My courses suit anyone with the desire to study design to a professional level.  They are for people with a need to build strength or add knowledge in specific areas of design practice, for anyone who wants relevant, content-rich and concise design strategies. My courses are also for people who have researched design theory but still feel unclear about how they could actually apply it. All subjects are taught from first principles, all courses are beginner-friendly leading to professional level skills, and all courses include professional shortcuts - the hacks relied on by experienced pros. 

Recipe For A Room courses have 3 great points of difference:

1:  I can't bear having only a superficial understanding of a subject, I need to know the 'why?' behind a 'fact'.  In my courses I explain the proven theories that underpin headline statements.  This equips you to contextualise design and apply it to future projects too, not just in a narrow way on one occasion.  This also means that Recipe For A Room courses are regularly weeded to remove inconsequential fluff!

2:  The most common complaint I hear about other design courses is that graduates are none the wiser about how to actually apply theories.

My courses are part theoretical, part practical and process-based.   By way of practical workshops and step-by-step processes, Recipe For A Room courses show you exactly how to do it for yourself, in the wild, so to speak.  

3:  It goes without saying that Recipe For A Room courses are packed full of design eye-candy and advice on beautifying space, but when you'll be working with a construction team to create the space, you need so much more. Firstly, you need professional communication skills - visual and verbal - so you can formally share your ideas with the wider team...to get the outcomes you expect.  Secondly, you need administrative and management tools and processes for planning your renovation project and keeping it on track...to control design projects and not have them control you.  

Recipe For A Room courses are so much more than just a pretty face. 

Absolutely!  I encourage it.  Nothing is so motivating as working on a significant project, and I want you to get the most out of your learning experience.  

In order to keep the cost of courses to the absolute minimum I don't give personal feedback on self-directed courses. These capsule programmes are made for you to work through in your own time without teacher input.  

That said, I enjoy being in touch with my students, so here are some ways we can connect.  

Book a 1-2-1 session.  I offer online business consultancy - a dedicated period of time to discuss your coursework or professional challenges in depth. 1-2-1 consultancy and coaching is charged at an hourly rate - see the 'contact' menu for more information. Please Note: I can help you to design but I can't give design advice. For structural changes and so on you'll need help from the onsite team, e.g. a structural engineer, builder, plumber, or electrician.     

Online Live Sessions.  I regularly run live webinars, and sessions on social media. These are advertised in advance so you can send in questions and comments, I try to incorporate as many student questions as possible into session materials, working within the available time.  Get in touch if your group would like a live session or webinar, or sign up to my newsletter to be kept in the loop. 

Masterclasses. From time to time we run live executive courses - the purpose of these is to work intensively on improving aspects of professional practice. Masterclasses usually run part-time over a period of 4-8 weeks. Get in touch for more information and forthcoming dates.  

Social Media. Follow me on Instagram where we can chat about design generally, you'll find links to social media in the website footer below.  

As you'll see if you click through the examples in the slide show above or if you follow me on social media, I LOVE colour. However, when I decorated our new home I wanted to create a very particular style and experiment with a palette of neutrals and desaturated colours. I did this partly to practise restraint as a discipline, and partly because our home is also available as a holiday rental with a particular vibe in mind. I'm really pleased with the outcome for this home, however in other images you'll see that I'm just as happy dabbling with colour, or full-on colour drenching!