Anouska Lancaster is billed by VOGUE as the UK’s most influential interiors expert.
Her work is colourful, unique and as the founder of NoushkaDesign.com she has a vast array of clients who bring her onboard to create one off looks in their houses around the world. She is based in Berkshire and some of her work can be viewed on her website. Anouska is also a busy mum and combines her interior design work with public speaking and bringing up her children.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role.
My name is Anouska Lancaster and I am an award winning Interior Designer. I set up Noushka Design in 2007 as I felt that there was a gap in the market for a forward thinking design company, which tailor made design schemes for the individual. I was bored of seeing non-descript grey and beige interiors; that were soulless and cold. My vision was to create a bespoke design company which created interiors that reflected the various passions, styles and personalities of its clients. My designs are colourful, bold, and brave; and always tell a story. It is important to me that each and every interior is as different as the person that I am designing it for. Noushka Design is a celebration of individuality and personal style.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
I never sat down and planned my career. My career evolved as I did. I have always been artistic and I knew that I’d always fall back onto a career that was creative, even if I went off track for a while. It’s my journey that has lead me to be as successful as I am today. Creative people are very different for academics. Creative’s follow their heart more than their head, and usually this means that you’ll end up doing something you love as it’s what keeps you passionate and alive. I trained to be an artist and then went travelling. Later on, after having my children, I fell into Interior Design and absolutely loved it. It was like a light had been switched back on and I was able to pull on my life experiences to create an original concept and a business that worked with my lifestyle.
Have you ever faced any challenges along the way and if so, how did you deal with them?
When you are an entrepreneur, you face continual challenges. The biggest struggle I’ve faced is believing in myself. After a traumatic marriage and divorce, I decided that I wanted to be an independent woman and finally take control of my life. I wanted to be a woman that could not only support her children, but make them proud of her.
It is incredibly overwhelming to set up your own business from scratch. Particularly for me; as I had zero confidence or experience when it came to running a business. There were days when I was so overwhelmed, and had so little faith in myself; that I wanted to give up. Funnily enough, for me it felt a lot like Motherhood. In that; there was no manual. I literally had no idea what I was doing when I started out and every day was a learning curve. For survival reasons, I soon learnt to take each day as it came and enjoy every moment.
On a typical work day, how do you start your day and how does it end?
Being a ‘mumpreneur’ means that you have to juggle family life with business on a daily basis. My day always starts simply being ‘Mummy’. I will get up and make the children breakfast and take them to school every day. I become ‘Anouska the Interior Designer’ at about 8.30am! Having a family; as well as your own business; means that you have to learn to divide up your day efficiently and learn to master ‘time management’. My children are my priority, so I will attend every event or match where possible. What this means is that I will need to make up the time at some other stage in the day. More often than not, my day ends with me replying to emails or creating mood boards once the children have gone to bed.
Tell us a little bit about your role and how did that come about?
Noushka Design is so much more than a business; it is part of me. I don’t have a ‘work persona’ and a ‘home persona’ – I am who I am; whether I’m working or relaxing with my family.
When I work with my clients, I allow them to be part of my life and vice versa. It is an invite that requires trust and mutual respect. More often than not; my clients become important people in my life.
I pride myself on giving so much more than a simply a colour scheme or a mood board; I give my clients the confidence to create a bespoke interior that enhances their lifestyle. I truly believe that a successful design can only be achieved by spending time getting to know an individual and understanding their story.
Noushka Design is a forward thinking company which encourages its clients to be fearless; and to think outside of the box. I am an ambassador for breaking rules and expressing individuality through personal space.
Noushka Design is like another baby to me. I currently over see every aspect of the business as I admit to being a bit of a control freak! Gaining trust and letting people help you is something that I am slowly learning, but it takes time. I am a perfectionist, and I’ve been brought up being told ‘if you want something done properly then do it yourself’!
Have you ever had a mentor or a sponsor or anyone who has helped your career?
No, I have never had a mentor or a sponsor. However, I am a strong believer in surrounding yourself with positive people; people who believe in you and support you. If it were not for my second husband then I would not be where I am today. Greig has not only helped me emotionally, but as a successful entrepreneur himself; has guided me through every stage of setting up my own business.
Artistically, I have been inspired by Kit Kemp. I am a huge fan of Kit Kemp’s work. Kit Kemp has always been an inspiration for me. Like me, Kit is not afraid to take a step into the unknown and follow her own intuition; against all the odds and the raised eyebrows. Kit Kemp breaks the rules which runs hand in hand with my personal philosophy that ‘there are no rules in Interior Design’.
On paper, my designs should not work……clashing colours, contrasting genres, and intriguing combinations. Yet, the perfect balance of the opposing features, give an overwhelming harmony and a sense of tranquillity to the end result. Whilst at the same time, I ensure that my design schemes fiercely burst with personality and explode with colour. The juxtaposition of these senses, along with the unexpected, is the mantra of my designs.
Kit Kemp’s work excited me the first time I saw it, and for me; that is the key to successful design – excitement. With excitement comes passion and inspiration. The rest is easy. Once you’ve found your inner excitement, you’ll find creating your personal design style becomes natural, just like picking out your clothes in a department store. Articulating this personal design style is the key to creating a room that reflects it.
If you could change one thing for women in the workplace, what would it be?
I think if I could change one thing for women, it would be for women to be given more flexibility with their hours to juggle family and work. I am a Mother myself and just because I have children, doesn’t mean that I am any less capable of putting in the hours, it simply means that my hours have to be more flexible. I know plenty of talented professional women who are not employed because they can’t offer the regular 9am -5.30pm because of their family commitments. I am fully supportive of a new scheme promoting ‘core hours’ in the office being 10am – 3pm. The extra hours are then made up at home either before the children wake up or after they’ve gone to bed. Women should be commended for how hard they work as a Mother and not penalised for doing two jobs!
If you were to look back in 5 years, would you see in terms of achievements?
I would like Noushka Design to be a brand that leads a new wave of Interior Design. A brand that encourages creativity, imagination, and that motivates everyone to think outside the box.
I would most definitely like to get my own line of products onto the High Street within the next 5 years. It’s essential to me that my brand is accessible to everyone, whatever the class or budget. I truly feel that the market is swamped with Interior Designers who have created their own rules and audience, and by doing so; have perched themselves at a superior level. It is this segregation that has created the stigma surrounding Interior Design. It is my aim to abolish this.
My passion is Television. I am so animated and passionate about what I do that TV is the perfect medium for me to reach out to people. I have made numerous TV appearances on ITV, BBC, and Sky. However, I would really love to have my own TV show which would be a platform to encourage viewers to discover their own inner style, and translate this into their home.
