Job Description: Freelance Middleweight Interior Designer

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Designers, you will deliver multiple projects at one time, to set critical paths and budgets. 

You will be responsible for key stages within the studio’s interior architecture and FF&E projects providing creative designs, technical drawings and specifications for both residential and commercial projects in the UK and internationally. 

What we are looking for:

• Someone who demonstrates, through every aspect of who they are, a passionate love of design, art and beauty.
• Someone who thrives both working in a team and independently at the highest level on numerous and varied IA and FF&E projects.
• A confident, loyal, trustworthy, dynamic, charming person who can hold their own with clients, suppliers and project teams.
• Someone with a proactive nature, great instincts, open to feedback, with boundless amounts of positive energy. 
• An eagerness to learn and not be afraid to voice their ideas.
• An all rounder with a flair for creative concept generation supported by solid understanding of the necessary technical information required.
• Someone unafraid to take responsibility and ensure Studio Ashby deliver a seamless service to our clients with exceptional communication throughout.
• The ideal candidate must have:
• A degree in Interior Design or Interior Architecture. 
• At least 4 years post-graduate experience in the luxury residential and or commercial sector.
• Full proficiency using Vectorworks, Adobe Creative suite & Microsoft Suite.
• Strong knowledge of both Interior Architecture and FF&E, with the technical understanding to support working across both sides of the business.
• Experience working on all aspects of IA & FF&E projects through all project stages from concept to completion.
• Understanding of project programs and deadlines.
• Financial understanding of project costs and budget awareness. 
• Good supplier and product knowledge, including FF&E and finishes.
• Broad knowledge of materiality.
• Impeccable and concise communication and presentation skills, verbal and written.
• A good eye for presentation layout.
• An exceptional eye for detail, colour and knowledge of FF&E suppliers.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.

We expect you to:

• Provide initial concept ideas for internal discussion and evolve instructions, ideas, guidance and art direction from the Associates and Creative Director.
• Bring and inspire new ideas, helping to source new furniture, antiques and art and original and fresh thoughts to the studio.
• Comfortably produce sketches, drawings, mood boards and client presentations.
• Have confidence and experience in skilled space planning.
• Produce all delivery drawings and specifications to a design intent package level.
• Design and develop beautiful bespoke furniture including case pieces, upholstery, lighting and joinery.
• Proficiently communicate with the project team – working closely with Project Managers, Architects, Contractors and Suppliers. 
• Attend regular internal and external design team meetings.
• Develop, source and procure detailed FF&E specifications and manage a pre-agreed budget.
• Work with contractors and suppliers to ensure the design and quality are executed as per specifications and of the highest standard.
• Use excellent project management skills, establishing internal project time lines, sticking to deadlines and managing workload independently.
• Respond effectively to complex questions whilst working and switching between various projects.
• Manage and check information produced by sub-contractors.
• Trouble shoot on any design or management hiccups along the way.
• Attend site and rectifying snags to wrap projects as quickly as possible.

This is a temporary, 6 month freelance position, with the possibility to become permanent. 

If you think that your skills, experience, and personality make you well suited to this role we’d love to hear from you.

Who are we? 

Studio Ashby is a London-based interior design studio, founded by Sophie Ashby in 2014. We are a dynamic group of twelve experienced designers, working across residential and commercial interior design and creative direction in the UK and Internationally.  We pride ourselves on our positive, professional and personal approach in all that we do. We work efficiently and collaboratively to bring integrity and soul to interior life.  

What do we do?

Our mission is to create habitable spaces with identity. Whether it’s a home, a restaurant, a hotel or a commercial development, we apply the same creative approach that starts with envisioning the lives of the people who will inhabit it. We question what inspires them, what moves them and how we can fulfil their desires and support their needs with our design. Art plays a central role in our inspiration and process. Stemming from Sophie’s own passion and training in art history, we believe art has a vital place in every interior and no space feels complete without it.

Together with interior design we also provide creative direction. This allows us to create immersive experiences in the environments we design, ensuring the character and style of our clients is felt in substance across all details and touch points. Our creative direction includes many aspects that affect how we experience our environments: from art consultancy and buying to bespoke collaborations, books to uniforms, planting to fragrance. With greater consideration to the many layers that make up our interior world, the deeper the connection we have to it in response.

Relationships are core to all that we do: relationships with our clients, our customers, our suppliers, manufacturers and the many craftspeople and ateliers we work closely with. Our work is a collaborative process involving many different people, and strong relationships are crucial for achieving good results. We believe design should be a positive experience and it’s important to have fun along the way.

How to Apply

To apply, please email careers@studioashby.com with a CV, covering letter and portfolio in PDF format, with the subject ‘Middleweight Interior Designer’ letting us know why you think you would be a great fit for this role.

Application deadline is Monday 31st January 2022

Sadly we can’t give feedback to all applicants, and you will only be contacted should you be successful in being invited to interview.