Meet the interior designers aiming to bring pattern and colour back to our lives

"I worked with all the big house builders creating their show homes – it is a particular way of working that has changed a lot over last 20 years since I first started. I still have that company but I’ve always had a passion for wallpapers, fabric and colour – my background is a pattern designer which I did at university, but that has got lost somewhat in the show home side of things.”

Lucy’s career has spanned fashion, floral design, and interiors, with extensive experience sourcing antique and vintage furniture. She had her own floral wedding design business for 12 years, doing the flowers for high end weddings across Yorkshire. But after Covid and with the cost of flowers going through the roof, she decided she no longer wanted to work every weekend, but being very creative she says it was a natural progression to move into interiors.

“Lucy is very creative and we were always talking about all the things we loved when we met 15 years ago when our children were at the same primary school,” says Sara. “We both loved pattern, colour and layering and we felt it was a look that hadn’t really filtered into the North. There are so many wonderful British designers out there that are creating wonderful fabrics and we just weren’t seeing it around Harrogate area. We felt there was an opportunity to fill a gap in the market. A lot of people were moving up from London and were struggling to find the look they wanted up here.”

Lucy says people are often scared of colour.

"Colour can be difficult to work with and for 20 years it has all been about greys and beige and people have just followed that trend – it’s comfortable but it’s just not exciting.” Sara continues: “It all about designing something that is classic and that won’t date but is braver with colour and we want to help people put those colours together with patterns in the right way that will still have longevity. Layering patterns together is actually quintessentially English look –and that’s what we want to do but in a slightly more modern way.

"We do encourage people to push themselves when it comes to pattern and colour.” One example of their work is a Victorian Town House they designed for a couple with young children who were moving up from London to Harrogate during lockdown.

“They had bought this amazing house but it had been done in quite a classic style – grey walls, a bit of bling, lots of chrome – no colour and no soul,” says Sara. “The couple have big personalities and they very much wanted colour but didn’t know where to begin. It was quite blank canvas – they were amazing as they were willing to be led – they were the perfect customer.”

The first thing they did was get rid of all the white – the skirtingboards, woodwork and ceilings are all different colours juxtaposed with a wide variety of patterned wallpapers and fabrics.

The friends say they both bring something different to the table. "I have the technical know-how,” says Sara. “Such as how much fabric you need for curtains and how much wallpaper we need and my passion is in the fabrics and wallpapers. Lucy has this amazing eye. We go out sourcing together. We can go to a huge antiques fayre together and she will spot the most amazing things.”

Lucy, who also has a marketing degree, says they have a shared vision.

"We often turn up at events wearing the same thing. Or I will say to Sara I’ve spotted something and she will get her phone out and already have screenshotted it. So our vision is really connected but we also bring different things to the party. It is also really nice to work together as a team as sometimes running your own business can be lonely and it’s lovely to have someone to spark ideas off.” Braham MacNicoll Studio blends classic English style with a modern edge, creating beautifully layered interiors that feel both timeless and lived in. From full home renovations to single-room refreshes, their expertise extends across Yorkshire and beyond, with an online consultancy service available UK-wide.

With a love for colour, pattern, and texture, the studio mixes antique and contemporary elements to design spaces that are stylish, functional, and full of personality.

Their services range from fully managed Interior Design - working closely with architects and builders - to bespoke consultations for smaller projects. They give online consultations via Zoom on a room by room basis, sending out a design, swatches and sample boxes and shopping list of where to go to create the look they have designed.

“The client can be anywhere in the country. They send us lots of photographs and then they take us round their room or house on a Zoom call and show us the area they have issues with and giving us a real feel for the room so that then we can put something together for them,” says Sara, who added that this was of working has become far more acceptable since Covid.

“At Braham MacNicoll Studio, we believe a home should be a reflection of the people who live in it,” she says.

“Our process is highly collaborative, guiding clients every step of the way to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also practical and personal. We want people to smile when they enter their house. “At the end of the day we are trying to create a joyful interiors,” she says.

www.brahammacnicollstudio.com