The brief, such as it was, came from the building itself. The architecture was raw and neutral – warehouse bones, industrial materials – so the colour and character had to come through the furniture. I used vintage pieces alongside high street finds, choosing each one on its own merit rather than around a predetermined scheme. It was through this project that I first understood what I now think of as eclectic minimalism: a pared-back approach where the individual pieces do the work and colour is the connective thread.

There were no bespoke commissions or special collaborations here. What there was instead was a real education in what makes a space feel lived in rather than designed – and in the financial and practical reality of managing a project when the money is your own.

The house won a RIBA Award and featured on Grand Designs. It was one of the most formative projects I’ve worked on, even if I didn’t know it at the time.