Founder of Shag Interior, Sophie Newlands, rounds-up the busiest month yet for the home of maximalism...
Wow, what a month here at Shag Interior – the home of maximalism! February has been a complete whirlwind and as I am writing this up I can’t believe how much we have packed into such a short month!
Let’s dive in!
Staffordshire Funding Festival
Let’s get started with the Staffordshire Funding Festival. This was a an event put on by The NextGen and Staffordshire County Council at Bet365 Stadium. The turnout was great and the speakers were exceptional. I gained a lot of knowledge and made some valuable contacts.
Ignite & Thrive
The following day I had a 1-2-1 session wit Bethan from the Rocketeer Group. We talked through my business journey so far and my goals, as well as the strategies I have in place and the areas I need additional help. I found Bethan to be a wonderful support and her presentation was insightful. As far as I know The Rocketeer Group offer support services to all SME’s regardless of where they are in their journey, so they’re definitely worth getting in touch with.
You can reach out to them here
Rome
On 9th Feb my husband and I went to Rome for 3 days! Brad has always wanted to go to Rome so I booked the trip as a Christmas gift and we had the best few days. We stayed in the most beautiful AirBnb (happy to share the link if anyone is planning a trip – just get in touch), and we really did pack a lot in to the time we were there.
From a design perspective, Rome is just breathtaking. The history and romance of the city is a feast for the senses, but my favourite part of the whole trip was doing a 5-hour tour of the Vatican at 7:30am! By 8:30am we were up inside the dome of St Peter’s Basilica where you can literally touch the original mosaics laid by none other than Michelangelo himself!
This work is beyond amazing, it’s one of the most impressive things I have ever seen – for me it was more amazing than the Sistine Chapel ceiling! And, for anyone who doesn’t think guided tours are for them, I urge you to give this one a go, the amount of history you learn is just incredible, and the tour guides have a great sense of humour.
Returning from Rome late Tuesday night I went straight back into a very busy 2 week period of back-to-back paint work which has been exhausting but so much fun!
Paint Work
I did a beautifully subtle, cloudy limewash at a barn-style property in Uttoxeter, followed by a gorgeous, deep purple colour drench for a music room/office in Stafford. For more info on my paint services check out my services page here
Behold, the Shagmobile!
I hit a milestone in the middle of the month and bought my first ever van! This was a really proud moment for me and signified the growth of my business. I can’t wait to get her branded now!
Zebra Print Ceilings… A Masterclass in Maximalism!
I was booked to do a maximalist ceiling design for one of my interior design clients and I had a blast! The neck-ache was totally worth it for the results.. a hand-painted, zebra print kitchen/diner ceiling… has anything ever been as Shag Interior as this?! Totally obsessed, can’t wait to help them source the decor now!
More Paint Work
Last week I was booked to do a feature wall for a cool hair and beauty salon in Walsall. I am going back to add more to it and refine the design a little so this is just a work-in-progress but I’m really excited to go back and finish it off!
This week I have had the honour of painting a nursery for my soon-to-arrive baby niece! This was the first time I’d painted a pink limewash and I love it so much – please give me more jobs like this, it was a joy to paint!
Last Few Days
The last 2 days of the month have been spent catching up on admin and design work. I love working on site for my clients but I also cherish my desk days as I sometimes feel like I’m lost when I haven’t had much chance to make sure I’m on top of everything.
How has your month been? I’d love to hear about your DIY projects, see any new homeware you’ve bought or just hear about what you’ve been up to, so leave a comment below or get in touch using any of my channels!
I am currently booked up until April, so if you are thinking of hiring me to do a paint job, or you’d like to become a design client, please get in touch ASAP so we can reserve some dates! Contact me here