“As designers, our aim is to make people feel good and comfortable in the space where they live or work. We develop
good relationships with the client by listening well and communicating effectively, both visually and through discussion,
to come up with interesting ideas that are achievable, appropriate, that look effortless and are inspirational.
Our approach is never formulaic…we use a sometimes surprising mix of elements, often with very classical roots, but
the outcome is always entirely fresh and modern.”
FIONA DENHOLM
Denholm Partnership connects effectively as a team by drawing continually on each others skills, individual knowledge and long experience. Although we work independently on certain commissions, the majority of our interior jobs are developed alongside and as part of a whole building project so that creative and technical elements are considered together from an early stage giving the end result a greater sense of cohesion and seamlessness.
Understanding the client and really getting to grips with their ideas, their lifestyle, their business... is our starting point. We ask questions… what is the function; what should the focus be; how will colour work; will it feel good and is it the right solution for the client? Looking at the architecture of the building; having an understanding of the scale; using imagination to play with the space....we use all of these skills to find a solution that resonates with the client.
For most projects, mood boards are put together at an early stage. These work as a visual tool for conveying our concept. By pulling together all sorts of ideas and often quite random elements, the structure begins to form and an aesthetic begins to flow quite naturally.
Although we try not to impose a ‘style’, our work has an identity and a character. Our interiors are never noisy or ostentatious - we aim rather for a sense of quiet elegance, a feeling of calm and balance through use of simple finishes and by a continual process of editing. We like the juxtaposition of old and new, of pieces with a history, things that aren't labelled, things that we feel confident that in five years' time the client is still going to love. The framework we create should generate a sense of longevity so that it can evolve and get even better over time. A design solution that functions well on a practical level and, above all, one that delights - is, in a nutshell, our objective.
