Scottish interior designer shares her tips to make your home stand out

The Herald Scotland

17-07-2025

'Having always been interested in décor and interiors I rose to the challenge and when it was done, the flat later sold quickly and achieved a great result,' Doreen recalls.
'That paved the way for buying a house that needed to be completely refurbished … and then when commissions started coming in, I found myself studying once again and the rest, as they say, is history.'
Although different disciplines, graphic design and interior design are interlinked in many ways: both rely on core design principles, such as balance, contrast, proportion and scale, unity and harmony.
'Whether arranging text for a graphic layout or furniture in a room, you are applying similar ideas to create an aesthetically pleasing composition,' Doreen explains. 'Also, as an interior designer I use graphic design software to present mood boards, layouts, and visualisations.'
Doreen set up her interior and graphic design business in 1992, a decade that brought rich and vibrant colours into people's homes, most notably on walls and furniture.
Walls took quite a hit: if not papered with jazzy wallpaper, then stencilled, sponged, and splatted, while voluminous curtains were puddled, fringed, swagged and tailed (and hopefully laid to rest forever).
Other best forgotten trends included patterned carpets, fake plants, brass fixtures, and shabby chic, an oxymoron if ever there was one. One final reminiscence, according to data.gov.uk, in 1992 the average house price in Scotland was £39,962.
'Trends invariably come and go but the emphasis today is very different,' says Doreen. 'Perhaps because of Covid and lockdowns, our homes and gardens are increasingly being curated to reflect lifestyle, as opposed to everyday living, resulting in the dedicated home office, gym, sauna/spa bathroom, yoga space, games/play area, home cinema, and guest accommodation. And interiors nowadays are generally more relaxed and taking steps towards improving sustainability and energy efficiencies.'
Undertaking both commercial and residential interior design projects, Doreen says the challenges and complexities of the job are harder nowadays, but the results still outweigh the effort.
'Having a good team behind you – including reliable contractors and trades – is a crucial part of the job. Many people find it hard to visualise what they hope to achieve whereas designers can see potential issues and opportunities which might otherwise be missed.
"Using an interior designer can help avoid making costly mistakes, manage projects and budgets efficiently, and recommend the best and most suitable materials to ensure a cohesive, personalised design that not only looks beautiful but will also be highly functional.'
A talented photographer who over the years has collated a sizeable portfolio of images, Doreen is now combining her finely honed graphic and interior design skills with the launch of an exciting new source book of wall art. Aptly named, Picture This is a high-quality, hard-backed book of original digital and illustrative wall art, with each of the 74 images shown individually and in the context of a furnished room setting.
Better still, these images can all be resized and recoloured to suit individual preferences, thereby creating a fully bespoke artwork which is printed to order on high quality, silk-coated paper and comes ready to frame.
Why is wall art important? 'Art on walls creates a focal point, introduces narratives, colour, and texture, and provides balance and scale in an environment. It adds visual and physical texture to the décor and contributes to the scale and proportion, ensuring the space feels co-ordinated, comfortable, and visually appealing,' says Doreen.
However, she is quick to dismiss the popular misconception that statement wall art is only for large rooms. 'It may seem counter-intuitive to use big wall art in a small room, but it is in fact, a great way to make the most of a small space. Instead of using several small-size artworks, opting for one large piece of wall art can actually make a room feel larger and more luxurious.
'Large artwork can also help balance the scale of a room with high ceilings,' she says. A highly tactile and beautiful stand-alone coffee table book, Picture This makes choosing art a pleasure and does away with the time-consuming search to find the elusive 'right' statement piece.
Walls nowadays are generally neutral and present a perfect backdrop for statement wall art – and this new hard-back source book is an inspirational aid. Picture This (Volume 1, with more to follow) costs £25 and is available from www.sophiaandjoseph.com