Accelerate Action is the theme for International Women's Day 2025. The motivation? To have us all take steps towards achieving gender equality, the world over 🤝
Wasting no time, we contacted some of our talented community members, working in all manner of creative fields; interior designers, product specialists, writers — the lot.
🤔 We had three questions for them:
⁕ What ignited your passion for interiors?
⁕ What progress towards gender equality do you want to see?
⁕ Which other women inspire you?
Grab a coffee, take notes and savor the wisdom of this creative bunch ☕
Hey Rebecca 👋 Describe a significant person, or moment, that inspired your journey in interior design.
The homes of my mother, aunt and grandmother have all had a large influence on my idea of what makes a home and my aesthetic.
All three homes are very different in their own way, but they’re all filled with the most beautiful pieces that have been pulled together organically over time. Precious pieces sit alongside what some people may consider tat, all with equal importance. I don’t want a home to feel contrived.
Knowing what you do today, what kind of change would you like to see accelerated for women in the interiors industry, DIY space, or even beyond? 🚀
Although there is quite a large number of women in the interior design industry, the world of business is still very male dominated and you have to have a foot in both worlds to do this for a living.
I would love to see a female lead building company — I am yet to find one. I'd also love to see more female product design businesses across the board. This is definitely changing, but we’re not there yet.
Who are three inspirational women in the interiors industry you believe more people should know about? 💕
I love Alice Gaskell. She has created the most wonderful design business and is a whizz with colour and pattern.
Jessica Outred makes the most beautiful seagrass rugs which work anywhere. Each one is hand stitched together by her.
Emily from @doingupdenbigh has just launched her brilliant new business, Den, which helps people navigate the complicated process of renovating and designing a home. It’s a totally unique proposition which is very much needed.
Hey Tahira 👋 Describe a significant person, or moment, that inspired your journey in interior design.
I’m a first-gen British-Bangladeshi immigrant, and I have lots of very fond memories of our colorful home in Bangladesh. Our home was always full of life, and had plenty of room to host and entertain our family.
My Dad was seen as a bit of a risk-taker when it came to home-decor. In Bangladesh, he painted each room in our home a different color — which is very uncommon for the interior style there. So growing up, I couldn’t wait to do the same in my home one day 🎨
Knowing what you do today, what kind of change would you like to see accelerated for women in the interiors industry, DIY space, or even beyond? 🚀
I’d love for there to be room for even more inclusivity when it comes to the kind of creators that brands collaborate with and give platforms to.
As a woman of color, there’s nothing I love more than coming across the success of other women of color. Historically, there’s been lots of stigma around women of color in creative fields. So, where possible, it would be fantastic for successful brands to take more women on that journey with them.
Who are three inspirational women in the interiors industry you believe more people should know about? 💕
I’m very certain these fantastic women are already very well known, but my absolute biggest inspiration in the interiors space online is @grillodesigns. Medina is such a breath of fresh air, and has created a very successful platform where she’s very transparent about her personal values.
I would also like to shoutout @ninageeathome! Nina Gee is a master at interiors, styling and all things creative. She downsized her home last year and has been very open about how this has affected her family, and it’s a reminder that behind these accounts are real people with real stories.
A final kudos to @lucyalicehome because Lucy has been creating the most insanely gorgeous and colorful home. Every room in her home is perfection, and I’m extremely biased, because of my love for cats, but she has the most beautiful ragdolls — seeing them appear on her posts literally makes my day! 🐈
Hey Taylor 👋 Describe a significant person, or moment, that inspired your journey in interior design or DIY.
When I was in high school, we had a house fire at our family home.
In the aftermath, I was able to watch my parents rebuild an entire house from scratch, and got to understand all of the planning that goes into it. From deciding on a layout, to selecting materials, paint colors and decor — I saw the entire process, start to finish, and that really initiated my interest in interiors.
Knowing what you do today, what kind of change would you like to see accelerated for women in the interiors industry, DIY space, or even beyond? 🚀
I want to see and experience more community in the interiors industry! It can sometimes be an intimidating space and feel very exclusive, so I’d love to see more groups providing support — especially for those new to the industry.
Who are three inspirational women in the interiors industry you believe more people should know about? 💕
Dipa Halder: @dipahalderstudio
Brigette Beach: @tezorihome
Hayley Ellen Day: @hayleyellenday
Hey Nerrisa 👋 Describe a significant person, or moment, that inspired your journey in interior design or DIY.
For me, it was watching my Mum make our houses into homes when growing up. My Dad is in the army and, as such, we moved around a fair bit — into some questionably decorated accommodation (think magnolia walls and green carpets).
Although we were limited to what we could do — in terms of making it our own — Mum was the Queen of rental hacks! We would help her to add wood printed sticky back plastic to the grim kitchen countertops, plus to install tension rod curtains in places we weren’t allowed to drill. Yvonne was truly ahead of her time!
Knowing what you do today, what kind of change would you like to see accelerated for women in the interiors industry, DIY space, or even beyond? 🚀
I want to see more women feeling empowered to take on DIY projects. I personally don’t love the ‘waiting for my husband/partner’ narrative that seems to have taken over social media — In my house, I am the husband.
I totally get being worried about tackling things like power tools and larger projects, but it’s all about trial and error. More access to skills and confidence would assist with this, but it always helps to remember that most things can be put back or, failing that, then you can get a handy person to come and help.
I got good at what I do through failing — more failure please!
Who are three inspirational women in the interiors industry you believe more people should know about? 💕
Micaela Sharp (@micaelasharpdesign) is one of my favourite interior designers. Her specialism is upholstery, which I’m currently learning all about thanks to her beautiful book. I’m hoping to tackle an IKEA chair in some Liberty fabric very soon.
Africa Daley-Clarke (@thevitamindproject) — everything about her design aesthetic is effortless and considered, and I love scrolling through her feed for inspiration. It’s like a digital coffee table book!
Francesca Stone (@fallfordiy) — Fran was one of the first DIY accounts I followed. Her love for crafts and interiors is on par with mine and, if you’re looking to tackle those ‘mini hacks’ and beginner-friendly projects to get you started, she’s your girl.
Hey Gemma 👋 Describe a significant person, or moment, that inspired your journey in interior design or DIY.
I wanted to work in some form of design since attending my high school orientation, and seeing the drafting boards (I might be showing my age here!).
I jumped through all the design disciplines — graphics, industrial design — before landing on interiors. I went to Massey University, Wellington, NZ, to study for a Bachelor of Design. The campus is within the old national museum of Wellington — an incredible space that was so inspirational.
Knowing what you do today, what kind of change would you like to see accelerated for women in the interiors industry, DIY space, or even beyond? 🚀
I would love to see more women within the construction industry! The world needs female building contractors and joiners 👷♀️
In Sydney, there are only a handful, and when I do get the pleasure of working with them, it is an entirely different experience.
Who are three inspirational women in the interiors industry you believe more people should know about? 💕
I love Ruby Sheilds (@_studio.shields) for her unwavering determination to retrain in interiors. She constantly pushes the boundaries, and she is one to watch!
OKO OLO (@okoolostudio) is a multi-disciplinary creative partnership comprising two females, Genevieve Hromas and Juliet Ramsey, based in Sydney, Australia. I love their sculptured forms that straddle handles to lightshades. It is inspirational when designers have an idea and move it from a sketch to reality.
Sally Caroline (@sallycaroline_) is an Australian interior designer and mother to 3 girls. I adore her interiors that balance bold colour combinations with restraint. She also has a collection of stools and rugs, and anyone with three children, an interior practice, AND a collection of decorative items is an absolute she-weapon in my eyes!
Hey Annie 👋 Describe a significant person, or moment, that inspired your journey in interior design or DIY.
Before starting Plank Hardware with my husband, Tom, I worked for Swoon Editions — the ecommerce furniture retailer.
The day of my first interview always feels like a poignant moment for me. I had been working in a big finance department, at a large global corporate, and so when I walked into Swoon's Borough office, I remember feeling like I had walked into someone’s house. It somehow didn’t feel like work, since there was such a vibrant energy about the space and team members.
Working in that business introduced me to the home interiors vertical. I had also just become a homeowner myself, so it felt like a really natural environment for me — and it has done ever since!
Knowing what you do today, what kind of change would you like to see accelerated for women in the interiors industry, DIY space, or even beyond? 🚀
It still feels like there's a gender divide in the home interiors space, where it's often assumed that women do the creative interior design work -— picking out colours, fabrics and furniture — while men lead the charge on project management, liaising with contractors, DIY and budget management.
This is persistent in direct to consumer shopping (“I best go ask the wife first” 🙄) and also in some of the trade businesses we work with across kitchens, construction and real estate.
At Plank Hardware, we aspire to create content that breaks down those outdated boundaries, giving people the confidence to move across them more effortlessly. I would love for that to gain pace in the coming years.
Who are three inspirational women in the interiors industry you believe more people should know about? 💕
I once saw Tania Boler (@tania.boler) — founder of Elvie, the first wearable breast pump — speak at a conference, where she said of her product; “Like every overnight success, it was 7 years in the making”.
I thought this remark really pinpointed her tenacity as a woman in business, determined to set about engineering a truly disruptive product.
Sharon Drank & Emily Arthur, founders of Isla Porter (@theislaporter), for their cabinetry designs, quality products and business branding — all just stunning!
Lastly, all the women of Selling Sunset – Seriously, there's zero Fs given regarding what’s possible for women to achieve in real estate, how to handle hard-selling, plus shamelessly talking about money. We could learn from this culture in the UK, even if we decide to meet it half way!