In Profile:
Nikki Rees LTD

Name: Nikki Rees

Company: Nikki Rees LTD

Position within company: Founder

Website: www.nikkirees.com

Tell us a little about your background in design As a designer, I am passionate about designing beautifully refined, contemporary interiors. With over 10 years’ experience across the residential and commercial sectors, I create bespoke, personal interiors that tell my client’s story. I have had a love for design since I was young and studied Interior Design at Kingston University, giving me a strong foundation and a keen eye for detail. Prior to founding the studio, I had a career in exhibition and retail design which provided me with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Interiors have always been my passion, along with a drive to work personally with clients to help them build their dream space.

How would you describe your personal design style? I always take a sensitive approach to design.  Each interior is tailored to the client, reflecting their personality as well as their lifestyle and dreams. Our aesthetic is understated. I love natural materials, combining them with injections of colour and layering textures. Practical in our strategy, I believe an interior should be effective as well as beautiful.

Where does your design inspiration come from? I am always inspired by the story behind the architecture and history of a building, reinforcing its identity, and compounding a sense of home. I am forever in pursuit of new and inspired products and I love to champion British craftspeople and artists.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense? I feel design is being more collaborative, I strive to offer a personal service and it was essential to me to create a bespoke design studio with integrity. We always offer a friendly and collaborative approach, tailored to each client’s needs and budget whilst always offering something a little special and ensuring our clients enjoy the design journey.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design. I always consider the space planning, balancing practical needs with design solutions that reflect how our clients aspire to feel and live. 

Discovering talented craftspeople, and celebrating their work within our projects, as this also allows us to source locally and consider sustainability. 

I don’t consider trend cycles, but prefer to source natural materials that are beautiful and reflect our client’s personal style and always have their story at the heart of the project. This keeps our approach to design fresh and timeless. 

It’s all about the little design details; I love to consider mixing the new with the old, making the client’s beloved furniture work in a new way so as not to be wasteful and also to create a more personal character to their home. 

I really like to approach design in a fun and uncomplicated way, ensuring my clients enjoy the design journey, allowing them to be a part of the process, to meet the talented maker that designed and made their lighting so it becomes personal and memorable. 

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards? Celebrating design with awards is so important in today’s world with AI and mass production playing such a big part of what we see every day. We need to champion designers so we can keep inspiring new talent and designers of the future.

What projects are you currently working on? We currently have a wonderful client with a high-end residential project in Wimbledon Village, where we are slowly working our way around the home sympathetically; it’s been a lovely project to work on. We also have an exciting commercial project, where we are designing a work space design in Monument, London. 

What was your favourite project to work on and why? I am so proud of the Wimbledon Village new build project I submitted to the International Design & Architecture Awards. We started work in the middle of Covid, so we had to be innovative in our approach. It was a joy to work collaboratively with so many British designers and local craftspeople, allowing us to create a truly unique home.

Together, we sourced as many UK-designed and produced interior products as possible, from flooring to hand-blown lighting and hand-drawn wallpaper. Every piece of joinery was tailor-made and designed exclusively for our clients, right down to the finest detail. We carefully curated and selected every finish and detail to be both practical and beautiful, resulting in a stunning home which brings joy to the whole family.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why? My most challenging project was a Grade II listed building in Chaterhouse school. The building was steeped in history and traditions and was the teachers’ common room at the school. This incredibly unique project allowed us to redesign and sympathetically transform the tired interior into a modern, communal work and social space for all the staff members. It was a challenge to ensure we incorporated the needs of all the teachers, as well as blending the architectural features of the listed section of the building with the 1970’s extension as seamlessly as possible. As most teaching staff live on campus, this space is truly vital to their wellbeing and the wider school community. We are very proud that our clients are so happy with the positive social benefits the new interior and exterior has had on the wellbeing of all staff members. The welcoming environment helps to attract and retain staff, which is of great benefit to the whole school. But most importantly, the space is helping to grow the sense of community within Charterhouse – a true testament to the importance of a good design and genuine collaborative ethos.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing? I would not be the designer I am today without the talented and skilled craftspeople and contractors that I have built relationships with over many years; they give me the confidence to be creative in my design thinking and allow me to try new ideas, collaborating with them to ensure the final design works beautifully. Design is always a team effort. 

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months? I have been so proud that Nikki Rees Design Practice has successfully grown organically through word-of-mouth referrals. We are grateful that so many of our wonderful clients have worked with us on multiple projects over the years. My aim is to continue to work on projects that inspire me and allow me to be creative and design truly bespoke interiors that tell my client’s story. I’m keen to collaborate with British brands that have the same ethos and design values to create interior products, and my goal is to design a hotel. 

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession? My dog Teddy, he sits with me every day in the design studio and brings us so much joy. 

Your favourite holiday destination? I am very lucky that we have a family villa in Cyprus, it’s a simple life with stunning beaches near a beautiful national park, with many wonderful family memories. 

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar? I recently stayed in, and fell in love with, the Cloister at The Boca Raton, Florida. I loved the history and elegance paired with a lazy river for the kids!

Your favourite book, film & song? My favourite film is About Time by Richard Curtis. I imagine myself watching an outdoor movie with a glass of wine in their gorgeous family home in Cornwall just like in the film.

Your favourite food and drink? I love a fresh Caprese Salad in the summer, but I’m also partial to a strawberry boot lace!

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon? A family dog walk on Wimbledon common, I’m so lucky to have it on my doorstep.

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? Any job that would allow me to travel the world. 

Anything else interesting? I would love to be a few inches taller, it might help when planning the heights of pendant lighting!