Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

108 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

TobiasOliverInteriors, 85 - 87

HighStreet,Berkhamsted,HP 42 DF.

01442818122

tobiasoliverinteriors.com

experienceathomewarestoresanddecided

topursueacareerininteriordesign.He

enrolledattheAmericanIntercontinental

University,incentralLondon,reasoningthat

itsdualdegreewouldservehimwell.

“Youstudythereforfouryearsandyou

havetheopportunitytohaveanAmerican

degreeandaBritishdegree.SoifIever

wantedtopracticeinteriordesigninthe

Statesorelsewhereintheworldwhereyou

needAmericanaccreditation,Iwouldadhere

totheirprofessionalstandards,”heexplains.

T

obiascompletedaseriesof

internships,includingforKCA,

thecompanybehindDubai’s

seven-starhotel,beforeending

upatPorousDesigns,in

Clapham,thenSurreyandLondon-basedHill

HouseInteriors.

Havingrisentoseniordesigner,hewanted

togoitalone–butfirsthehadtoearnthe

money.“Ineededmoremoneytoestablisha

foundationformetoworkfromsoIbegan

workingfreelancefortopdesignersaround

London,”hesays.“WiththemoneyIraised

fromthatIopenedupmyfirststudioin

Beaconsfieldthree-and-a-halfyearsago.Since

openingthat,I’vebeenveryfortunatewith

someloyalclientswhohaverecommended

metotheirfriendsandfamily,whichhasput

meinthepositionwhereIamnow,whichis

openingtheshowroom.”

It’sbeenalotofhardwork,butTobiasis

proudofhowfarhe’scome.Headmitsthe

moveintoretailwasunanticipated.“Inever

knew,afewyearsago,thatthiswouldbethe

stageI’dbeatandI’mreallyluckytobeatit,”

hereflects.“Ihaven’tdoneretailbeforesoit’s

goingtobeanexcitinglearningcurve.”He

doesn’tseethisasdetractingfrom,butrather

enhancing,hisinteriordesign.“Iloveworking

onprojectswithaclientfromtheconcept

tocompletion,andthat’ssomethingIwant

tobeheavilyinvolvedin,”hesays.“It’sreally

excitingtowatchclientsbuildthatconfidence

andwatchthatjourney.”

HOMES INTERIORS

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