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Happy New Year 2019!

So here we are, at the start of a new calendar year. It’s a wonderful opportunity to rest and recover over the Christmas holiday season and come back with some newfound vigour. Although here in the UK, that it not often the story. My own narrative is I work my socks off before Christmas and then there is no point having a beautiful home in the woods if you then don’t invite everyone round. So the past two weeks has been a wonderful revolving door of guests. The house has come alive and it’s been magical.

But am I well rested and full of gusto for the year ahead? Am I heck! I’m easing myself back into work this week as my son doesn’t return to school until Wednesday and well, we are halfway to the weekend by then! But I’ve got some every exciting stuff in the pipeline. Indeed my diary for the next three months is already fit to bursting! So I thought to kick off the blog this year I’d have a catch up with you, let you know what’s coming and better still, check in and ask you if I am delivering everything you need to feed inspired to have a fabulous, colourful and creative home.

Website relaunch

So one of the first things I will be rolling out this year is my new website redesign. This current website is only 2 years old but so much has happened and my business has morphed in that time that it felt right to switch things up so that when you land on my site you are clear about what I do, and what I can offer you. So the delicious new design is in the bag and its now with the web builder to make it all happen. Squeals! Essentially it’s going to be the one stop shop to find out what workshops and events I have coming up, (more on that later), you can click on the latest podcast episode, watch my videos and of course read my blog posts that cover everything you need to know about interior design. I will be posting twice a week, so make sure you regularly check in. I’ll keep my regular posts, like the monthly Colour crush and Designer spotlight but have loads more posts about my own home renovation too which I hope will build up to be a really useful catalogue and my own little black book.

The Great Indoors Podcast

Sophie Robinson and Kate Watson-Smyth  are back for series 2 of The Great Indoors podcast, supported by Dfs. Photographed by Alun Callender. Palace sofa in blush by Dfs.

Series 2 of The Great Indoors podcast is underway and the first episode of the second series will go live this Thursday 10^th, so make sure you tune in, and please do continue to leave us a review- we read each and every one! This series will see Kate and I discussing decorating trends. I declare that Chintz is back, while Kate argues why she thinks white paint should be banned. We will also continue our room planning series with kids’ rooms; home offices and open plan spaces all on the bill. We are also going back on the road and are coming to Dublin, to record our fourth episode in front of a live audience- so you Irelanders’, we are coming for you! Make sure you subscribe to my mailing list for the latest dates and VIP tickets. And as ever please do continue to message me with your thoughts on the show, ideas for content and design crimes.

Online interior design courses

2019 will see me launch my first online interior design course to empower you to become your own interior designer

The BIG project I’m currently working on is my online interior design courses and I’m really hoping to have the first one ready to upload by early spring. This will be a course that you can download and do in your own time, with a series of videos, downloadable pdf’s and exercises to help you feel powerful about designing your own home with verve. I’m so super duper excited bout it as I know so many of you will find it totally game changing. My first course is all going to be about the process. How you get from a blank room to a finished colour scheme and all the things you need to do along the way to make sure it all works out better than you’d hope. It’ll help you from making big design mistakes, wasting money and indeed help you to make bolder and authentic design choices. So if you have a big project in the offing, or you just love fixing up your home but you want to do it with more verve then this is the course for you!

Workshops

I’ve also upgraded my popular Colour workshop and continue to strive to find mouth watering venues and work with amazing chefs and floral designers to make my events the most inspiring and creative that they can be. The first Colour workshop this year will be hosted in my hometown on Brighton on the 13th June, and tickets are already selling fast. I’ve found a wonderful city central venue with views out to the sea and so I urge you to make a holiday of it and come and soak up the wonderful vibes of this inspirational city. You can grab your space here. It’s an invaluable day, perfect for anyone who wants to know more about how to use colour in the designs and find their own authentic colour palette.

My colour workshops will continue to be a highlight of 2019

Brand collaborations

I’ve also got some very exciting brand collaborations in the pipeline with a couple of big high street retailers that I absolutely love! Working with brands that I believe in is a big part of my business. And again its opportunity for me to share my love of colour and help to empower people to achieve homes that are more interesting and more individual and reach more people. We have some incredible brands here in the UK and I get a massive kick working with them on their campaigns, hosting events, co designing product and producing content that’s useful to you. Again, watch this space! The diary is also filling up with talks and exclusive events, so again do sign up to my mailing list as for the more boutique events will only have a few tickets released and I’d love to make sure you get first dibs. (The ‘sign up’ box is on the left hand column of this website).

My first product line was launched in 2018 with The Secret Linen Store. Expect more colour loving products to hit the shops this year.

Home renovation

Then finally there will be loads more content about my own home renovation. We did a massive push before Christmas to get it to a point where we could sit back and relax. But I’ve got loads to share with you and will as always show you the latest over on Instagram Stories and then back it up on the blog so you have an evergreen resource of all my favourite suppliers and advice on how you can implement the same design ethos in your own projects.

Upcoming TV shows

I will be popping up on the goggle box too. I’ve more DIYSOS projects for BBC ONE booked in, which I absolutley love and will share how you too can be involved too. You guys are always so up for donating product or coming on the shoot to help me style the house ready for the big reveal, it’s a wonderful coming together of great spirit and charity. And there is a very exciting new interior design  show coming to BBC2 later in the year called Project Interiors that I’m thrilled to participate in as a guest judge. Headed up by presenter Fearne Cotton and judge Michelle Ogundehin it’s kind of The Great Interior Design Challenge meets the Apprentice. More on that closer to the time, but needless to say I had loads of fun filming it last summer and I know you are going to love it!

So there we go, it’s looking like it’s going to be a colour soaked 2019, and I want to thank you all so much for regularly checking in, being part of the conversation on social media, supporting the podcasts and attending my events and workshops. I had no idea when I started this blog just two years ago what a wonderful community of like minded people we would create together. But please do continue to reach out and share your own home reveals your design dilemmas and colour inspiration. Together we can ban the beige in 2019!