Meet interior designer Terian Tilston, who we had the pleasure of working with in 2021 when we installed her dream hall carpet in collaboration with Alternative Flooring. For those of you who don’t know Terian, she is a talented interior designer who is based in Scotland and was featured on the brilliant TV series ‘Interior Design Masters’ in its very first season. Her notably vibrant and colourful style made her stand out from the very start. Now she designs spaces for others and often implements her signature style, with pops of bright tones and geometric and abstract prints.
We caught up with Terian recently to pick her brain about interior design, inspiration and home renovations and this is what she had to say…
Tell us about yourself?
I’m Terian, mum of 2 wee ones, lead designer and owner of Terian Tilston Interior design, a Fife based design studio just outside of St Andrews.
How would you describe your style?
My personal style is pretty unique and tends to be bold, bright, colourful and joyful. I’m really drawn to shapes and blocks of colour and just whatever makes me happy really.
What’s the most important aspects of designing a home?
A lot of people assume that designing a home is all about just churning out looks and plumping cushions but design is so much more than that. It’s about problem solving. Before I start any design, whether it’s for myself or for clients I try to get to the route of why the space isn’t working at the moment (what’s the problem?) and how we want to feel when we are in the space as well as how it needs to function practically for us. Spending time exploring these questions first and really planning a space out before you buy anything is so important as not only will it prevent you from wasting money on things you probably don’t actually need, but it will ensure you are only bringing things into the space that will help to create the feeling you want for the space and ensure the room functions well for your lifestyle.
How did you narrow down your choices to decide on your ‘Rock’n’roll - Parklife’ stair carpet?
At first, I had thought I maybe should go for more of a “crowd pleaser”, something more neutral, but it just did nothing for the hall and left me feeling a bit meh. I had deliberately painted the walls a neutral colour to allow the light to bounce off it, but also so I could bring pops of colours through the furniture and artwork. The stairs needed to pop and so I started to look at more bold patterns. Practically as well, this is a high traffic area and with young kids, something with a pattern on the stairs works perfectly.
As soon as I saw the Rock and Roll Park Life carpet it was love at first sight really! Every stripe colour was a colour I use in my home colour palette and it was just meant to be. A real wow factor when you walk into our home and brings us so much joy and colour inspiration.
What inspires your designs?
My design inspiration comes from everywhere and anywhere that reminds me of fun happy times really. I’m always looking for inspiration everywhere I go. I would say my love of bold colour comes from my childhood and memories of visiting my granny’s home in Trinidad. I remember her garden always being full of the most beautifully bold and bright tropical flowers with their rounded petals contrasting with the texture of the palm trees.
We love your use of colour, what tips would you give others looking to add some colourful dimension to their own home?
Colour is a fabulous way to change the feel of a space instantly. Firstly, don’t be afraid to use colour, it can always be changed! Think about how you want the space to feel, whether that is calming, light right airy, or warm, cosy and protective for example. Certain colours can help you achieve the feel you want, so for example, sometimes even if you really really love bright yellow (like me!) it might not be appropriate for you to put it in a room you want to feel calm and at peace in because it is a pretty stimulating colour. Think of the feeling you want first and then look at colours you are drawn to that are giving you those feels.
How easy was it to work with Gillies when having your carpet installed?
It was a total dream working with Gillies having my carpet installed. Although I myself am a designer and I measure up spaces on a daily basis, measuring up for carpets is pretty specialist. Gillies have specialists like Jim (who is amazing) who can come out and not only measure up the space for you for estimates, but will also work out how to stop carpet being wasted. I enjoyed working with Gillies so much on my own project that I have continued to work with Gillies for all my client projects now for stress free flooring selection and installation.
What’s your next interior project inside the Tilston home?
Well… the whole house is still a work in progress really. I have a lot of projects started and not quite finished yet in the home as it’s been pretty busy with our wonderful clients’ projects. However, the next dream project in the house will be a pretty big renovation project seeing us extending the house to add bedrooms for the kids and a bigger studio for my business as the business has grown significantly since I first started. One day!
If you want to know more about Terian or would even like to enlist her expertise for your next project then find out more on her website: https://www.teriantilston.com/