modern interior design. Her fearless use of colour and pattern has been inspiring the hue-shy public since the 1970s.
Guild is a tour de force, an entity of her own with an unrivalled talent and vision. She doesn’t follow trends; she creates them or ignores them altogether.
Tricia started her career designing and selling Indian inspired fabrics from a small shop on the King’s Road in 1970. In the forty odd years that have followed, Guild has gone on to launch Designers Guild; an international interiors and lifestyle company, write 15 books and work (numerous times) for the Royal Family. She has designed fabric, furniture, homewares and wallpaper. She has won numerous industry awards and has been made an OBE for her services to modern interior design.
Designers Guild
Designers Guild is the brainchild of Tricia. It was established in 1970 (as that small shop selling Indian fabrics) and is now an internationally renowned lifestyle brand. The Guild designs and wholesales furnishing fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery and bed and bath collections.
Tricia’s designs are bold and bright, strong and vivacious. She’s not afraid to use colours that other people might consider gaudy… and fortunately, in her capable hands they are far from it. Her aim is to show people how wonderful living with colour can be. She claims it is “good for the soul” and I couldn’t agree more.
I used a combination of Designers Guild and Farrow and Ball in the image at the top of this post. Farrow and Ball’s ‘Blue Ground 210’ paint, and one of their, then current wallpapers, featuring a gold bee. The sofa, armchair and yellow velvet cushions are all from Designers Guild. The brown leather and dark wood neutralises the room slightly, preventing the intensity of colours from being too overbearing.You can see other images from this project here.
Tricia Guild is at the forefront of a colour revolution and her influence can be seen all over the world. Her approach to modern interior design is joyful and enduring; shunning fleeting trends but remaining endlessly stylish. For me, however, the very best thing about Guild’s work is that it truly is accessible to all.
