He finds beauty in everything, but his ultimate in luxe design is the bedroom. Wayne Clarke of And So To Bed loves nothing more than to curl up in a beautiful bed! Sangeetha Swaroop finds out why he was born to design.
For as long as he can remember, perhaps from the moment he uttered his first syllable, Wayne Clarke says he has been talking about being creative. As a young boy his hands could never rest; they were always moving objects around the house in a quest to get a new decor perspective or simply because "(the thing) wasn't where I wanted it to be".
It wasn't uncommon, he remembers, for his mother to walk in after a day out and find the entire living room setting changed or an antique boasting a new splash of paint. Even his weekly allowances were spent on draperies and other soft furnishings to refurbish his bedroom.
Growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, young Clarke let his creativity and imagination take over, sowing a seed for a passionate affair with all things beautiful.
"Interior design is in my blood," says Clarke, currently creative director of And So To Bed, London, who was in Dubai recently to conduct a two-day workshop on designing dream bedrooms. "Perhaps I inherited it from my grandmother who was very artistic. I'm also fascinated by colours and textures. Colours excite and enchant me they bring back fond memories and awaken my senses. I also love the feel of luxurious fabrics; the softness of silk, the velvety feel of cashmere and the richness of angora."
However, while studying at a fashion design school, he quickly realised that this wasn't where he wanted to be in the long-term. "For me, it was more about texture, scale and design mixed with paint colours and finishes," he says.
After gaining hands-on experience at a couple of design companies, Clarke set up his own interior design firm in Zimbabwe concentrating on projects for embassies, luxury hotels, executive residences and high-end boats. Clients were attracted by his ability to transform any interior into a welcoming, appealing and attractive ambience.
Moving to London in 2000 and joining And So To Bed marked a major change in Clarke's career. Here, naturally, he was dedicated to designing the bedroom only. Decorating this all-important room, he says, is all about layering starting from the floor, working up to the paint on the walls, choosing a bedstead, mattress, bed linen and duvets, and accessories and art on the bedroom walls.
Clarke has a penchant for creating bedrooms that have real impact incorporating both the traditional and more contemporary designs but often with global inspiration.
Clarke's style is best described as eclectic and versatile. He loves nothing more than creating drama by putting together a room that offers the unexpected in a stylish way.
Design is all about creating an environment that is practical, comfortable and covers all budgets and tastes. My design ethos is to pass that experience on to our customers.
We all have regrets; it's part of human nature. We don't have control over our destiny, but I believe that with a good moral compass, you can make wise decisions. But if you live by the sword, you die by the sword too.
Without a doubt, beauty is my inspiration. I could find it in nature, in architecture, in the history of art, the feel of a cloth, a colour scheme, the way somebody dresses, a personality with good character or even a lovely poem.
My sister is my closest family member she lives just two and a half hours drive away from London and is in the restaurant trade. We make it a point to meet at least once or twice a month which may not sound much, but given my travel schedules, its really hard work. My parents still live in Africa.
I always find something unusual in everything I look at even if it's just a pebble on the beach. At trade shows, I can walk through the venue and instantly pick two or three items that are unusual. I am grateful for this ability.
Trade shows and various projects take me to several destinations around the world. What you see in And So To Bed is a result of all my travels. At the moment, I am enamoured by equine art. I've always loved horses and used to own one.
On a visit to our factory in the Far East, while going through old collections of furniture, I suddenly spotted a shimmer of distressed gold on wood. When I pulled it out, it turned out to be a fantastic console table, covered in carvings. My immediate thought was, 'I must have it, otherwise I won't sleep at night!' The happy ending is that we had a master craftsman on site who gilds for the royal family in the Netherlands. When I enquired about re-gilding it, his response was, 'Don't touch it; it is perfect the way it is'. All I had to do was change the marble top. It has certainly been my most exciting and best find to date.
It depends on the environment. Colour is all about harmonising with your natural environment and infusing it with your personal taste. You can consult design experts, but in the end, follow your heart. Everyone has a favourite colour and I say, embrace it.
A sumptuous four-poster bed that can be a bit of everything: romantic, glamourous, formal and fun. I see it fully loaded with all my favourite objects from my travels. Scent and fragrance are important and should be paired with flowers and controlled lighting to set the mood in a bedroom. When I step off my bed, my feet must land on a rich rug or a good floor.
I blush when I am complimented. It makes me feel humble, grateful and thankful, but I can't help but instantly change the subject! However, showering compliments on others, I believe, is very important. It is not something I do to score points; I do it because it makes people smile.
Hard work is tiring yet inspiring. I love interacting with different cultures as they give me a better understanding of different colour schemes, different needs and systems of belief. I also enjoy the wonderful delights of different cuisines in the various countries that I am in and the sheer experience of the country itself. I've travelled across the Far East, the Middle East, Europe, America and Africa last year alone, I boarded 58 flights out of the UK!
I love gardening particularly flowers. I also cook better than I decorate my favourite dish is bobotie, a South African ground lamb-and-apricot dish.
The biggest challenge is when you have a couple with tastes and viewpoints different from each other. As a designer, you cannot take one person's side; you have to find a solution both are comfortable with. You should, therefore, be able to listen to your client, and meet with his/her requirements while adhering to the basic rules in design, and also give them the X-factor.
Comfort. A comfortable mattress, comfortable environment and a comfortable colour scheme. Would you like to sleep in a room with red walls if you hate that colour?
There are so many different trends available to consumers; so many differing tastes and viewpoints. Customers sharing the same room may also have different design ideas. A designer would be able to gather all these viewpoints, balance it out, plan the logistics, work out the budget, help choose the right bedstead, and decide on soft treatments, including art on the walls. Seeking good design advice could prevent very expensive mistakes that you may regret later. What advice do you wish someone had given you when you first started out?
I always say to people: be honest with yourself. When you have a question, don't be afraid to ask; when you have a viewpoint, don't be afraid to voice it. When I first started work, I had a forceful chairman to deal with and I wish someone had given me this advice.
Do not think that by voicing your concern or asking a question, you could be embarrassing yourself or others. It is always better to reach the desired result than to have to regret later because you didn't ask those questions.
It is all about personal taste. You can go over the top and fill an environment with all your collectibles. Or, you can be a minimalist it depends on what you enjoy. There are always trends to follow. Trends will come and go. However, trends can be expensive to follow. I believe in eclectic design which is a combination of the new and the old.
Flea markets and designer stores are they two sides of the same coin?
Yes. It's all about finding something you adore; it's about following your heart.
The mattress is something you sleep on eight hours a day, 56 hours a week do the math and you will realise how much time you spend on it. The filling that goes into the mattress is all-important to ensure a good night's sleep. A bed frame is a matter of personal choice.
The essence of a bedroom is all about dreams. This is your most intimate and personal environment where you can nurture those dreams. Personally, I am living my dream the fact that we are a global company and I am a major part of it is a dream come true for me!
