Gillian Gillies
photo by Virginia Macdonald
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? Currently its Stockholm Sweden but it’s an ever-changing dilemma!
What are three words to describe your style? 1. Authentic 2. Layered 3. Curated
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Cramped with matching bedlinen and wallpaper. Maybe this was where my love of wallpaper and my dislike for all things matching came from!
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? Depending on my age and income, most things I purchased for my home have felt like an investment to me. I only buy pieces I see having for a long time and would rather live with a blank space than a filler piece. When I got my first flat in Edinburgh (30 years ago) the first things I purchased were a large mirror and a gorgeous ceramic urn – I still have those.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Ilse Crawford.
No room is complete without greenery. Rooms need living things in addition to humans and pets.
People think of me as shy and retiring, but I am really anything but if you put me on my Peloton with great music playing.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement anything you would find in a floral bouquet from a gas station forecourt.
An hors d’oeuvre platter anything that takes two bites to eat.
A bar cabinet Bailey’s Irish Cream
A song for:
Dinner at home Van Morrison – Someone Like You (I walked down the aisle to this!)
Working at your desk Anything from the 80’s & 90’s. It’s what we play in the studio all day long.
Going for a run Florence & The Machines – You’ve Got the Love
Biggest Vice? Believing that there are 36 hours in my day.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? An Alexander McQueen Double-breasted pleated wool and cotton gaberdine trench.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? They are very closely linked. I buy for the long term and each piece regardless of perceived value is an investment to me. I have pieces that are over 25 years old, and I loved the thrill of buying them and still adore wearing them. I refrain from anything overly logo-ed or anything that’s too high fashion. I like what I like and love wearing cashmere, angora, silk, linen, and wool so in that aspect I am a walking advertisement for what we source for our clients.
Who is your star crush? Victoria & David Beckham.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? White painted walls.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? My signed copy of In Touch by Kelly Hoppen, this was the first design book I ever purchased.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Creating homes that supported people. Spaces that held them on tough days and spaces that flung open all the doors when they wanted to celebrate and be seen. There is a magic in creating homes and learning about the individuals who will live there. No two people are the same and I love creating unique spaces for each person we work with.
photo by Virginia Macdonald
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Roma
Book: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.
Scent: Our Gillian Gillies Interiors Magic Blend – our essential oil that we diffuse in the studio to boost communication, grounding, creativity, and our manifesting properties.
The fabric you always come back to: Mohair – it’s in all our projects and I love it for its strength and softness.
Dream project: A historic renovation and restoration of a townhouse in London, England.
Meal: Six course Chef’s Menu from Pescatarian Restaurant, Copenhagen, Denmark
Drink: Roasted Dandelion Tea
Hotel: Ett Hem, Stockholm
Travel Destination: Scandinavia
Artist: Barbara Hepworth
A cause near and dear to me: Ending food poverty.
Thing to collect obsessively: Vintage textiles.
Museum: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (formerly The Dean Gallery).
Paint Color that always looks great: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Celeste Barber who always keeps things real.
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? My tiny golden doodle Reba is an absolute poppet. Walking her at the end of every workday always makes me relax and laugh. She is my medicine.
