KLC staff & lecturers

Julia is Director of Flexible Learning Department at the KLC School of Design, and Director of Nightingale Designs which she established in 2001. She has completed a number of large residential projects both in the UK and overseas and has a regular column in The English Home magazine where she is also resident Interior Design expert.

Simon used to enjoy all the architecture and design programs on TV when he was young, but strangely didn’t consider making a career out of design until he had already tried his hand at surveying (with the Ordnance Survey) and several jobs within the aviation industry (another passion). His career change was made at KLC, where he was awarded the IDDA prize for Creativity. In addition to his own projects, he has worked freelance for several architects and designers over the years and also created a room-set for KLC at The Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair at Earls Court. He enjoys the challenge of ensuring that the training KLC provides is both current and relevant to the industry, and he is also open to private design work. In 2009 his first book, The Fundamentals of Interior Design, was published.

Kevin graduated from RADA with a diploma in Stage Management and enjoyed a career in Theatre and Opera, working with most of the UK's major opera houses. He retrained at KLC on the Diploma course and graduated receiving the BIID award for Creativity and Communication. Having worked in the industry he then returned to KLC as a staff tutor. As well as his KLC commitments, Kevin undertakes design commissions, CAD draughting and consultancy work on a freelance basis. He is a regular contributor to Livingetc and other industry publications. Outwith KLC, his passions include surfing, alpine mountaineering and long-distance running.

Annie is an award-winning designer and an RHS Chelsea Flower Show Silver Medal winner. As well as running a busy garden design consultancy, she has created about 50 gardens and has been instrumental in setting up and developing the garden design course at KLC. She has recently appeared in two garden design programmes on TV to much acclaim and has been inundated with commissions as a result.

Judy Jarman has been a practising interior designer for several years having graduated from both KLC design school and Chelsea College of Art and Design. She worked as part of the design team for 5 years at an international interior design company specialising in 5 star hotels. Major projects she was involved in include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London and the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados. Since then she has split her time between freelance residential design and tutoring at KLC design school. Based in London, she specialises in Open Learning and in dealing with overseas clients.

Peter Darty is the Head of Interior Design History at the KLC School. He has been working in interior design for over 30 years. He studied history and art in UK and Italy. He worked at Sotheby’s, and has subsequently combined lecturing and with design work. Prior to joining the KLC, Peter lectured at the V and A Museum, Chelsea School of Art and the Inchbald School of Design. At the school, he lectures on the history of design, which includes architecture, interiors, furniture and decorative objects. Peter’s design work has included the conservation and restoration of historic buildings, as well as interiors with an historic context. He has also designed several national exhibitions. Peter is the author of several books on the history of furniture and design. Publications includes: English, French and American Chairs, Interior Design, A Guide to English Furniture, Porcelain and Pottery Marks. Peter wrote the section for the History of Style included in the Open Learning Course manual.

Max runs a successful IT consultancy business - Quarr-IT - providing individual clients with a broad range of services including tutoring, 3D modeling, web design, IT support, networking and multi-media production. He also undertakes freelance consultancy work with Todhunter Earle Interiors among others and has several years' tutoring and lecturing experience within the industry.

Liz has worked for many years in the travel and Investment banking industries in Ireland and the UK . A move to New York prompted a change in direction and Liz decided to pursue her love of art and design by training at the New York School of Interior Design and the KLC School of Design in London . Since graduating from KLC in 1998, Liz has undertaken freelance design with a number of designers including Ray White of Raylian International. In 1999, Liz was awarded a Gold Medal for Design Excellence by the IDDA for a room set created for KLC at the Daily Telegraph/House & Garden Fair at Olympia. Many valuable commissions followed, which encouraged Liz to set up her own Interior Design practice based in Colchester where she works on residential commissions in the London and East Anglian areas.

Tim is a chartered design consultant and project manager working in the commercial and residential sectors. With over twenty years experience specialising in building restoration and conservation he has worked on a diverse range of projects both in the UK and abroad which include hotels, health clubs, night clubs, embassy work and high-end residential. Tim has run a design and build company undertaking numerous mid-market conversions in conjunction with North London based practice Alexander Associates of which he is senior partner. He is also a membership assessor for the CSD and is about to commence a PhD.

Natalie graduated in interior design BA Hons at "The University of Central England" and then went to work as an Interior Designer for various design practices. She has been involved in both commercial and residential projects. Alongside her design career she continued to study and practice fine art and has work published as prints by 'Winn Devon / Encore Art Group' and 'King & McGaw'. In addition to tutoring Natalie now works freelance undertaking commissions for design, interior visuals, murals and art works. Since graduating, Natalie has gained extensive teaching experience at several UK colleges.

A former Deputy Head-teacher, Peter completed the KLC Diploma in Interior Design, winning the KLC/Nairn Student of the Year award. Peter's own design business initially focussed on interiors but, following a wedding in his garden, the business changed direction and he has been very busy ever since designing and building gardens. To date Peter has designed gardens covering a wide variety of styles from formal traditional to minimal modern, ranging from small London courtyard gardens to large country family gardens and gardens in Turin and Dijon.

Morwenna is an interior designer who began her career running her own soft furnishings workshop in London. An established journalist, she writes on interiors and home style for newspapers, magazines and the web, and advises and trains many major UK companies including ICI Dulux, Prestige and the John Lewis Partnership in style and home fashion trends. Her books include First Home Soft Furnishings for Hamlyn, and The Home Decorator’s Tile Bible, published in both the UK and US. She has appeared on many TV decorating shows across all the channels, and is a popular interiors ‘agony aunt' on BBC radio.

After completing a Certificate in Interior Design & Decoration, Natalie went on to graduate with a Degree in Interior Design with honours at the Liverpool John Moores University. At university she completed many design projects including the renovation of two hotels and a cinema. Since graduation Natalie has been working on the design of her own property combined with freelance projects. Natalie also continues to work full time as a support tutor on the Blended Learning course.

Carlene came from the television industry where for nearly 20 years she was a producer, director and researcher of gardening, business and children’s programmes. She has designed dozens of gardens, including a 1-½ acre Chinese water garden with interconnecting ponds at Camberwell in southeast London . She now combines her garden design work with teaching horticulture and design. In 1995 she was invited by South Thames College (Putney) to set up and teach their first City & Guilds horticulture course, with an emphasis on garden design, and in 1999 became a garden design tutor at KLC. Carlene also oversees building renovations, and is currently involved on a residential house and garden project in Suffolk.

Following a career in I.T. and Programme Management working within the Media sector, Jan retrained at KLC graduating from the Diploma course in 2005 and winning the Zimmer and Rohde Professional Presentation Award. Since then she has worked with Christopher Cook Designs, award winning Interior Designers providing professional refurbishment, interior architecture and project management for a portfolio of international clients and Pangea Home, importers, distributors and retailers of contemporary indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting and accessories from South East Asia. She continues to run freelance design projects alongside her tutoring role at KLC.

Following a career in Marketing and Project Management, working with international consumer brands and latterly within the arts and heritage sector, Kate retrained at KLC, graduating from the Diploma course with honours in 2004 and winning the Kuoni prize for Best Hotel Design. Since then she has worked alongside Hugh Leslie on the design and refurbishment of a number of high-end residential refurbishments, and undertaken a series of private residential commissions. She continues to run freelance design projects alongside her tutoring role at KLC.

Emily left her career in the city to take a place on the KLC Interior Design Diploma course. She graduated with honours in July 2003 and won the BIID student bathroom competition. On graduating she took a job at Woodstock Design in London, primarily focusing on a large commercial project in Spain. She is now running her own practice working on residential projects in London and Hertfordshire.

Daniela graduated in 2003 with a first class honours degree in Interior Design. At university she completed many design projects including sites in New York and Lisbon. Soon after graduating, Daniela joined a design company in Hertfordshire where she gained four years experience. Within her time there she completed many residential projects throughout London and Hertfordshire and specialised in designing show home interiors. Daniela now works as a freelance designer as well as a full-time tutor at KLC.

After several years of property redevelopment Steve enrolled at KLC. Upon graduating he set up his own interior design practice in2style working on residential and commercial projects in London and East Anglia.

Arlene graduated from the Glasgow School of Art with BA Hons Interior Design in 1996. She started her design career with architects in Glasgow before moving to Birmingham to continue in her fields of workplace, retail, hotel and exhibition design. Arlene moved to London in 2000 and began work for Imagination, a global leader in commercial design and branding. She became creative group head in 2003 working on diverse international projects for the likes of Aston Martin and Nike. Arlene has continued to specialise in retail and leisure design with recent freelance work at Harrods and new concept designs for Travelodge. Arlene enjoys helping colleagues and friends with residential design, specialising in colour and materials technology and is also a commissionable portrait painter.

Samantha studied Fine Arts and Interior Design in Australia and while studying worked as a stylist for magazines and as an art director for films and advertising. In Australia she worked in commercial (offices and corporate), domestic and hospitality sectors doing everything from basic space planning and CAD drafting to concept design and decoration. In London, Samantha has worked in pub & restaurant, and commercial design. She found it a great challenge to have an opportunity to transfer her skills to another country and culture - especially one with such history and has learnt first hand about the preservation and sympathetic development of buildings that are for the most part, older than Australia! Sam now works as a freelance designer as well as a full-time tutor at KLC.

A highly experienced interior designer, Clare has a degree in 3-Dimensional Design. She has tended to specialise in retail work and as a freelance designer/illustrator her clients included Marks & Spencer, Boots and Hamlyn Publishers. As a senior designer for leading retail consultants, projects included outlets for La Redoute, Bimbus, Oviesse, The Children's Shop and HMV. Recently she has been working mainly in Europe taking projects through from the conceptual stage to on-site implementation.

Roz graduated from KLC with a Diploma (Hons) in Garden Design. Since then she has built up a successful garden design company in South West London called Leafscape Designs. Despite her busy schedule she is also a support tutor at KLC for the full time Garden Diploma and Certificate Courses and a marking and personal tutor for the Open Learning Diploma Course.

After graduating with a degree in business studies, Piers worked for the ‘Admirable Crichton’ party planners as a manager and logistics coordinator. He left the company in order to spend more time renovating and developing residential properties, which he continues to this day. After briefly working for FT interior design, Piers studied for the KLC Diploma course in 2003 graduating with the Cole & Sons prize for History of Style. After graduating he worked for ‘John Cullen Lighting’ which gave him a strong understanding and appreciation of the role of lighting within interiors. Piers currently undertakes small residential commissions and consultancy work while working as a studio tutor at KLC.

Steven is a qualified architect and interior designer with 20 years post-graduate experience in the leisure, hospitality, retail, residential, and exhibition sectors in the UK and internationally. Steven was based at Conran & Partners for 10 years and as a project team leader saw a number of the practice's key interior projects through at all stages, from concept to implementation. Since leaving Conran & Partners he has been at a variety of practices in senior positions and leading creative teams. As well as his position at KLC, Steven is undertaking freelance design projects. In parallel with design, he writes and records music for film, television and advertising.

Graduated from KLC School of Design in 2001 having had a previous career in Theatre Design and is currently working, with her builder husband, in property development. She has practical hands-on experience of building and decorating. Recent projects include turning a basement into a bright and spacious playroom; a refurbishment of a maisonette in Barnes and a Grade Two listed flat in Camberwell.

After graduating with a degree in Business Science and working in Personnel Management, Kim decided to follow her real love and signed up for the KLC diploma course.  She graduated in 1996 with honours as well as the top student.  After gaining invaluable experience in a small, growing company she set up her own business and has worked on many interesting, diverse projects.

Ruth graduated from KLC in June 2002, after working in the City for 15 years, and then went on to Kingston University to obtain a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Interior Design. Ruth runs her own design practice based in Essex and has done a variety of residential projects, including home offices and gyms. Ruth is also the Head of the Student and Associate Committee for the BIID.

Following a career as Picture Editor for a magazine publisher, in 2000 Janet retrained as a garden designer at the Pickard School of Garden Design in London. This was followed by a City & Guilds course in Plants & Planting Design. Together with other students from the Pickard School Janet was awarded an RHS silver medal for a courtyard garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2001. Since moving to Hampshire shortly after qualifying, she has been running her own garden design business based in Petersfield, designing gardens and planting schemes for private clients as well as for architectural & interior design practices with whom she regularly collaborates.

Victoria worked for many years in production or film and television before deciding to diversify into interior design. Since graduating she has run her own successful interior design and decoration consultancy service for private residential clients and her specialist teaching subjects are colour theory and psychology, materials and finishes and window treatments.

Paul set up his garden design and project management business in 1996 and has since gone on to work on some prestigious projects, recently winning the Supreme Award for the best garden in all categories at the Association of Professional Landscapers Awards 2003, for a 3.5 hectare garden in Cambridgeshire. Paul specialises in Hard Landscape & Construction and Plant Science and is in his fourth year as a tutor at KLC. He is a full member of the Society of Garden Designers.

Brenda Gibson has been in the design industry for 18 years and has gained recognised qualifications in Interior Design and teaching from Chelsea School of Art, Brighton University and The Open University. Brenda currently runs a successful Interior Design practice with a reputation for high quality residential design, encompassing Interior Design, Internal architecture and Interior Decoration. Its with this knowledge, experience and passion that Brenda approaches her lecturing at KLC.

Catherine was brought up in the flatlands of East Anglia in the UK and it is possible to see the influence of the sweeping horizontal landscapes and vast skies in many of her designs. Her first degree is in Mathematics and as well as qualifications in Garden Design she also has an MA in the theories of spatial design. She is a Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers. Catherine undertakes design work around the UK and in Europe for private and public clients. Recent commissions include a collaboration with staff at Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg to create a large public garden in woodland which opened in 2008. Catherine also teaches, and writes for various publications. Her book, A New Naturalism was published in 2005.

David is managing director of Keechdesign; www.keechdesign.co.uk. After graduating from the Royal College Of Art in 1989, he worked for many years as an associate at Norman Foster’s practice, Foster and Partners. He then moved to Japan to work as the first non-Japanese designer at Yamaha’s HQ in Hamamatsu, founding Keechdesign upon his return to the UK in 2005. The company specializes in the design of interiors, product and furniture. He is also a visiting tutor at the Royal College Of Art.

Working from his studios in Suffolk and London Gordon Lindsay has been creating interiors for clients for over 25 years. He has no “house style” as he prefers to design to meet the client's needs as well as reflecting the architecture. He is a Past Chairman of the BIID and is keen to promote the Profession and to pass his experiences on to a younger generation. As Director of Gordon Lindsay Design he has worked on many residential and commercial projects, including many large companies such as Levi Strauss and Singapore Airlines.

Ksenia Pavlova graduated from KLC School of Design in 2007 having previously worked in investment banking and advertising. Since then she has worked on designing a show apartment in a high-end development of a property development company Chester Row, as well as several projects for Scarib, including a bar in Cape Verde, a pub in Fulham and an estate agent’s office in Notting Hill. Ksenia also runs her own design consultancy Dom Designs and has recently completed a residential project in London.

Sarah initially studied Fine Art, graduating with a First class BA (Hons) degree in 2002, before going on to study Residential Landscape Architecture at the Oxford College of Garden Design in 2004. Since then, Sarah has exhibited at the RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows winning Gold and Silver flora medals for her Show Garden Designs. Current commissions include working as a planting and design consultant on the 2012 Olympic Gardens for the LDA Design. Hargreaves Associates design consortium. Sarah is also a visiting lecturer in Planting Design at the Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield.

After graduating From RMIT in Melbourne with a degree in Industrial design, Linda worked for one of Australia's most influential interior design firms. After achieving her Green Star Accreditation, Linda has embraced and implemented sustainable design within a number of Australia's blue chip companies. Linda moved to London in 2008 and has worked on numerous retail, hospitality and commercial office projects which include Nike, All Saints and Ministry of Sound. She is currently freelancing to produce design concepts for a number of firms in London.

Amanda has a BA (Hons) in Garden Design from Middlesex University. This degree is given in conjunction with Capel Manor. From 1977 to 1983 she trained and then worked in horticulture, as a member of the Parks Department at the Borough of Hillingdon. Since 1983 to the present day she has been working as garden designer and plantsman on a freelance basis, as well as teaching and tutoring for KLC School of Design.

Like many people, Juliet chose garden design as her second career, having originally trained and worked as a hospital doctor in London. Since graduating as a garden designer she has moved to the south coast, where she runs her own garden design practice and specialises in difficult sites and naturalistic gardens. She devised and runs the Higher National Diploma Course in Garden Design at Plumpton College and her first book ‘A New Naturalism' is about to be published.

Barend completed his Interior Design BA Degree in Cape Town at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He graduated with a distinction, and became a member of the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society for the top 15% of the University's graduates. Barend has completed an internship with LSDA Interiors, which specializes in hospitality and retail design, and whilst a student, also did freelance work on many retail, hospitality and housing projects. He tutored for 3 years at CPUT in perspective drawing, history of design, computer aided drawing and presentation methods before moving to London in 2008 where he now works on freelance projects.

Following 8 years in Marketing and seeking a new challenge that would combine her business skills with her passion for Interior Design, Helen graduated from KLC with honours in June 2003 and then worked with Joanna Wood in Pimlico. Helen now has her own design company based in Sussex and undertakes a variety of high end residential projects.

Joanna Swabey is an interior designer who, after graduating from the KLC School of Design, set up her own practice Just so Design, specialising in both contemporary and traditional residential design. Her current projects include the decorative make-over of a 70s style living room and the full refurbishment of a family home. Prior to retraining, Joanna worked in the City as the Marketing Director of a National Professional Services firm.

Debby has spent the last twelve years working in the interior design industry resulting in a very diverse portfolio of work. Although currently working on two, new build, domestic projects, much experience has been gained in the commercial sector, particularly in the leisure industry (hotels and a sports centre). Debby also has a ‘Design Help' consultancy service which is ideal for smaller residential work where the client prefers to manage the project but does need expertise and advice. Working from her studio in London W5, the majority of the work she undertakes is in the locality which also enables her to teach and lecture at KLC. Although her specialisation is in refurbishment following an MSc in Construction and Refurbishment Management from The Bartlett Institute, University College London, her goal is to one-day build a brand new home incorporating all the ideas, experience and new technology of today.

Sue Launched Sue Timney Limited with the Opening of flagship showrooms in London 's Notting Hill in 2003. This new brand is a fresh view of interiors, textures and colour from Sue, marking the beginning of a more personal design statement, while retaining the power and strength of image associated with her name. The new ST collections include silk woven fabrics, and signature prints together with furniture produced in Scotland. Current Interior Design projects include the refurbishment of the Field Fisher Waterhouse building in the City of London, a Mayfair penthouse, and family houses in Notting Hill and Hampstead.

Sue is a member of the Guild of Guide Lecturers. She has worked in two principal London auction houses, both buying and selling and cataloguing works of art. She has been awarded the Victoria & Albert Museum's Certificate in Fine and Decorative Art and SOAS's Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. She runs her own lecturing and guiding agency, organising educational tours for fine art enthusiasts in the United Kingdom and India.

Tina worked in the travel and interior retail industries in her native Scandinavia before she came to London to study at the KLC School of Design. Since her graduation as “top student” with the “Outstanding Student of the Year” award from the International Interior Design Association in 1996, she has specialised in high-end residential projects for private clients. In 1998 she designed a dining room for the Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair for which she was awarded a Gold Medal.

Rebecca is design director of Light IQ, an innovative and independent lighting consultancy. Rebecca has completed in excess of 650 projects ranging from interior and exterior residential spaces to award-winning hotels, bars and cutting edge restaurants across Europe. Rebecca works closely with a number of high profile architects, interior and landscape designers on a variety of projects ranging from listed buildings to state of the art new builds. Recently listed in Vogues Secret Address Book, her wide range of qualifications and experience enable her to present a variety of RIBA accredited CPD seminars. In the past she has been a columnist for House and Garden magazine with projects published in The Times, Homes & Gardens, Country Life and Bridge for Design to name but a few.

Chris is the Projects Director for Gordon Lindsay Design. He started in Contract Law and for the past twenty-five years has been responsible for the Project Management of the practice. He is also an Accredited Arbitrator and Professional Witness in disputes within Design and Architecture. He has been responsible for the space planning and project execution on all the commercial projects for the practice.

Biense is a qualified architect and Principal of a practice offering architectural, building development and illustration services, including design, management and implementation. Prior to this he undertook freelance work for major British architectural practices such as Chapman Taylor Partners, Lesley Jones, Elsworth Sykes Partnership and Ratcliffe Stott Associates. Projects have included hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and housing. Winner of a number of design competitions he has also taught at The Arts Institute of Bournemouth, Kingston University, The University of Nottingham, The Inchbald School of Design and the Surrey School of Art and Design.

Professionally trained in Australia, Ray graduated from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. He was awarded ‘Outstanding Graduate of the year award’ by the Design Institute of Australia in 2004. After working on numerous award winning projects in Hong Kong, Brisbane, Sydney and recently London, he established Ray Yuen Studio Ltd. in 2008, offering design services in London and abroad. His key experiences are in commercial projects including retail, corporate, hospitality and leisure. Over the years, Ray has also built a strong portfolio in furniture and product design.