We talk to Emma Sims-Hilditch, the Creative Founder of Sims Hilditch, an award winning interior design practice based in the idyllic countryside just outside of Bath. Sims Hilditch has featured in the Sunday Times Top 30 and the House and Garden Top 100 Interior Designers lists, among others. We talk to Emma about what makes Sims Hilditch so well recognised for its timeless English style, creating homes that not only enhance the quality of the inhabitant’s lives but feel lived in and homely. Emma discusses how the skills she learned during her early-career working in the film industry helped her to make Sims Hilditch the success that it is today, evolving it from a small business making curtains on her kitchen table, to a fully-fledged design studio with a team of more than 30 strong.

WY: Tell us about your background … When did you realise you had an interior design flair, and how did Sims Hilditch come about?

ESH: I am lucky to come from a creative background – my mother was interested in the latest interior trends and was always changing the décor of our home and my father had his own loom on which he would weave. However, I started my career in film production working under director Ridley Scott. It was here that I learnt the importance of impeccable organisational and management skills in business which I have been able to translate into running my own interior design studio today. 

ESH: Sims Hilditch came about when my husband John and I made the decision to move out of London to have a family. We acquired a run-down but beautiful home in Wiltshire with adjoining barns and set about making it our first project, transforming into a family home. It was from here that I started making curtains from my kitchen table. This progressed into advising clients on the rest of the décor in their home until my business grew so much that I needed to take on staff to help with my projects. Eventually we purchased a dilapidated former coaching house in the Cotswolds which we transformed into a beautiful design studio, from which Sims Hilditch still operates today.

WY: How would you describe your own interior design style?

ESH: Sims Hilditch interiors are a fresh take on traditional English style. We champion intelligent design and the highest quality materials, ensuring that homes both old and new are designed with our client’s needs in mind. We incorporate a blend of antiques, our client’s existing pieces where possible and a range of contemporary furniture and finishes into our interiors, creating a layered and curated aesthetic that is full of character.

WY: You have an incredible way of making a space feel like ‘home’. When you’re pulling a scheme together what would you say is the most important thing to consider?

ESH: The most important thing to consider is how our clients live their lives and how the design can be adapted to accommodate this. We spend time getting to know our clients before starting work to their property, making sure we fully understand their needs and requirements so that we can design an interior that they will want to live in for years to come. 

WY: Where do you seek your design inspiration from and where do you start with a new project?

ESH: We take huge amounts of inspiration from the English countryside; we are very lucky to be surrounded by the most beautiful scenery at our Cotswold studio. Plenty of inspiration can also be found in the existing architecture of a property, its location and even in a particular piece of artwork, fabric or material that speaks to you.

WY: What do you most enjoy about your job and what do you think are the biggest challenges?

ESH: I love to create homes that are a joy to spend time in. A home is uniquely personal to the individual and we delight in finding ways to incorporate our client’s passions and needs imaginatively into their interior. Working with listed buildings can be a challenge due to certain restrictions, however we love to work with architects and listed building specialists to get the best out of these historic properties.

WY: What would you say is one of the most important factors when designing a room?

ESH: Lighting is key. We always recommend working with a lighting specialist or interior designer to plan this important aspect of design. If lighting is mismanaged then it can spoil the atmosphere of a room and can be costly to change.

WY: Your style is so quintessentially English, what would you say are the main differences designing city vs country?

ESH: In both city and country properties, we work to achieve a balance of contemporary and traditional style inspired by the English countryside. This might come through in tongue and groove panelling on the walls, floral patterned fabrics or wallpaper and plenty of natural materials, balanced with a range of contemporary pieces and finishes. Whether city or country, we are led by the inherent character of a building and our client’s brief when determining the concept design, always with the highest quality materials and a timeless aesthetic at its core.

WY: Finally- do you have a favourite Yeoward piece and why?

ESH: It is very difficult to choose a favourite – William Yeoward produce such beautiful and timeless pieces that work brilliantly in our interiors. We have used WY in newly-built homes, Georgian townhouses and historic homes alike.

https://www.simshilditch.com/