SME News Q4 2024 / 30 Most Influential Colour Consulting Specialist 2024 - Central London A specialist interior colour consultant who is also a BIID (British Institute of Interior Design) Industry Partner as well as a certified CPD trainer, Fiona de Lys feels immensely proud to make her living helping homeowners, interior designers, and paint brands to create vibrant, colourful spaces. As well as consulting on both a national and international level, Fiona also provides bespoke talks, demonstrations, and coaching sessions, as well as brand ambassadorship and press styling. The impressive portfolio of Fiona de Lys speaks volumes about the quality of her work, and some of her career highlights include filming for Benjamin Moore UK, delivering talks at Clerkenwell Design Week, featuring in the English home magazine Town and Country, and styling for such brands as EE and Tesco’s ‘Finest’ range. Having solidified her presence in the UK market on the back of these accomplishments, Fiona has set her sights in recent years on expanding internationally, consulting for clients in the US and the Middle East. Wherever in the world her projects are being carried out, Fiona’s process is very similar, and she is recognised for a unique personal methodology that sees her read colours in 3D to craft a bespoke palette for every client. Representing a blend of science, perception, and imagination, this approach sees Fiona draw inspiration from an ability to visualise the hues of colour combinations formed on the back of the intrinsic relationship that exists between the light and architecture of a space, a unique gift that continues to serve her well. Exploring this further, Fiona explains: “My personal observations and studies through my work and the inspiration of Trompe L’œil (from my heritage along the Italian Riviera) have enabled me to see, read, and re-interpret natural movements in colour.” Those brands which understand colour in the same way as Fiona can benefit from her services, which are anchored around the Aesthetic Narratives® concept, where she conjures up dialogue with a space and intersperses this with the client’s colour DNA to transform a mere room into an atmospheric haven. “As an interior colour specialist, my work enables me to expand beyond paint and to connect different design disciplines, making me an influential colour consultant for the brands and individuals I collaborate with.” It would be fair to say that the relatively new role of a colour consultant which Fiona embodies really started to take off after the pandemic, with people beginning to realise the importance of both nature and colour across design, something that starts with their choice of paint. As Fiona herself puts it: “We have moved from selecting colour for colour’s sake, to selecting colours which mirror our lifestyle, ethos, and psychology. And that is what I do – help people to select the best paint brand and colours for their home.” Despite some of the more obvious similarities, the role of a colour consultant is different to that of an interior designer. Sharing more about the history of her role, Fiona tells us: “The role of a colour consultant was originally introduced via independent design houses offering advice for their own brand, which is how I started when working for Edward Bulmer Natural Paint.” Soon realising that a broad-brush approach would be better, Fiona made the choice to become the conduit between a client, a brand, and the overall colour experience. Such a mindset has opened up a world of growth and personal development opportunities for Fiona, who has evolved in the role by deepening her understanding of colour on a personal level, as opposed to seeing it simply from a brand standpoint, and then applying this newfound awareness back to the framework that she started with. As a result, Fiona is proud to today work with a selection of unique brands, and her deep understanding of colour, especially the subjectivity of it, is what continues to propel her career in this space. Reflecting on the strong year she has had; Fiona tells us she has some exciting projects in the works which will soon be revealed to the world. Beyond this, Fiona is committed to focusing her efforts over the coming months on supporting individuals and brands through her training and consultancy services – helping her clients to answer questions around the best paints and colours to use for their home in the process – ultimately making Fiona de Lys a deserving recipient of the award for Most Influential Colour Consulting Specialist 2024 - Central London. Contact: Fiona de Lys Company: Fiona de Lys Web Address: https://fionadelys.co.uk/
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