An interview with Interior Designer, Laura Longden

We chat to Grantham based Interior Designer, Laura Longden, about her signature style, the opening of her new shop and what she loves about Grantham.

What products & services does the shop offer?

I offer various services here. I can offer in house advice on room schemes large or small, and also I offer both residential and commercial interior design services, again large and small. This could be simply visiting a home or business that’s wanting that wow factor but doesn’t have an idea where to start.

I am very excited to partner with Lick Pro paint which I have proudly painted my shop with in various of their shades and I can recommend this for my clients. I’m hoping to have the paint on my shelves when Lick starts to supply shops but currently orders are online with them or myself. They have an amazing company ethos, for every 2.5 litres of paint bought they remove 18g of plastic from the ocean, and for every roll of wallpaper sold they plant a tree. I loved this grand stance on sustainability, but also the paints are fabulous to use and look so striking. They’re low VOC and eco friendly, as well as being a lot better priced than their competitors. I’m just extremely excited about being on board with their brand.

My home scent brand I’m also very excited about is, ‘Marmalade of London’, and this already has been a great brand for me to partner with as they’re selling daily. It was really hard to select which of their scents to stock as they’re all fantastic. I’m really excited to stock their Christmas range this year.

How would you describe your signature interior style?

My style is inspired a lot by nature as I think this evokes so much happiness and relaxation in our surroundings. I like to add a touch of glamour with notes of chrome and gold but I’m very inspired personally by hotel interior design so I do love grand statements such as large lamps, large mirrors and clocks and I specifically love items with a touch of marble.

Why did you choose Grantham for the location of your shop?

Grantham has been my home town for over 30 years. I knew that Grantham had an opportunity for a business like mine, with lots of new housing developments arriving and people moving here after the pandemic from London with us being on the main line. I knew with my family and friend support network, this would be exactly what a new business would need to get it kick started. I’ve been overwhelmed with the support and the lovely new people I’ve met so far.

What are some of your favourite local businesses?

I love a good coffee and cake, and here in the town we are utterly spoilt for choices. Each café here has its unique style that separates them all and I couldn’t say I have an exact favourite as it would be unfair as I buy from all of them throughout the week. I love the jewellers we have here in Grantham and the florists. We certainly could have some more little businesses here to add to the Grantham collection, and I hope my business gives other retailers the confidence to open in the town.

Any plans for the future?

Absolutely! I’m all for planning the next move both in my personal life and now in business. I think it’s so important to keep moving on with things. Go out and grab every opportunity that’s what life is all about. I’m currently working on a few individual interior design projects for clients and I’ll be sharing these on my social media accounts and my website. My website is something I will be growing and getting my business online. I do love the idea of another shop in another location that I’ve considered but there’s plenty of commitments here to keep me busy for now. It’s really important to me to keep the personality in my brand by always being present and not disappearing off into the background.