We chat all things interiors with Sara Thompson, how she entered the world of design, key tips for designing your own home and how she puts together her stylish, practical and most importantly timeless designs.

WY: Tell us about your background….How did Thompson Clarke Design studio come about? 

ST: I’ve always loved Art and Design. It was a favourite from a very young age and although I didn’t start out in interiors, I’ve always sought an outlet for my creativity, both at home and personally. I had the chance to study Fine Art at school and when I finished university I took a job at Adam’s Auction House in Dublin and just soaked up every morsel of learning and creativity that I could. It was so formative for me. While my career as an interior designer and my professional life with Thompson Clarke Studio didn’t start until I was 31, I really believe that my years working in the fine art world helped me form my own creative point of view. 

WY: How would you describe your interior design style or ethos?  

ST: As a designer I strive to create timeless interiors that balance the contemporary with the classic and speak to the purpose and character of the space and the lovely clients who will enjoy it. Our designers are best known for their use of colour and texture and when it comes to colour, it’s all about balance. We have a lot of fun creating room schemes that weave colour through the space like a story, picking out particular beauties and highlighting natural light and texture. 

Staying true to my auction and art gallery days, we source from auction houses and regularly buy from the many artists I’ve followed for years and known first-hand. These relationships and celebrations of art have been intrinsic to the TCI look. Building interiors around art is a personal and meaningful way of making a house feel like a home. Not only is the sustainability of these items a win but we find they add incomparable character to each space. 

WY: What are your biggest interior design inspirations? 

ST: I’m most inspired by the art and antiques that we source and integrate into our designs. Starting a scheme around one particular item of interest has always worked for us and allows us to create something beautiful. I have to say that William Yeoward collections have always been a huge inspiration too - I was in awe of William and his immense passion for fabrics, colour and pattern and I often think of this connection when I’m putting together a scheme. The injection of colour and texture is fundamental to how we develop our projects. 

Travel is another inspiration that I constantly draw from. I took a sourcing trip to Marrakech earlier in the year and I’m still bursting with ideas for schemes and projects inspired by what I saw. The colours, the light, the bustle of the city and the craftsmanship around every corner is just so illuminating. I saw endless carpets, gorgeous ceramics, and shining metalwork that could have filled 10 suitcases. Every moment was packed with uplifting sights and I’m excited to integrate even a fraction of what inspired me into my designs. 

WY: What do you most enjoy about your work? 

I feel incredibly grateful that my work is different every day. One day I might be meeting clients in the showroom and the next, I’ll be out on a site meeting or sourcing art. The variety keeps everything fresh and exciting. I can be creative and playful with each project and the nature of working across many projects at once means I am challenged to find a unique approach to deliver exactly what each client wants and needs. I get a huge amount of satisfaction in seeing a project reach fruition. From those early conversations about the initial brief right through to seeing a building rise from the ground and finally settling clients into their beautiful new space it’s a really satisfying process. Seeing our clients happy with the end results is such a lovely feeling. 

WY: Please can you tell us about your beautiful homes and what were the key inspirations behind them? 

ST: When we’re embarking on a new project, we start by getting to know the clients and understanding the location of the property so that we can draw on both of those qualities to really deliver the brief. We take time to get to know what is important to the clients, do they have any collectibles or art they’d like to bring focus to? Are there components that we can source for them and build our schemes around? Once we’ve learnt everything we can, we design from there. Colour and texture always inspires our schemes and we love to find something unique to work with as a centre piece to a room. 

WY: What, to you makes a house feel like a home? 

ST: I always think you need to throw in some children and a few dogs to make a house feel like a home! Something at least to take off the pristine edge of an interior because life is not as regimented as a mood board or floor plan. I really believe we have to design for real life. Whether it’s a roaring fire, or the chaos of a school day, every day life makes a house a home.

WY: Being a professional interior designer did you come across any unexpected problems when designing your own home? 

ST: No project is ever plain sailing and that applies to my own home as well as our client projects. In a full build, there will always be changes and unexpected bumps in the road. For us, we know to expect a few twists in the path so we’re prepared to think on our feet and counteract any issues with lots of solutions from our experience of being in the business for over 10 years. 

When it comes to client projects, trust is the most important thing. We spend a lot of time getting to know our clients and their brief so that if issues come up, our clients feel comfortable with the solutions we propose and together we can agree on a next step. 

WY: What key piece of advice would you give anyone looking to renovate their own home? 

ST: My advice is always to start with a floor plan. Get your measurements and work up a basic floor plan of your space, that way you have the foundations in place to make decisions about furniture and the general layout of your room. Without that initial plan it’s all guess work and that for us is a mistake to eliminate early on. 

Bear in mind the scale of your room, the height of the ceilings and the light you get into the space. Scale your furniture and accessories to fit. It’s also key to have a clear idea of your budget. Invest what you can into staple pieces like your sofa, bed, dining table and chairs - things you’ll be sitting and lying on and really using every day. It’s better to invest in quality essential furniture that will stand the test and trends of time. 

WY: What is your favourite room in your house and why? 

ST: I spend most of my time in the kitchen and sitting room. I love that we have light on three sides of the space so that it’s always bright and uplifting and we have a lovely aspect over the garden bringing nature into how we live every day. For me the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the place I most associate with being at home and where everything happens. I also love how the kitchen and sitting rooms are so full of colour and texture. We’ve included so many rich shades of old and new, a tapestry of our family life that runs from art to kelims, antique furniture to family photos. 

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

ST: I love the William Yeoward Overbury Table, for me it’s a hero piece that is hard to look past in any scheme. We absolutely adore the scallop edged apron and the soft weathered wood, plus the fact it comes in two sizes means that it’s perfect to include in a hall or a bay window where it sits so beautifully.