September 01, 2011

STYLIST + DESIGNER SHANNON FRICKE






As part of a recent reshuffle of my apartment I went through my collection of books, and found myself again looking through the Sense of Style series by Shannon Fricke. It's impressive that they have neither dated nor become less relevant. Since publishing the interview on Daily Imprint in 2009 (the original post is here), Shannon has gone on to release a range of ceramics called Free Range. She's also launched a series of decorating workshops, and is working on a new book - launch date set for 2012.

How and why did you start working as an interior stylist? I grew up with a mother who had a passion for both fashion and interior decorating. I watched her from the time that I was a small child creating beautiful ensembles and interiors - although her creations came to bare on a very tight budget. From this, I learnt that when you create from the heart and with your individuality in mind, first and foremost, you can create a style that is all your own. Being able to do this gives people such confidence and it’s this that inspired my foray into interior decorating. Firstly with my own home, and then other peoples’ - for television, magazine articles and my books. What I hope is that through my work, people will feel a sense of confidence to be able to create for themselves.

What lessons have you learnt along the way? That when you take the time to stop and reflect on the things that you love, then the creativity will come.

What’s your favourite decorating style? I don’t follow one particular style - every house you live in and then every different stage of your life requires a different decorating response. There’s nothing that I love more than walking into somebody’s house and being surprised by the elements that they’ve thrown together. I think it tells you so much about a person.

What’s the most common mistake people make when decorating their home? It’s a missed opportunity when people slavishly follow trends. In my view, the home is like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled in. You can create and folly to your heart’s content in your home and the only people to know are those that you invite in. It’s such a safe and lovely place to express yourself.

Where do you look to for inspiration? I’m inspired mostly by people and their experiences - I love to hear the stories of other peoples’ lives. And then there is my own life and travels: my family, the countryside that I live in, my garden, my horses, overseas trips - basically everything!

Who inspires you? People who live a fulfilled life - that follow their passions and their heart.

What did you want to achieve with the Colour and Space books? I hope the books offer the tools that people need to build their decorating confidence so they can create a home that they love living in.

How did you go about sourcing the images? My good friend and brilliant photographer Prue Ruscoe and I sourced and photographed the houses that appear in the book. We even traveled to New York for a couple.

How has your own personal interior style developed? In two ways since I’ve had my children. The first is that I’ve built in triple the amount of storage that I used to have - to hide all the stuff! The second is the colour palette that I’ve used - I’ve ditched the crazy oranges and reds for a quieter palette of greens and blues. The last thing that I need with two energetic kids in tow is more crazy energy.

How would you describe your home? Exactly the place I want to be.

images via shannon fricke