The Book Deal Diaries - Guest Interview with Interior Designer Hannah Ashe

A space to create

Today I finished the first round of my book edits. I have just returned the updated version of the book to my publisher, 9500 words shorter (!!!) and I have to say, I did not enjoy the process at all, but not for the reasons you might expect. I will write about this next week when I see how my ‘version 2’ is received, as I have learnt such a lot, but for now I am just glad to see the back of it!!

In just a few hours I am going away to Marrakech for 4 days with my husband, and I plan to have a real proper break - a break from writing, a break from being online, a break where I don’t have to look after anyone or be 24/7 available. I cannot wait. Marrakech has always fascinated me, and as we planned this trip it really got me thinking about the impact of our surroundings, how we are influenced by colour, light and noise. How some environments are so conducive to creativity, and others make us want to ‘shut down’. So many corporate environments are hostile to the senses, overly bright, uninspiring, devoid of greenery and not conducive to creative work at all. As writers and creatives, we often have the gift of creating our own spaces - even just a corner in a shared room, and it’s the little touches that can make such a difference.

On this note, I am so delighted to have been able to chat with brilliant fellow ‘Substackian’

Hannah Ashe

about how we create the perfect writing space, top tips for interior design, and how she found herself launching her own interior design business just last year.

Today’s guest

When Hannah and I first met online within this marvellous community, we realised that not only did we have a lot in common (including colourful stripey jumpers), but we also lived just a few miles away from each other. After a short exchange of messages, we found ourselves together in a gorgeous coffee shop, meeting in real life, and what a treat it was.

Photo: Hannah (left) and Emma (right)

Like so many of us, my writing life is largely solitary, so it is especially beautiful to have real life meet-ups, to share creativity and bounce ideas, and, well just hang out with a like-minded friend. Hannah writes a gorgeous Substack called ‘Chez Hanny’ in which she talks all kinds of delightful things such as her love for France, food and drink, how she carves out alone time, but also takes us through the significant changes she has made in her life. As a saxophonist, composer and music teacher by trade, Hannah is used to the detailed interpretation of the sounds around us and how to create construct beautiful audio; however in recent years her passions have evolved into the visual sphere, and just last year she launched her own interior design business – Hannah Ashe Interior Design. Hannah is also a jewellery maker, writer and podcaster - a true multi-hyphenate. I can’t wait to see where she goes next!

Photo: Hannah Ashe Interior Design

As a fellow Francophile and foodie, there was so much to discuss (this will not be our only collaboration), however for the purposes of #thebookdealdiaries we came to talking about the importance of our writing environment, and how we can influence not just our mood, but our creativity and our behaviours with the power of our surroundings. Her website describes her passion for:

‘helping you to create a beautiful, calm space which will enhance your well-being’.

I’m in.

I first really began to understand the importance of our daily working and living environment when I read the appropriately titled ‘Joyful’ by Ingrid Fettel Lee, which analyses ‘the surprising power of ordinary things to create extraordinary happiness’. There is a fascinating case study in the opening chapter which has always stayed with me, which tells a story of the town of Albania, in Tirane. In the late 1990s, the post-communist city was described as grotty, dirty, dangerous, littered and ‘a haven for corruption and organised crime’ (pg 14). In 2000, in a desperate bid to make a change, the Mayor of the city hired decorators to paint several tired and worn building in glorious colours – vibrant oranges, yellows, pinks and blues. Once the astonishment and laughter had subsided, the residents found extraordinary things beginning to happen. Crime rates fell, littering subsided, doors were flung open and people once more gathered in town squares. The city had found its joy.

If something as simple as colour is able to transform the outlook of an entire city, what difference could a small change to our day-to-day surroundings make to our work, our productivity and our creativity?

I’m so very grateful to Hannah for helping me to mull over this and bring inspiration with her insight into the magic of designing a space for creativity to flow.

Questions:

Hi Hannah, thank you SO much for chatting to me today. There is so much I’d love to ask you about, but can we start with:

What inspired you to explore the world of interior design?

Hannah: Thank you so much for having me, Emma! 

I think I first became aware of the concept of interior design around the age of 13 when I learned perspective drawing in school. It captured something in my imagination; I think it was the combination of methodical measurements, using colour and conjuring an idea that spoke to me. I remember completing the project we had to do and then also creating several other drawings just because I wanted to! I found one of the drawings in my old record of achievement folder c. 1998! (Dated by ‘interesting’ colour choices as much as anything else!)

After that I took GCSE Graphic Design, but when it came to making A-Level choices, I was hugely torn between studying music (my other passion) or going down the maths and art/design route in order to study architecture. Music (and maths) won in the end, and I think this was in large part because my social group was heavily involved in music and so I was swayed in that direction. 

Later I went to university to study music and maths, though after the first year dropped the maths part to focus solely on music. I then completed a master’s degree in musical composition and later trained as a teacher. That was me for the past 16 years, teaching music in secondary schools in London. 

However, somewhere in the background during all that time was my passion for interiors. It started to re-appear more strongly when my husband and I bought our first flat in 2012. We decorated all of the rooms and put in a new kitchen. I absolutely loved choosing colours and finishes as well as learning how to do a lot of the work, including painting and tiling. 

Photo: Me (Hannah), in 2012 learning to decorate our first flat

In 2014 we moved again, this time to a house requiring more work. Once again, I was in my element stripping wallpaper, choosing bathroom fittings and working out (with the help of the builder) which walls we could knock down. We systematically worked our way through the whole house, and it was such a thrill to see it take shape as a result of our own hard work. 

We both loved what we had done to this house, but the location didn’t work for us and so in early 2017 we agreed we would put the house on the market and look for something else. Ideally it would be something with character: a Victorian or Edwardian property. 

After a lot of searching, we eventually found our ‘dream’ Edwardian home, but dream was the term that would hopefully be used further down the line when significant work had been done. It was a complete wreck with damp issues, a wonky staircase and a kitchen that smelled of mouse pee. It needed to be completely gutted from top to bottom including rewiring, new plumbing and we had plans for an extension. It should have been scary, but we loved it and it was from this point in early 2018 that the tiny seed of an idea about interior design started to grow in me again. Over the next few years, the house was transformed, and I documented each step of the journey with an Instagram account. It started out as a way of keeping family and close friends updated but turned into a full home renovation account. I was hooked! 

The pandemic made me see the world in a slightly different way and I began to get itchy feet in my teaching job. It was a stressful job in which I managed a large team, and something was nagging at me that I needed change. It took me a few more years to make the switch, but in early 2023 I started to do a short diploma course in interior design to see if I really did like it, and then in March took the plunge and handed in my notice. 

I set up Hannah Ashe Interior Design in April 2023 and got my first client in May. Since then, I have had a steady stream of work and am gradually building the business more and more. I absolutely love it and I find it very interesting that I have seemingly gone full circle back to the passions of my 13-year-old self! 

Can you describe your dream writing environment? (and have you managed to create it yet?!)

Hannah: I’m not too fussy about where I write. The only non-negotiable is that it needs to be quiet. I can’t multi-task and I can’t listen to music or podcasts whilst writing. It must be quiet! 

Currently my writing space is a desk set up in our spare bedroom, but I have plans to convert the one remaining area of the house that hasn’t been renovated - the top floor. The plan is to convert the room at the back up there into an office space/design studio. It’s currently a dumping ground with a tiny little toilet/sink in mustard yellow! I’m currently working on designs for this and in the early stages of getting quotes from builders. 

My dream writing environment would have a beautiful view through a big window, perhaps of a large garden or, better still, of the sea! Visual surroundings are important to me and particularly the natural environment. I’m hugely passionate about taking influences from nature when working on interior designs and I like to ensure that as many natural materials as possible are used inside a space. This includes solid wood furniture, wool throws, linen fabrics and hand-crafted pottery to name a few things. 

My studio-to-be (pictured) is on the second floor of our house and we are on top of a hill so I will have a great view of the rooftops of the local area. It’s not the most scenic, but on occasion we get a magnificent sunset and I think it will provide a lot of inspiration for my writing and designing when working up there. The desk will be positioned by the window, so I am always looking out when working. 

Photo by Rob Wingate on Unsplash

What are your tips for others with regard to carving out an inspiring writing haven, especially where there is little space to spare?

Hannah: Even if you only have a tiny cupboard to write in, adorn it with things you love. That might be candles, a beautiful blanket, a pin board that you can stick inspiring words or photographs onto. Of course, making space for a little bookshelf so that you’ve got inspiration from your favourite writer to hand when you are stuck for ideas is a must! Lighting is important so don’t skimp on a good quality lamp and maybe even some colourful fairy lights to add atmosphere to the space. 

How do you harness colour to create different moods for different environments, and what are your recommended colours for a writing space?

Hannah: I think colour is a very personal thing and so I don’t necessarily have a recommended colour for a writing space. Instead, I say choose a colour which makes you feel calm. For me, that is blue and green and I’m currently working on a colour scheme for my new studio space which will include different shades of these hues. Earthy tones can also work well to bring about the feeling of calm and serenity. Sometimes, clients are afraid to go for a bold or dark colour because they worry that it isn’t the fashion or that others won’t like it. My view is to go with what feels right to you. After all, you are the person spending time in the space and so the colour choice needs to connect well with your own feelings about the space and what it will be used for.

Photo by Jacalyn Beales on Unsplash

Apart from colour and visual aesthetics, we spoke when we met about the power of all the senses in creating an optimum environment. When I’m writing, I love to light a simple, fragranced candle; taste hot tea,;feel the warmth of a blanket in the winter or fresh air on my face in spring; but despite my love of music, I need to write in absolute silence! How about you?

Hannah: I’m with you on all of this, Emma! Around me right now as I type, I have various scented candles, a plant, a magnetic board, an orange Anglepoise lamp, a beautiful hand-made ceramic pencil pot and a wool blanket draped over the back of my chair. I love tea and the time of day will influence which type of tea I’m drinking. Builder’s tea first thing in the morning, smoky Earl Grey in the afternoon and then maybe some jade oolong in the evening. 

As a musician, I find it very difficult to have music on in the background whilst doing anything creative, so when I’m writing or doing any concentrated work I must have silence. As soon as music is on, my brain wanders and starts analysing chords and melodies! 

My favourite time of the day to write is early morning. I like to make a cup of tea and then be at my desk by 6am. My brain is most creative and alive at this time of day. 

Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

Outside of your home, what are some of your favourite creative/writing places and why? What do they bring you?

Hannah: Being by the sea is my absolute favourite place to write and it always sparks creative ideas. There’s something about the raw power of waves that speaks to me, and I particularly love to be by the ocean in the winter. In early December, I went to northern France for a week and, despite the gale force winds, I relished the opportunity to walk along the beach listening to the deafening sound of the waves and watching the white spray hit the cliffs. It was like magic to me. I dream of having a French pied à terre with a view of the sea. One day, maybe?

What is one of the most profound interior transformations you’ve experienced and why was it so special?

Hannah: I’m going to adapt this question slightly and mention an exterior transformation in my own garden. In the early summer of 2020, my husband and I decided we were going to transform the post-extension wasteland that was our garden into somewhere we could sit. On a shoestring budget, we spent a couple of weeks of hard-graft bagging up rubble, barrowing gravel and planting up terracotta pots. It was the best thing we ever did. As we all know, we ended up spending a lot of time in our homes and gardens around that time and I think we had underestimated the power of having an outside space that was usable. Watching the plants flourish and seeing the birds and other wildlife return to the garden was quite profound and it made me realise that when you set your mind to something, anything is possible. 

(before and after photo below)

You are thriving as a multi-hyphenate, and I suspect interior design will not be the only outlet for your creativity! What have you got lined up next?

Hannah: I love this question! 

I’ve just finished recording the final episode of my current podcast series called ‘Inspiring Creative Career Change’ which features women who have made big work-based pivots in their lives and the final couple of episodes will be published over the next few weeks. I plan to continue the podcast but with a new series on women and non-binary people who consider themselves to be multi-hyphenates. I’ve got some great guests lined up already and I’m excited to start working on this new podcast direction. 

Of course, I hope that the interior design work will continue to roll in and I absolutely love having the opportunity to get to know people and their homes and to helping them to make changes which enhance the way they live. I feel very privileged to be able to do that. Recently, I was given the opportunity to write an article for a local print and online magazine (coming soon!) on interior design in small spaces. This felt like a wonderful convergence of two things I really love: writing and design. I would like to pursue more of this kind of writing over the coming year, so will be on the lookout for further opportunities. 

I’m very conscious of not-pigeonholing myself into one way of working and have found that being available to all creative opportunities over the past year has opened doors to all sorts of interesting projects. I’m keen to continue that sense of openness and I’m excited to see what the future brings. There’s a tiny whisper somewhere inside me of an idea for a book, so only time will tell if that manifests itself into something tangible! 

Finally, what are your top 3 tips for readers looking to make a change to how they feel and are able to function in their writing space?

1. Declutter: look at your writing space and really assess the items around you and their value. Only keep things on your desk that you a) absolutely need and b) bring you joy and meaning. Everything else can go and you will feel lighter for the cathartic process of making physical space for your thoughts to grow.

2. Introduce colour: it could be painting the whole room in a colour you love, or simply having a small brightly coloured item on your desk. I have a bright orange Anglepoise lamp with light blue wire. It’s very practical but also makes me smile. 

3. Ensure you can have quiet in your space. A room with a door that you can close, a garden shed, a peaceful corner of a coffee shop. Find a way to shut the rest of the world out, even for just a few moments every day.

END OF INTERVIEW

Thank you

I’m so grateful to Hannah for sharing these tips and an insight into her own creative processes and creative space. I love the sound of her writing desk with candles, tea and blankets, and I definitely feel inspired to declutter my desk and as for colour…well I can’t get enough of it. I’m in the process of revamping my own writing space at the moment, I’ll share the transformation with you in the next few weeks!

To find out more about Hannah, her brilliant Substack, her gorgeous design work, and all sorts of other treats, here are her links:

Chez Hanny

Substack

Hannah Ashe Interior Design

Hannah Ashe Instagram

I hope this has inspired you to think creatively about your writing and working environment. I’d love to know:

• What type of environment inspires your creativity?

• How do you feel about colour?

• What does your dream writing space look like?

I’d love to hear, (my replies may be slightly delayed by my mini-break but I can’t wait to read your comments!)

Love & lemons 💕🍋

Em xx