Interiors should not be the product of ephemeral style trends, but of a client’s own personality and preference. Studio Clementine takes a collaborative approach, both between client and studio, and in terms of the many specialist skills and suppliers our designers bring to a project. We pride ourselves on listening to what people want and then surpassing expectations both creatively and in delivering a seamless, personal service.
THE ART OF INSTALLATION
Wells Interiors and Studio Clementine
A Conversation with Mick by Georgina Wood
Georgina Wood and Mick Wells, Managing Director of Wells Interiors, sat down to discuss wallcovering installation and what makes Wells Interiors one of Studio Clementine's favourites.
The wallpaper we specify in our projects is closer to artwork than wall covering, and deserves to be treated as such. Just as a beautiful piece of art demands careful framing, fine wallpaper demands an equally considered installation. No two projects are the same, and nor are two walls, making this a true craft, one that requires skill, experience and sensitivity to realise the maker and designer's vision.
I have worked with Wells Interiors across almost every Studio Clementine project, and the level of trust I place in Mick and his team is unrivalled. Their professionalism and expertise in handling the most prestigious wallpapers is genuinely rare in the industry.
WHAT LED YOU TO START WELLS INTERIORS?
I started in the superyacht industry, my sister, who worked at de Gournay, had mentioned opportunities in wallpapering, so I decided to make the move. After completing formal training, I began an informal apprenticeship with Paul Lane and quickly fell in love with the craft. I also noticed a strong crossover with the superyacht world, it’s often the same clients with the same expectations. Early on, I worked trade shows around the world, often for free, supporting smaller brands and building experience. This gave me a deep understanding of the craft. I also recognised a gap in professionalism within the industry, things like uniforms, branding, and digital presence.
WHAT'S ONE THING THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WALLPAPER HANGING?
Definitely what it looks like on the wall before you start to hang. It’s sounds obvious but don’t be afraid to ask questions and request untouched photos from the supplier. Ask if you can see what it looks like installed and if you can see it in person. It’s all about managing expectations, so for example if you use something like grass cloth, you will always see the joins because that’s what the product is. Overall the number one thing you should know is what the product looks like on the wall.
DO YOU HAVE AN ALL TIME FAVOURITE PROJECT THAT WELLS INTERIORS HAVE WORKED ON?
Definitely Stoke Park, I’m not sure a project like that would ever come around again. I think we did something ridiculous like 20 rooms in 2-3 weeks. We worked with Russell Sage and it was a real example of the designer, the supplier and the installers working together seamlessly right from the start and what you can achieve together. It was just amazing, a project that doesn’t come around very often.
AND YOUR FAVOURITE STUDIO CLEMENTINE PROJECT THAT WELLS INTERIORS HAS WORKED ON?
I would say Eaton Square which we’re currently working on. I really love that job because of the people. At it’s core, if you speak to any craftsperson it’s about putting a smile on people’s faces and nothing beats when you can see people really appreciate your work. When the client understands the craft behind your work after going the extra mile you get to build a relationship with them. There’s something special about residential projects that commercial projects don’t have, you’re in their home and especially when the client has a lot of pride in the house you know they will appreciate your work and in turn you receive that satisfaction.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD INSTALATION AND A TRULY EXCEPTIONAL ONE?
There are some rooms or homes which you walk into and you just think wow, everything is balanced and the room looks like it was always there. A lot of creating that feeling is in the details and with wallpaper how a pattern is balanced or how panel layouts feel and fit in a room. And when we’re able to really collaborate with a designer it comes down to where a pattern will be placed in a room? where do the wall lights go? Is the pattern centred in the room? If there are eves how does the pattern interact with them? All of these questions are important to creating that overall look and feeling in a room. Exceptional installations make a room feel effortless and like it was always meant to be there.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THOSE NERE-WRACKING MOMENTS? SUCH AS FRAGILE PAPER, A DOUBLE-HEIGHT SPACE, A TRICKY CORNER, A PATTERN THAT HAS TO LAND PERFECTLY?
The first part of the answer might sound a little strange but stick with me, it’s about the wallpaper gods. I’ve said this to all our guys, if you are putting in 100% effort and following the process and not taking any shortcuts, and, I mean, everything. Whether it’s a bit of sanding there or extra care on an overlap, putting 100% in to every part of the process. If you do everything to the letter you can have faith that the wallpaper gods will look after you. Because of course, mistakes can happen, so if you’ve put in 100% effort and you’ve been switched on that gives you a lot of confidence.
From a more practical standpoint, where you can, test, test, test. Test as much as possible. The walls are always inconsistent because no two homes are the same and the product is also quite inconsistent as they’re usually made by hand. So testing is incredibly important to see how the materials will react in that environment. There isn’t room for any ego, it’s always best to get another opinion if a project or a material is new to us, so I’ll call fellow installers for advice.
WHAT DO PEOPLE MOST CONSISTENTLY UNDERESTIMAGTE ABOUT THE SKILL INVOLVED?
I think one of the tell tale signs is if you buy a kitchen you can get supply and fit, the same with curtains or joinery. But you rarely or in fact can’t with wallpaper, which leads onto why it’s so different. There’s a lot of craft in it because it’s not an exact science, although we do the same thing every day, no two projects are the same. It’s easy to underestimate the nuance in it, it’s not an exact science but a craft, what worked well last Monday might not necessarily work well this Monday.
HOW CLOSELY DO YOU WORK WITH INTERIOR DESIGNERS AND HOW DOES THAT RELATIONSHIP SHAPE THE FINAL RESULT?
As closely as we can. Ideally, we’d like to be involved from the specification stage, not from a design perspective, but from a technical input. There are too many times where for example, a heavy-duty vinyl wallpaper is specified on a residential property with lots of external corners. There are lots of different things that, with a technical input, need to be explained to manage expectations. Overall, when I think back over my favourite projects and the ones that go off without an issue, it’s because we’ve been involved early on.
WHY SHOULD A CLIENT CHOOSE WELLS INTERIORS?
The number one reason is we really care and we genuinely like what we do. Obviously the guaranteed finish and all the rest of it, but also for lack of a better term, we will stay in the fight. We know how projects go and they’re rarely straightforward, products can be temperamental and there’s a million things that can go wrong but we won’t walk away from a project. When things get hard, we’re all in.
Thank you for your time Mick, it's always a pleasure to work with the Wells Interiors team. We look forward to our next project together!
Georgina xx