Sally LINES

Psychology and negotiation, two things that probably don’t come to mind when you think about the role of a creative director, but as Urban Lounge, creative director Sally has found, they’re two skills she draws upon during briefing. ‘There’s a lot of using your sixth sense, to understand the part of the brief that a client might not be able to articulate. It’s why I like to ask about someone’s wardrobe, it gives me a feel for your preferences and your lifestyle. If your wardrobe is full of bright colours then chances are you don’t want a completely neutral interior.’  Interior design also entails negotiation, whether it’s negotiating between a couple who can’t decide on a brief or pitching your concept to a commercial client.

Day to day Sally liaises with the clients, many of whom are repeat clients who they have been working with for years. ‘Whilst I love certain projects, what I really love is working with great clients - the more scope they give us, the more our creative juices can flow and the more we can deliver.’ Interiors can be divided into different spheres of expertise, both scientific and emotive and it’s the emotive side that Sally is drawn to. ‘I like imagining finishes and seeing a project through to the end, so I can see it as a lived-in or occupied space.’ It’s why some of Sally’s favourite spaces to design are bedrooms or lounges, it’s all about creating an inviting space that people want to retreat to at the end of a busy day. It’s a mix of colours and textures that will catch Sally’s eye before form or function. Whilst show homes and magazines don’t inspire Sally, glimpses throughout the day do. Maybe it’s a dried branch on a tiled surface and the way light plays around it, perhaps it’s the leg of a chair against a wool carpet - even mess, (which drives Sally crazy!) can provide little bits of inspiration, in the way two patterns work together. 

When it comes to her own style, it’s all about textures, natural noble materials and understated casual tones and colours rather than clear brights. ‘If I’m choosing a tile I like to use natural stone or natural timber which we can stain to make it more contemporary.  I adore Hare + Klein (led by Meryl Hare’s) interiors as a practice, they create a lot of finishes I adore, normally including something that is handmade, so it’s not so shiny and polished. Favourite brands include Elitis (wall coverings and accessories) and fabric supply company, Designs of the Times. 

One of the most important things as a business owner though? Achieving a work/life balance. Urban Lounge works on brilliant award-winning projects with renowned clients, but unlike a more corporate interior design firm, Sally wants to ensure that her team can deliver without burning out, hating the industry or not being able to be there for their families.