CWC Spotlight: Georgia Cannon, Interior Designer

This week we’re back with another profile of one of our members: Georgia Cannon, director of her own interior design studio, which focuses on small-to-medium-scale boutique residential and commercial fit-outs. Enjoy reading about Georgia’s story and swooning over her lovely work!

What path did you follow to what you do now? 

I remember designing geometric houses for friends and family on graph paper in Year 5, so I guess this path was somewhat predestined!

After faffing about for a bit post-school with a gap year and some indecision between studying architecture and interior design, I completed a Bachelor of Built Environment (Interior Design) in 2007. From there I worked in a couple of formative roles: one based in Brisbane for a multi-national, multi-disciplinary studio, with a quick stint in their Bangkok office, and another in a Melbourne-based studio that also involved a bit of time spent in their Sydney office. It was whilst I was living in Melbourne that I realised I would love to head home to Brisbane and do my own thing. That was at the end of 2012 and it's been a steep but ultimately rewarding learning curve since then!

What does a typical day involve for you? 

Clients often think the life of an interior designer is all about glamorous shopping trips, but in reality there’s a lot of sitting in front of the computer! A typical day starts with going through my weekly to-do list and prioritising action items for that day. From there, it could be meeting with clients or reps; visiting showrooms or work sites; sketching, drafting, scheduling or responding to emails; bookkeeping or updating social media (which usually falls to the bottom of the list!).

What have been one or two favourite recent projects or commissions?

Pitch and Fork café is a recent project that was small but wonderful to be a part of. The tenancy is situated within a beautiful new building on a site that has great local history. My clients were fun to work with and really trusted in the design process.

Pitch and Fork café (image by Cathy Schusler)

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your work? 

Interestingly, when I first started out, all of the advice I received was to say ‘yes’ to everything. But as I’ve moved through the teething part of starting a business, I’ve really learned the value of saying ‘no’ when you need to. It can be nerve-wracking the first few times you do it, but if you say no to that project that doesn't quite fit with your ethos, it means you’re ready, available and enthusiastic when the right one does come along.

What are your plans for the future?

Mid-year we’ll be moving into a beautiful new studio space with some of our favourite Brisbane creative, so that will be super exciting! On the project front, I would love to have the opportunity to design a boutique hotel.

Church House (image by Cathy Schusler)

What are you or have you recently enjoyed… 
…watching?

We don’t have a television in our home but we do watch a bit of Netflix on the iPad and I tend to gravitate towards embarrassingly trashy TV for a bit of escapism.

…reading?

I currently have three books on the go: Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell; Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes; and The Win Without Pitching Manifesto, by Blair Enns.

…listening to?

I listen to a broad range of music. If you were to take a snapshot from the last twenty-four hours, you would have heard the Internet, Tina Turner, Justin Timberlake, Diana Krall, Masego, Elder Island, Jose Gonzalez, Oddisee and Miles Davis, but in the car I usually listen to ABC Classic FM.

M2 House (image by Toby Scott)

Can you list for us your top resources across any media that you turn to when you’re in need of creative inspiration?

I love Nowness [an online video channel], in particular the In Residence and Great Gardens series. I also love looking through old design magazines and books. Everything old is eventually new again!

What drew you to becoming a member of CWC?

I had recently returned to Brisbane to start my own business and CWC seemed like a lovely, supportive community of like-minded women that it would be a privilege to be part of.

What do you enjoy or value most about being a member?

I really enjoy checking in to the members-only Facebook group to see what other members are up to, hear about their triumphs and challenges and, most importantly, how other women have tackled those challenges in their own practice.

What is the best advice you have ever received, and what is the one piece of advice you would offer to a young artist, maker or designer?

Trust your instincts. Sometimes in the creative realm it can be difficult to explain to a client why what you’re proposing to make or do is right for them, but if you’ve fully engaged in the briefing process and done your research, sometimes you just have to have the confidence to ask them to trust you.

To find out more about Georgia, visit her website and follow her on Instagram (@georgia_cannon).

Opening photo: M4 House (image by Cathy Schusler)

Phoebe Miller is a member of the CWC Board. Her professional background covers experience in marketing and communications for the corporate, arts and not-for-profit sectors. She also ran her own creative side project, designing and making accessories under the moniker Simply Phoebe. Follow her on Instagram (@simplyphoebe).

How to design your own creative workspace

By Diana Scully

I was never much of a desk or office person. In my previous profession as a lawyer, I had the opportunity to work at a communal desk and then was later given my own private office. While I do enjoy working in a quiet environment, attending the same location/room/chair each day was a challenge for me. So it’s no surprise that having now moved out of the corporate world and running my own interior design studio, the opportunity to work where it suits me best, is such a benefit to me.

While I still have my own office, where I get to display, decorate and style my own way, I don’t have to confine myself to this location, every day. Luckily for me, my role as an interior designer means I’m not always designated behind a desk, so I embrace the opportunity to mix things up and find spaces that give me the freedom to work at my greatest capacity and feel creative.

Transitioning from a practising lawyer into an interior designer, I have learnt how how to set up my work environment to maximise my ability to think and dream creativity for my clients. In this two-part series, I will share with you how you can adapt your environment to give yourself the opportunity to maximum your working capacity and allow yourself to be creative. In my following post, I will interview other creative women from Creative Women’s Circle to see what others are doing to inspire their creativity. Hopefully, during this process, you will gather some inspiration to covert your workspace into an inspiring, creative one.

Think beyond the desk

I think we’ve all learnt to believe that you are most productive when you sit at a desk. After all, for many of us, going to work means sitting at your workstation in an office environment, right? Not necessarily. Some of my best work has taken place in my favourite cafe with my headphones on, in the local library on one of their many armchairs with my feet up, or even taking my meeting calls as I walk through a city park or stroll along the beach. After spending the last year in LA and not having a designated workspace, I’ve learnt that I can equally if not more so, be productive at locations that make me happy and accommodate my needs (i.e. internet access). So think beyond the office desk and immerse yourself in various environments to allow yourself to think differently.

Your space is an extension of you

If however, routine, consistency and organisation is what you need to work productively, then a designated workspace may be the winning formula for you. In that case, before you set yourself up and run down to the nearest office supply store for your standard desk and chair combination, reconsider your space. Why not create an environment that makes you feel excited to come to everyday?

A few ways to avoid working from a typical workstation:

• Choose an unconventional desk chair  - maybe a favourite armchair or dining chair? Or set up a few different seating arrangements in your space like a bean bag or sofa.
• Bring in your favourite table lamp or floor lamp.
• Choose a dining table for a desk and use boxes, crates, baskets and bedside tables as alternate storage options.
• Create a vignette of little pots in one corner of your desk, filled with greenery to offer you constant energy throughout your working day.
• Avoid bare and blank walls by hanging up your favourite prints or posters to keep you motivated and inspired.
• Place a sheepskin rug at your feet to keep you cosy and warm at the desk.
• Be adventurous with colour and paint a wall in another hue, or for the bigger risk taker, introduce some wallpaper!

Co-work spaces and four-legged friends

Last year, in LA, I spent some time in a co-work space in Santa Monica. Not only was this space a breath of fresh air from the stagnate interiors of the corporate world, it was an opportunity to meet new people, each doing their own thing. A fabulous place to network, discuss and explore your ideas with like minded attitudes and work in an environment that was comfortable, relaxed and free from rules and systems.  Plus, most co-work spaces allow you to pick and choose the days you want to come in - so there’s no on-going commitment!

One of my favourite perks from working in this LA co-work space was it allowed guests to bring along their dogs for the day. This was such a delight! I instantly felt more relaxed and comfortable in my unfamiliar surrounding with a furry friend at my feet. Generally, dogs were well behaved, even as they roamed the hallways or nuzzled their noses into your legs, begging for their next scratch.

If you are lucky to have a gorgeous four-legged friend, next time consider taking him on a walk on your next meeting call or to sit beside you when you work from your laptop at your favourite cafe. I found that having a dog near by helped me keep calm and relaxed during my work day and a good excuse to take a break and pop outside for a walk.

Look inside then look around

To maximise your creative energy each day, you need to understand what sort of environment you work best in. Be open to exploring different locations like a home office, co-work space, local library or cafe and if it suits you, don’t restrict yourself to the same space every day. Give yourself the opportunity to explore new surroundings in hope to encourage you to think a little differently. For some of us, who thrive on routine or require a point of reference for work, don’t limit your environment to a mundane, boring space. Avoid conventional furniture arrangements and use unexpected pieces that will help you create something special. Be passionate about where you work! Setting up a workspace that makes you feel comfortable, as well as address your business needs, will no doubt keep you feeling creative and excited about what you do. Choose to create a space and find a location that reflects who you are. After all, how you work and play is a representation of your business and brand. Embrace this to design a space that is an extension of you.

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Interior Designer, Diana Scully owns and operates her own interior design firm, Spaces by Diana that’s all about designing beautiful, personalised homes to reflect the people who live in it. Diana also has her own lifestyle blog, Spaces + Places, where she regularly writes about inspiring spaces to see and visit from around the world and shares her recent travel adventures. This year she has plans to spend time abroad in the US. Follow Diana on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.