Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

66 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

LimitedEdition’sHesterGraingercatchesupwithSouthOxfordshireinteriorsexpert

KellieSabey,sharingherjourneyfrominternationalretailtocelebrityinteriors

Wheredidyourloveofinteriorscome
from?
Ihavegrownupwithapassionforinteriors
allmylife.Mystepfatherwasaproperty
developer,anartistandfurnituremaker.
Whilstmymumhasaninbuiltsenseofstyle
andcreativity,alwaysmakingourhomes
beautiful,soformethatwaseverydaylife!

Wheredidyourcareerstart?
Aftertakingayearouttotraveltheworld
afterIfinishedmyeducation,Ijoined
MarksandSpencer’sheadofficeintheir
recruitmentdepartment.Iwasresponsible
fortherecruitmentoftheirheadoffice
specialists.Thisincludedtheirbuying
division,andIsoongainedtheroleofbuying
assistantandwasfast-trackedthrough
theirgraduatetrainingschemetobecome

alingeriebuyer.Myfinalrolewasasrange

selectorforlingerieinalltheEuropean

stores.Itookvoluntaryredundancywhen

theyclosedthebusinessinthosemarkets

andwentontojoinTKMaxxastheir

ceramicsandglasswarebuyer,progressing

throughtomerchandisemanager.My

responsibilitiesincludedheadingupateam

ofbuyersandlookingafterthehomeware

division.AspartofmyroleIspentalotof

timetravellingandsourcingproductsfrom

allovertheworld.Itwasanamazingjob

andtaughtmesomuchabouttheartof

negotiationandbuyingtherightproductsto

meetcustomer’sneeds.

Whatmadeyoumovefromretailto

interiors?

IleftTKMaxxafterIhadmytwodaughters,

OliviaandSofie,andsetuptheHomeware

divisionforBrandAlley,ownedbyNews

International.AlongsidethatIhadbeen

projectmanagingtherenovationofourown

homeswithgreatfinancialsuccess,each

timewecametosell.Afterfinishingour

lastrenovationIdecidedIwantedtooffer

thisservicetootherpeople.That’swhenI

enrolledonacourseatKLCSchoolofDesign

inChelseaHarbour.Iwantedtoproveto

myselfthatIhadwhatittakes!Igraduated

withadistinctionandstartedoffbyrunning

smallerprojectsforfriendsandfamily,until

IofficiallylaunchedKellieSabeyHomesin

2015.

Whodoyouusuallyworkwith?

Mybusinessisbasedpredominantlyin

OxfordshireandWestBerkshirebutIhave

AN INNATE

SENSE OF STYLE