Designer creates functional, wow spaces

THERE is nothing more satisfying than coming home to a comfortable, welcoming space after a tough day’s work. Drop your briefcase or handbag on the nearest counter, hang up your coat and pour yourself a crisp glass of wine as you kick up your feet while sinking into a plush sofa. These little moments that can bring a feeling of contentment to a busy mind. It is Hayley Larson’s passion to create this relaxing environment for her clients through her interior design magic.

The mother of two has been in the design game for years and is often changing up her own home to test out the new trends and create a different sense of space and feeling as you walk into each room. She quipped that her house has been repainted so many times on the inside that it has begun to shrink.

“When my children were still little they would literally cry when I was doing renovations,” she laughed. “Now that they are bigger, they get quite excited when the are changes happening.”

As she does not have a showroom floor, she uses her home to convey her design prowess – and it is absolutely stunning. Her signature is neutral colours and this can be seen throughout her home as the walls are adorned with the natural and inviting colours. As you enter through the front door, Hayley has created a feature wall with a bright burst of green and blue wallpaper (seen in the inset photo), giving a burst of energy to the room. The couches she has chosen for her lounge are also a neutral grey and are covered with gorgeous duck egg blue scatter cushions. While the colours are not new to the design market, they do create a sense of tranquility and comfort as you enter the room.

The Westville resident believes in using colours that both relaxes and creates a holiday style feel to each of the spaces she works on. “I walk into a space and just seem to know what needs to be done and immediately start working out what to do. It is quite quick and simple and I can accommodate any client’s budget while still giving them the ‘wow’ effect during the unveiling,” said a smiling Hayley.

The motto she lives by is ‘choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life’ and this has worked well for her as she can sometimes work late into the evenings and on weekends. ” I love what I do as it is totally my passion and it is not just my job. I work a lot and never seem to stop but then again it doesn’t really phase me.” she said.

Her calling was realised when she was a little girl, painting and redecorating her room up to three times a year. She even learnt how to sew as a way to make her own curtains and bedding – helping create a new look and feel to her room on a tight pre-teen budget. Her talent was soon realised by her friend’s parents and they would often call on her for advice when renovating or needed help in changing a space in their homes.

When she matriculated, studying interior design was a no-brainer for her. Once the three-year course was done and dusted she dabbled in interior design for a bit but joined the family business, went through a rough divorce and was then hired by another furniture fitting company where she worked for six years. She then decided to take the plunge by jumping into the deep end by launching her own interior design company, holding thumbs that it worked. At any time, Hayley can be found working on between eight and 12 projects, the most recent of which was a complete revamp which she completed in a tight deadline of two weeks.

Her work will be on display at the East Coast Radio House and Garden Show’s KAPOW stand where she has partnered with the fabric experts, St Leger and Viney. The seven designers showcasing at this stand have been given a space of 3x2m, and as a teaser Hayley said they will recover chairs with latest fabrics and will be using a 2017 Dulux colour on the walls. It is all so hush hush and quite exciting.