The Multi Story Thinking Podcast on Interior Design

Tom BourneTom Bourne is the Creative Director of Select First, a small and highly flexible, full-service PR and marketing agency that's been helping interior and built environment brands stand out for over 25 years. Based in Tunbridge Wells in the southeast of the UK, they work with flooring and interiors clients from the UK and across Europe. Involved in direct marketing, electronic campaigns and traditional PR daily, Tom works with clients on numerous specialised projects, including brochure materials, website development, and integrated communications campaigns I spoke to Tom via Zoom in May 2025 a few days before Clerkenwell Design Week.. In this episode, we discover how Tom developed his skills in the publishing industry.  The importance of authenticity in marketing.  Why manufacturers should take responsibility for the full cycle of their products and their environmental impact.  How informed decisions and understanding definitions helps make sustainable choices. And why, if you really want to understand products, you should go on a factory visit.   LinksSelect First website https://www.selectfirst.com/ LinkedIn Tom https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombournepr/?originalSubdomain=uk Select First https://www.linkedin.com/company/select-first-limited/posts/?feedView=all 1% for the Planethttps://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org The Anti-greenwash charterhttps://antigreenwashcharter.org/ Clerkenwell Design Week-The Gallery Clerkenwellhttps://www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com/exhibitors/gallery   How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d really like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Website http://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Instagram https://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/ Thanks for listening.  Bye for now Research and collaboration

Shanth Fernando is a Sri Lankan entrepreneur and chairman of the Paradise Road group of companies, which includes the Paradise Road homeware stores, The Gallery Café, and the TIntagel boutique hotel. The Paradise Road Stores feature homeware, serveware, décor, objets d’art, souvenirs and more. All products are curated and designed by Shanth Fernando. Locally made items are manufactured by independent craftspeople, ensuring a sustainable growth of the Sri Lankan art and craft industries. I met Shanth at the Gallery Cafe in Colombo with my partner Monica in October 2024 during a visit to Sri Lanka to teach Interior Design at the NSBM Green University In this episode, we discover how Shanth began his career and his move into hospitality.  The challenges of the Sri Lankan insurgency and what to do during a curfew.  The importance of colour, texture, and cultural influences in creating spaces.  The rationale behind the emergence of his signature monochrome aesthetic And why, if you get the chance to compliment a future queen, you should do it.   Links Shanth on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/udayshanth_fernando/?hl=en-gb Paradise Road https://www.paradiseroad.lk/   How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth.https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Or in Sri Lanka on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at NSBM Green Universityhttps://www.nsbm.ac.lk/course/ba-hons-in-interior-design/ Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d love like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Websitehttp://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/ Thanks for listening.  Bye for now.

Jessica Long and Alicia Nelson are the co-founders of interior design consultancy Nelson and Long; an award-winning independent design studio specialising in purpose-built student accommodation.  With over 25 years of combined experience in the commercial sector, their extensive expertise allows them to craft inclusive, engaging, and unique interiors with a sense of home and well-being at the heart. Nelson and Long are based near Manchester in the UK.  I spoke to Jessica and Alicia via Zoom in February 2025. In this episode, we discover how the folding of their employer during the pandemic prompted them to join forces and start a company. How competition in the student accommodation market prompted a shift to more design led spaces.  The importance of understanding student needs and designing for a diverse range of students.  Why future proofing, the longevity of their designs, and reupholstering furniture are the keys to more sustainable designs. And if you are looking to make an impact on a low budget, there is always paint   LinksNelson and Long website https://nelsonandlong.co.uk/ LinkedIN Nelson and Long https://www.linkedin.com/company/nelsonandlong/posts/?feedView=all Alicia https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-nelson-170a16b5/ Jessica https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-long-8098a51b8/   How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Or in Sri Lanka on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at NSBM Green Universityhttps://www.nsbm.ac.lk/course/ba-hons-in-interior-design/ Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Website http://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/ Thanks for listening.  Bye for now

Annika Fernando is a retailer and interior designer based in Sri Lanka. She runs Annika Fernando Design, a multi-disciplinary practice in Colombo, Sri Lanka specialising in interior design and decorating for residential, boutique hotels and unique & select hospitality projects. And is the owner of PR, a boutique selling clothing, jewelry, accessories, natural bath products, and gift and small homeware items. I met Annika in person at her Colombo studio in October 2024. In this episode we discover how a fascination with science has influenced her approach and methods.  The importance of hand sketching skills for developing and communicating ideas.  How studying and working abroad helped Anika establish her own design identity.  The important role of the ceiling fan and how the economic crisis has played a role in encouraging more sustainable design. And why, If you want to build a beach hut, you should build it inland. Links Annika Fernand Design https://www.afdesign.lk/ PRhttps://www.pr.lk/index.php# How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Or in Sri Lanka on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at NSBM Green Universityhttps://www.nsbm.ac.lk/course/ba-hons-in-interior-design/ Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d really like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Website http://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/   Thanks for listening.  Bye for now.

Ben Rousseau is the owner and founder of Ben Rousseau Studio, an award-winning British design house based in Brighton, UK.  He works across the interior sectors with a particular focus on lighting with projects combining art, technology, and functionality, that reflect his passion for design, light, and time. I interviewed Ben just before Christmas in December 2024. In this episode we discover how a side line in DJing at dingy nightclubs prompted experimentation with lights and light effects. Ben’s journey from creating illuminated furniture to developing unique timepieces that redefine how we perceive time.  The art of mixing natural light and incorporating layers of illumination and the importance of experimentation and trial and error in the design process And why, when it comes to Christmas decoration lights, it’s best to keep it simple. Links Ben on LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrousseaudesign/?originalSubdomain=uk Ben Rousseau Studiohttps://www.benrousseau.com On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ben_rousseau_studio/ How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d really like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Website http://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/   Thanks for listening.  Bye for now

Asheni Alwis is an interior designer based in Columbo, Sri Lanka and founder and head of design of The Woodbury House.  Described as an Experience Centre, The Woodberry House showcases design ideas and settings to help clients visualise how they can create their dream space.  The spaces combines interior, furniture, and accessories which combine traditional Sri Lankan craft and production techniques alongside contemporary and innovative design approaches. I met Asheni during a visit to Sri Lanka with my partner Monica in October 2024 as part of a Flying Faculty visit to teach interior design at the NSBM Green University. In this episode we discover how this unique experience centre in Sri Lanka showcases bespoke furniture and cutting-edge design concepts.   We learn about the blend of traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, and how this approach creates stunning interiors for their clients.  We hear valuable advice for aspiring interior designers and the importance of gaining work experience when studying interior design.  And why, when working with contractors, you need to know the detail and be able to speak the language. LinksAsheni on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/asheni-alwis-9b1b41142/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=lk The Woodberry House on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Thewoodberryhouse/about The Woodberry House on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thewoodberryhouse?fbclid=IwY2xjawHQzzZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQCf0B_QO9eN93C58jx4vse48HJSK_gdin8NVp-pYZrTnaww6A6qu-OsZA_aem_GYynvRmzxP-S7-oYadqENg Concept Interiors http://conceptinteriors.lk/ How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer.  Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design or in Sri Lanka at the NSBM Green University https://www.nsbm.ac.lk/course/ba-hons-in-interior-design/ Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and your support and advice along the way. I’d really like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/ Websitehttp://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Thanks for listening.  Bye for now.

Thushar Jayamanne and Lakshinie Rathnapala run Talk Design Studios which is a Sri Lankan architectural and interior design consultancy based in Colombo, Together they lead a dynamic team of associate architects, interior designers, furniture designers, technicians, and experienced consultants, working across the residential and commercial design sectors. I interviewed them during a visit to Sri Lanka in 2022 when I was teaching at the NSBM Green University as part of the academic partnerships program with the University of Plymouth. In this episode, we discover the importance of integrating interior design into a project from the project inception. How the interior design industry is establishing itself within Sri Lanka and the importance of focusing on the core interior elements of a building. How owning a furniture factory helps to deliver the details of their design proposals. The impact of Covid-19 and the Sri Lankan economic crisis on the design process and how it inspired a more creative and sustainable approach. And why, if you are asked to name your favorite Sri Lankan Interior designer, please don’t say Geoffrey Bawa.   Links https://talkdesignstudios.com/   Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com), for production support and invaluable advice on setting up this podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and for your support and advice along the way. I’d like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Website http://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/   Thanks for listening.  Bye for now.

Migette Kaup, Ph.D., is a Professor and Director of Interior Design in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Kansas State University. She also serves as the Coordinator of Aging Research and Graduate Studies for the K-State Center on Aging.  As a designer and gerontologist, her research is focused on aging and environmental relationships.  She uses organisational culture and long-term care policy structures as a lens to understand place-type practices and to investigate progressive changes occurring in nursing homes. I spoke to Migette in January 2023 via Zoom. In this episode, we discover how Migette developed her career and research within the long-term care industry.  How a return to education helped develop a set of design toolkits The importance of interiors in helping to establish patterns of behavior How designing for an aging population can be integrated across multiple academic disciplines.  And why, the environment around us needs to be like medicine More info about MigetteMigette earned her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Her dissertation, titled "Patterns of Culture Change Households: A Graphic Ethnography of Organizational and Environmental Fit," combines her major area of study in aging and environment relationships with her minor area, long-term care policy structures, to investigate progressive changes occurring in nursing homes. Her educational background also includes a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a Master of Architecture in Environment & Behavior and Place Studies with an emphasis in Gerontology from Kansas State University. Migette is NCIDQ and EDAC certified and her professional design practice includes over nine years in architectural firms as well as seven years in private consulting to long-term care providers and design professionals. Her combined areas of applied research and practice over the past 35 years have focused on various aspects of senior housing and care including specialized dementia care and person-centered design strategies. Dr. Kaup is a member and Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE) as well as the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC). She is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). She currently teaches for the College of Health and Human Sciences and serves as the Director of the Interior Design Program. She is also a member of the gerontology faculty through the K-State Center on Aging where she is the Coordinator for Aging Research and Graduate Studies. Her current work at Kansas State University is focused on research in the areas of environments and aging, specifically skilled care settings. Migette is co-PI on the PEAK (Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas nursing homes) 2.0 Program with the Kansas State University Center on Aging. PEAK 2.0 is a pay-for-performance program administered by the Kansas Department of Age and Disability to incent person-centered care (PCC) implementation in nursing homes across Kansas. Her work on long-term care settings and design has been published in both books and journals and she is a regular presenter at national conferences. LinksMigette on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/migette-kaup-047140b/ The Centre for Health Design https://www.healthdesign.org/experts/migette-l-kaup-phd-fidec-fgsa-iida-asid-edac Interior Design at Kansas State University https://www.k-state.edu/academics/majors-programs/interior-design-degree/ How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth in the UK. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d really like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Website https://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/ Instagram http://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Thanks for listening.  Bye for now.

Sharon Simpson is an interior and home decor designer, public speaker, and photographer She founded her design company, Dark Romantix Design Studio, after studying at The Interior Design School, in London. The business has evolved with a recent name change to Sharon Simpson Studio, which reflects her growing confidence and the wider appeal of her design services offer. She is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design and a key member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and has taken part in design talks as part of Clerkenwell Design Week in London. In this episode, we discover the importance of making emotional connections through interior spaces.   How Sharon’s background in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnosis Therapy has helped her approach to interior design.   How rebranding her business has led to more creative freedom.  And why, to help you make decisions, you should choose your five words.   LinksSharon Simpson Studio https://sharonsimpsonstudio.com/ Sharon on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sharonsimpsonstudio/ Sharon on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonsimpsonstudio/ British Institute of Interior Designhttps://biid.org.uk/ Diversity and Inclusion resources https://biid.org.uk/about/diversity-inclusion-resources   How to be a kick-ass Interior Designer. Come and join us on the Interior Design BA(Hons) course at the University of Plymouth. https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-interior-design Thanks to Dave Clarke from @iamthehow (http://www.iamthehow.com) for production support and invaluable advice in the setting up of this Podcast. Kay Hanson (https://www.instagram.com/kay_v_hanson/) for her planning support and co-hosting for these and our educational podcasts for the University of Plymouth Mark Frith (https://www.markfrith.uk/) for composing the music and all your support and advice along the way. I’d really like to hear feedback on the podcast.  Leave a comment or get in touch via the website or Instagram. Websitehttps://www.instagram.com/forster_jonathan/ Instagramhttp://www.multistorythinking.com/contact Thanks for listening.  Bye for now.