Evette Annandale’s love of design was shaped and matured within the walls of the Inscape Education Group where she obtained a bachelor of design. Here, she first learned about insatiable curiosity and what design thinking means in all aspects of life.
Her career saw her become a well rounded interior designer, gaining experience in residential, hospitality, commercial and retail design.
The philosophy of being a creative problem solver enabled her to first become an established freelancer and eventually ensured that Annandale Design could take flight.
Evette's company specialises in conceptual, retail and office design, taking pride in high level technical details merging effortlessly with art and design. She is always inspired to create spaces of high quality that are authentic and loyal to each client and brief. More recently, Evette launched a connective hub and sourcing platform called Design Central, which people can use to create beautiful homes.
Evette is also a registered professional interior designer and professional architectural draftsperson with her local authorities (IID & SACAP).
I have always had a creative nature, drawn to art, music, dance and theatre. When it came down to choosing a career path there were many forks in the road and options to consider. Would I take to theatre ? Would I study fashion or multimedia? With so many questions, I found there was an undeniable excitement when I thought about interior design and the opportunity it presents to see your imagination come to life - to walk through and interact with your ideas.
Joy shared is joy multiplied. I had wonderful mentors as a young designer and jumped at the opportunity to help like-minded creatives fall in love with this beautiful, ever-changing industry.
Curiosity, Patience, empathy and time-management.
Interior design evolves, repeats, and refreshes constantly. If you remain curious of the people and world around you, inspiration follows. Even if a trend doesn't sit well with your taste, explore the nuances of it with curiosity rather than judgement. Learn to ask more questions. Questions provoke the mind to find an answer.
We plan to execute our designs to the best of our abilities, but projects don't always go the way we wish. Practise patience. With yourself, your clients and contractors. We work with people who have dreams, expectations and desires and we need to find a balance between the dream and the reality and manage it accordingly.
I have been fortunate to work on projects such as beautiful hotel developments in Ethiopia to smaller scale boutique coffee shops. My passion lies in working with brands, understanding the character and persona of the brand and translating that into the built-environment. One of my favourite projects to date has to be Montego dog food. Their offices had to embody a culture of home, being a family run business and their aesthetic was a joy to implement.
Share freely. Discuss openly. Interior design can feel very subjective at times, but learning the fundamentals of it is not. If one keeps an open mind and teachable spirit, the direction given will lead to improvement.
Key skills I focus on are technical acuity and people skills. Understanding people, taking a brief, interpreting a brief and accurately translating that into a design is a wonderful skill to hone.
When I work with clients, their brand dictates the style we incorporate. I find inspiration in immersion. Getting to know my clients well, understanding their ethos and values and the image they want to portray.
Iris Apfel! Her style whether interiors or fashion - the textures, patterns and colour are all divine. Her determination and drive - what a legacy!
The wonderful interaction with like minded creatives around the world! It is wonderful to see how different minds solve the design problems. It enriches my every day!
Stay coachable and open-minded and have fun! You truly don't have to be perfect right from the start (or ever)! Allow yourself room to make mistakes, because then you won't be afraid to try. You enrolled to learn, to grow and engage. We truly have your best interest at heart and hope that you have fun while also getting the best education, learning from our experience.
Image source: Evette Annandale from @annandaledesign.
The journey has been amazing, and I would highly recommend this course to anyone considering a diploma in interior design. The support received from my tutor, the Institute, and the Facebook community has been wonderful.
Johannesburg
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