Home  Latest News Mum swaps Aberdeen office desk for paints
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Mum swaps Aberdeen office desk for paints |
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 A mother-of-three left her office job and took inspiration from her young sons to start her own interior design business aimed at children.
Ashley Wilson, from Bridge of Don in Aberdeen began Kids Interior Design Studio, KIDS, last year with the help of Business Gateway Aberdeen.
Ashley had given up her job as a recruitment consultant to raise her children and during this time often designed and decorated their rooms with hand painted murals.
When she returned to her old profession she realised she longed for a career change so she decided to put her artistic skills to good use and become an interior designer.
She said: “I returned to work after a six year career break to raise my three sons. I used to love my job as a recruitment manager for the oil and gas industry but I soon realised that it had changed in the years I was away and I didn’t enjoy it as much. I knew that I wanted and needed a new challenge.
“Over the years I had designed and decorated my son’s bedrooms and from that I was asked to do family members and friends also. So deciding on my career change wasn’t hard.”
KIDS is the first dedicated children’s interior design company based in Aberdeen. It aims to create the perfect haven for children whether it is a bedroom, nursery or hospital play area. Ashley does everything herself from the initial design to the paint work and has so far hand painted murals of footballers, cartoon characters and fairytales for dozens of delighted children.
And as a mother herself she knows how fickle youngsters can get, so always stresses that the room should still be of interest to them as they get older.
She added: “I do a mix of private and corporate work which is great. If I’m doing a bedroom I always like to sit down with the child and ask what they are interested in and what they would like.
“A child’s bedroom is much more than just a room to them; it’s where they study, socialise, entertain and have privacy. It should be a special place for a kid, filled with colour and exuberance. There is nothing better than seeing their faces when it’s all done, their smiles are priceless and I know then I’ve done the right thing.
“I’m also really pleased to have started getting a steady stream of corporate work. I enjoy doing smaller areas, even a children’s corner in a waiting room, as it allows me to come up with something that will appeal to all children.”
Ashley is now working on developing her own wallpaper and sticker range that she will sell online and is hoping to expand into doing soft furnishings later on in the year.
Once she had the idea to start her own interior design company she approached her local Business Gateway office to seek advice and support. “They have really helped me get up and running. I’ve taken advantage of their networking events that have proved to be helpful especially initially. I’ve relied a lot on word of mouth to get the business known in the area and these events helped me do that.
“Since I’ve never had my own company before it’s a real boost to know that someone with expert knowledge and experience is on the other side of the phone ready to give you the help you need.”
Gillian McLean, Business, adviser at Business Gateway Aberdeen said: “Ashley spotted a gap in Aberdeenshire for this type of service and she is now reaping the rewards. Not only is she running a successful company but she has returned to her first love of art. Ashley has benefited from our advice and she knows that we are here to support her as KIDS develops.”
CONTACT:
T: 01224 708 241
www.kidsinteriordesign.co.uk
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