Some spaces just feel right — calm, intuitive, quietly grounding. Interior decorator and stylist Olivia Outred, recipient of the House & Garden Top 100 award and the Country & Townhouse Top 50 award, designs with feeling at the centre.
We spoke to Olivia about listening before designing, breaking rigid rules, and the quiet power of light, scent, and the senses.
How would you describe your interior design principles? And have these changed over the years?
My principles of design are to genuinely listen to my clients. I am client-led — I don’t force my own ideas. It’s about them. I hone in on what they want, and my job is to create it for them.
This can mean listening to the gaps in conversation — what isn’t said. It can mean observing how people move, how they pace themselves, what they choose to wear. I like to create considered spaces and avoid trends.
Can a space change how someone feels? And how have you seen this first-hand?
Spaces can definitely change how you feel. We’ve all experienced a cluttered desk or kitchen leaving you feeling overwhelmed or out of control.
The opposite is true of an organised home — a well thought-through interior where everything has its place, and where the things and people you love most are given space.
This might be a reading nook, a gym or spa space, or a large, well-lit table for working and socialising. Lighting and scent are integral to wellbeing, just as much as the aesthetic.
Where in your home do you feel most… you?
I feel most at home in my dining room, sitting at the table with my French doors open to the garden. I need at least three notepads and various teas and snacks.
When I find that moment of calm, I feel like myself — totally content.
Let’s talk rebellion. What’s a design rule you love breaking?
I often see designers fall into the trap of themed design — a bit like colouring by numbers. Furniture arranged in static order, rigid colour schemes. It’s something I really don’t prescribe to.
In your experience, what do people often get wrong about interior design?
People sometimes use small, fussy pieces of furniture — tiny islands dotted around the perimeter of a space.
I prefer gutsy furniture: large, bold, comfortable pieces that invite you in.
Is there a simple tip to help create calm at home?
Use a similar — or even the same — paint colour throughout. Your space will immediately feel larger and calmer.
Secondly, lighting that can dim. A subtly lit room creates instant calm.
At Tales, we believe scent can act like light — changing the mood of a space. Does scent play a role in how you design or live?
Scent is integral to the home. From lavender in the front garden, to cedar-lined wardrobes and aromatic candles — wholesome and intoxicating scents are a must.
What’s your personal sanctuary when everything feels too much?
A cold bedroom, a warm duvet, and a long sleep to reset.
What’s a moment you realised design could change someone’s state of mind?
Spending time in ‘bad’ design — like the sterile environment of a hospital — and then coming home. The contrast is immediate.
Your senses are calmed, and you feel better straight away. That’s when you realise how design can heal.
Quick-Fire Questions
- The most underrated material in design? Scent
- First thing you notice when you enter a room? The lighting
- Your favourite scent? Coconut and limes, basil and lavender, cut grass, freshly washed babies and puppy’s paws
- Beauty or comfort? Comfort first
- One design crime you’ll never stop committing? My home is never finished
- A room you’d live in forever? A mountain home with crackling log fires and snow-topped views
- The smell of nostalgia? My Mum’s garden — grass, roses, picnic blankets
