A day in the life: OF AN INTERIOR DESIGNER
Helming Mitchell & Eades’ Dubai studio, Alika Watson (@mitchellandeades) designs exciting interiors in the luxury hospitality and F&B space
6am
My natural alarm clock kicks in as Haze the cat gently prods my face. I spend some time on my Morning Pages journal, practice yoga, and then enjoy a cup of rooibos tea before getting ready for the day.
7.30am
I like to listen to a motivational podcast on the short journey to our DIP studio, which puts me in a good head space and often inspires me with ideas on how to improve certain systems or approaches to business or personal habits.
8am
Mornings are usually filled with co-ordination calls – these could be with architects and engineers that we are working with, or internal calls to workshop design elements for various live projects.
11am
I try to follow an intermittent fasting regime, so it’s time for a second cup of tea or smoothie and a healthy snack (although the occasional doughnut is proof that I’m only human!). Prospective client meetings are next – it’s great to be able to have in-person meetings again, as face-to-face allows for a completely different dynamic.
1pm
Lunch time usually means either leftovers from the previous night’s dinner or something light, like a poke bowl or salad with grains.
2pm
Afternoons are for site or supplier meetings. It’s important to stay up-todate with the latest fabrics, fixtures and materials in the market. We have an incredibly useful sample library for putting together client design schemes and sample boards, as being able to get a physical feel for the finishes being used in a space is a great selling tool.
5pm
The fast pace of projects in the Middle East means that it isn’t always the case, but on a good day I will start to wind down, do a final email check and perhaps browse a few inspirational websites or articles.
7pm
My husband and I chat about our day while cooking dinner together, then it could be a Zoom call with far away family or catching an episode of an escapist drama. I will also check in on social media and do some life admin over yet another cup of tea.
10pm
Time for bed. I try to get eight hours of sleep, and in an ideal world would read before nodding off, but I usually don’t manage to get through many pages of my current book!