Elisicia Moore is a director of Petit Miracle Interiors Ltd, a registered design charity that was founded in 2008. Their organisation provides back to work design training to the long-term unemployed, the homeless and vulnerable. Their mission is to teach these individuals design, DIY and upcycling techniques to help them turn their lives around. They are not just “changing spaces but changing lives” too. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Elisicia Moore.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
My personal interior design style has a curated and dramatic feel. I love a space to tell a story, a narrative of the owner. And, a little whimsy goes a long way. A sense of humour in small doses – something that makes a visitor chuckle in spite of themselves. Interiors are like people, you may not always remember exactly how it looked, but, you will remember how the space made you feel.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
Whether it is for myself or for a client, I like to get a sense of the space, its nuances and special features. Then, really get to know the client. You have to have a very good grasp of what your client wants, as well, an ability to read between the lines. The first task I set clients is to go through 5 or 6 design magazines and dog-ear the pages they like, and, just as importantly, to note the images they dislike. Typically there will be themes running through each.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
I am lucky that I now run an Interior Design and Upcycling charity which offers workshops and work experience to local people. I get to meet creative people every day. It would be really hard to name just one person as everyone brings something unique to the table. But, I really respect those people that make something from seemingly nothing, and to that end, Beatrice Bearnier and Rae Vidal are Queens of that approach. They will scrub, repair and paint discarded items into gorgeous individual pieces.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
Oddly, I don’t look outward, I look inward. Some quiet time and headspace to think. Get in touch with the space, or the people I am trying to help to really understand what it is I need to achieve. Aside from that, I am addicted to Pinterest, my husband calls it Crackterest because I need my daily fix.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
My mother was an interior designer and my father was a land developer, building and creating beautiful homes was my experience growing up. We didn’t always have a lot of money but my mother always taught me that having pride in your home was not connected to how much money you had, but an investment in yourself and your family, which needn’t cost the earth. I have taken that to the next level with creating Petit Miracles, I truly believe that regardless of your socio-economic status, everyone can and deserves a place they love and call home. If you want to become an interior designer, firstly get your qualifications, do some volunteer work because on-the-job experience is invaluable!
