Based in London Celia James is a past Director of the British Institute of Interior Design and is currently a part-time tutor at the well respected Inchbald School of Design.
Capable of designing in both traditional and contemporary styles her experience spans almost 30 years during which time she has produced solutions for all aspects of domestic design, retail showrooms, restaurants and concepts for property developers. Her personal taste is for spaces which ‘flow’, impart a sense of peace, and yet are enlivened by an assured use of colour. Eastern design has always appealed to Celia and its’ influence is noticeable in much of her work.
Adjectives frequently used when describing Celia’s design style are ‘calm’ and elegant’ and mention is often made of her clever use of colour. In fact these qualities were specifically noted in Homes & Gardens magazine (April ’92) when her work was described as ‘soothing, pared-down......very elegant’ and again in 25 Beautiful Homes (August ’09) ‘the furniture is chosen to fit snugly and it is pared down to a carefully selected minimum’. Real Homes magazine (August ’04) described her work as ‘relaxing without allowing the décor to become bland’ and the ‘understated feel comes from clever use of colour’. Her use of space is ‘cleverly conceived’. Another quality she brings to her work is her ‘loving attention to detail ‘(Real Homes August ’04) and in 25 Beautiful Homes (August ’09) ‘with such attention to detail it is little wonder that the apartment, though small, is perfectly formed. Her blog 'Interior Design: A Profession' can be followed at www.celia-james.blogspot.com.