Tag Archives: interior design courses in Hong Kong

An interview with Insight School alumni & interior designer Liza Beighley

Former Insight School of Interior Design student and interior designer Liza Beighley talks about life before and after studying at Insight School. After working for 10 years in the luxury fashion brands, Liza discovered her true passion and went on to co-launch her own interior design company.

Certificate Award ceremony with teachers JJ Acuna, Enrique Moya-Angeler and Eve Mercier.

What is your background? What were you doing before coming to Insight School of Interior Design?

I worked over 10 years for luxury fashion brands CHANEL, Celine under LVMH Fashion Group, and DFS Group Limited mainly as a training, merchandising and product manager in Asia, North America and the Mid-Pacific regions. Soon after becoming a mother and moving back to my island home, I worked for the Bank of Guam as Quality Assurance Manager designing customer service and product programs. During this time, we renovated our beach condominium and I fell in love with interior design. We eventually moved to Hong Kong (for the second time) and I went through the process of redecorating our flat with the help of Australian based designer, Melissa McShane. It was showcased in Expat Living Magazine upon completion and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. I decided to indulge my passion for design and researched interior design schools in Hong Kong. Insight School of Interior Design was the choice for me.

Liza’s personal style mood board

What did you study at Insight School and what key skills did you learn?

I was a mother with young children and decided to take the short course Textiles for Interiors as a start. Shortly thereafter, I enrolled in the Introduction to Interior Design course which confirmed my passion for interior design. I decided to continue with the part-time course and earn the Certificate in Residential Interior Design. I often wondered prior to the course how inspirational ideas were developed into working concepts and Insight School helped me to develop the key skills to implement ideas into design. We studied interior architecture, interior decoration, drawing skills, the design process, history of styles and put it all into professional practice. Working with clients and making design proposals throughout the course really helped to simulate what it is like to work in the real world.

Insight School project: Bruno de Caumont book-shelf proposal by Liza

Where are you working now?

With this knowledge and learned tools of the trade, I felt confident to take the necessary steps in opening BV Designs with my classmate and design partner, Sarah Vanica.

Insight School project: Liza’s mood board for an art gallery conversion into a residential apartment.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in starting your career?

Aside from the regular challenges of starting a business, making the necessary connections to export/import home goods overseas has been a big challenge. Also, it takes time to create the perfect logo to reflect who we are as interior designers and set-up our social media sites which should be available for viewing in the coming weeks.

What is the big project you are working on right now?

We are in the process of finalizing an executive home in Deep Water Bay in addition to having furniture made for a flat in Repulse Bay and sourcing furniture/fabrics for homes overseas.

Liza’s design projects at Insight School

As an interior designer, how do you stay current in the industry? What newsletters/blogs/social media tools do you read each week?

I love to stay current in the industry by reading international and Asia based design magazines such as Architectural Digest, Design Anthology, Home Journal, Home Solutions, and Expat Living. I especially love to read about projects completed by established and new designers focusing on what motivated and inspired them. Since my roots are in the fashion industry, I gain inspiration from fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and feel it’s important to think out-of-the-box. My favorite thing to do is look at my Instagram feed on designers I follow which leads to links with more details on their websites, blog, and newsletters. I especially love to view projects and inspirations from new, up-and-coming interior designers. My design partner and I share this information with each other and bounce ideas around to remain current and catch onto upcoming trends in the industry. Insight School of Interior Design is one we follow on our social media feeds.

Can you give any advice to students looking to start a career in the Interior Design Industry?

Don’t hesitate! If you are passionate about Interior Design have the confidence to move forward and find the right interior design career for you. Listen to your clients and always keep an open mind. Continue to make connections in the industry and bounce ideas around with those you trust. Above all, think outside the box. Inspiration is everywhere.

Liza studied the Certificate of Residential Interior Design at Insight School. Enrolments are now open, course starts February 20th. Enquire today and ask about our 10% early bird discount.

Career Forum at Insight School of Interior Design

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Interior design career advice, case studies and course information at Insight School.

Last Saturday 19^th November, Insight School of Interior Design hosted a career forum for anyone interested in pursuing a career in interior design. Industry experts Leslie Lui from Aedas Interiors, Hernan Zanghellini from Zanghellini & Holt, Alicia Chan & Naqeeb Popal from Bespoke Careers and Eve Mercier from Insight School inspired, educated and entertained us over a few hours and a few bottles of wine!

The afternoon began with 1:1 career ‘speed-dating’ sessions where our guests had the opportunity to show their portfolio to our panel of experts. This was an opportunity for people to get informed about their career prospects, understand the job market in HK for designers and learn more about study options available at the school for those wanting to switch careers. These sessions were extremely popular and could have gone on for hours.

Head teacher Enrique Moya-Angeler advising our guests about our courses at Insight School.

Naqeeb Popal informing a design student about her career prospects.

Our first presenters were Alicia Chan, Design Consultant and Naqeeb Popal, Architecture & Design Consultant from Bespoke Careers. Alicia and Naqeeb showed us how to write the perfect job application and how to send it out to prospective employees. They took us through a few examples of mistakes to avoid when putting together a CV and portfolio, and gave out tips on how to present yourself in job interviews.

Alicia and Naqeeb from Bespoke Careers discussed career opportunities for interior designers with students.

Leslie Lui, Senior Associate at Aedas Interiors gave a very inspiring presentation on how interior designers can and do add value in the design development process. Leslie went through many case studies where interior designers and architects have successfully collaborated on a project, dispelling the myth that the 2 disciplines can’t work together.

Leslie Lui from Aedas Interiors presenting hospitality design case studies.

Hernan Zanghellini, partner at Zanghellini and Holt, followed next with a candid and informative presentation on the “business of interior design”. Focusing on food and beverage projects, Hernan gave us a real insight into the many hats an interior designer needs to wear when working on design projects; from business advisor to financial consultant, from life coach to mentor. Hernan talked about how crucial it is for interior designers to understand the client brief from a business point of view before starting the project ie. how the F&B establishment runs, how they currently generate revenue and what is the client expectation – these are critical factors which can often be overlooked by inexperienced interior designers who may just want to ‘decorate’ an interior.

Hernan Zanghellini showing photos of the Wooloomooloo Restaurant, which he designed and co-owns.

Eve Mercier, founder of Insight School was the final presenter for the afternoon and gave us the pros and cons of working in your own business as an interior designer versus working for a large firm. Eve also presented a list of her top 5 interior designers and qualities and traits which have made them outstanding in their fields.

Eve Mercier explaining the difference between the Residential and Commercial Interiors Certificate.

Insight School library on Saturday.

Having listened to three interior designers give three very different accounts of their career, one couldn’t help but feel inspired and excited by this profession. It definitely inspired many interesting questions to our presenters and discussion topics during our networking drinks!

J J Acuna, Architect & Interior Designer, blogs about his experience at Insight School of Interior Design

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Founder of theWanderlister+ JJ.Acuna talks about his experiece teaching at Insight School of Interior Design.

Part of what I do besides running this website and practicing Architectural and Interior Design in Hong Kong and the Asian region with my own studio, is teach design part time at the Insight School of Interior Design.

This adventure with the Insight School started just this year, as soon as I quit a decade of working corporate. It was a good opportunity for me to extend my skill-set to a new generation of would-be designers, Old and Young, while at the same time allow myself to make a living as I establish my young practice, JJA / Bespoke Architecture.

Insight School is a really wonderful design institution located in Hong Kong’sChai Wan Industrial District, and was founded by Eve Mercier, an Interior Designer and Art Historian with over 15 years of experience in the business within both Europe and Asia.

Staff at student graduation with, founder Eve Mercier (third from right.)

The purpose of the school is to arm students with an aesthetic and creative eye (if they don’t already have an innate sense of it to begin with), and give their vision an added boost of practical skills from instructors who have strong ties with the design industry in Hong Kong and the region at large. Unlike other design institutions, students at the Insight School work on real-life projects with real-life industry clients, like H&M, HKIS (Hong Kong International School– the studio I thought last semester), the Marriott Hotel Group, Ritz Carlton, and Shanghai Tang… to name a few. Lecturers come from Design, Arts, and Fashion industries, like professionals from Cartier and Hermes, plus industry leaders like Douglas Young of G.O.D., and gallerist Boris Vervoordt of Axel Vervoordt gallery from Belgium and Hong Kong.

Boris Vervoordt, gallerist, visits Insight School during Art Basel week

All graduating Diploma students who wish to be part of the school’s Internship program, are allowed a 1 month internship with industry partners, such as Marriott Group, Timothy Oulton, Infrastructure, and HBA.

The school offers part time and full time courses in intimate classes. There’s an 8-week introduction to Interior Design Course, and a Residential Interiors Certificate course. Short vocational courses on specific subjects like Lighting Design and Small Space Design are also available. Actual Industry specific Diploma courses, like the interior Design Diploma, which is a combination of Residential and Commercial Interiors Certificates, are also available at Insight.

Some of the classes I put together for Insight is a course instruction on the history of Wicker Furnitures, with specific focus on the Philippines (which I loved). This led me to the Philippines where I was able to take some of the students on a trip to Manila to meet celebrated designers like Kenneth Cobonpue and Ito Kish (photos below).

Additionally, these same students had the opportunity to visit one of my Manila residential projects as it was a part of their final studio research. My project manager, Boni, was able to have a real-world Q+A chat with the students on-site regarding local building materials and construction methodologies.

They had such a great time in the Philippines.

The final output of that project resulted in a wonderful presentation for Residential Certificate students.

I also ran a studio focused on a site for the a Kindergarten at the new HKIS (Hong Kong International School) building near Repulse Bay. Each of the students presented their final work to the School’s administrators, who were generally impressed with the breadth of the student’s design solutions.

I begin teaching again next Spring (so maybe you can be one of my students as well!) However, if you’re really keen to learn now, you can definitely check out the 8-week Introduction to Interior Design course which starts next week, October 6th.

LEARN MORE at Insight School of Interior Design . 24F, Federal Centre, 77 Sheung On Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Island . T: 21142021

JJ Acuna is a Hong Kong based Architect / Interior Designer, and Founder of his boutique studio, JJA / Bespoke Architecture based in Hong Kong and Manila.

Interior Designer Skill-Set: Project Presentation

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A successfull Interior Designer skill-set includes mastering project presentation. Speaking in front of people can be nerve-wrecking so it is essential to practice. Last Friday, Insight School students jumped in the deep end by presenting their first real project to a client!

Project presentation is a communication exercise. Visually supported by boards, the presentation is a unique opportunity to show your level of commitment and professionalism.

Preparation is a key prerequisite for successful presentation

A good presentation is like a good story: it has a beginning, a body and an end. It should be concise yet detailed, focused and enticing. Your confidence should shine through as undecided clients will often seek your assistance in their decision making process. Add clean, well-crafted presentation material and your design will be well communicated and easily sold to your client!

Well composed materials board to support your speech

Interacting with clients makes your presentation more effective

Diploma students receive practical real life experience through 6 different projects during the school year.Clients, teachers and classmates are invited to give their feedback thereby providing an 360 degrees appraisal.

Getting the right training and experience gives you a competitive advantage on the job market!

Craftsmanship honoured at Insight School: Atelier Brugier.

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At Insight School we want our students to have their eyes open to the world of craftsmanship. So we asked Nicole Brugier, owner of one of the most renowned lacquer workshop in Paris to give a lecture to our lucky students.

Lacquerware takes its roots in China more than 3000 years ago. From the 17th century, cabinets, chests and screens were imported to Europe. Lacquer technique has evolved since then and few studios master its every secrets like Ateliers Brugier.

The Ateliers restore pieces of furniture for private collectors (pieces from Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand or Eileen Gray). Museums like the Louvre, Musée des Arts Décoratifs or the Château of Versailles also feature in their customer base.

Their knowledge and lacquering expertise have led famous interior designers such as Peter Marino or Herve Van Der Straten to require their services for custom made pieces of furniture or wall panels.

Ateliers Brugier are most famous for works with Coromandel screens. A Coromandel screen is a Chinese wooden folding screen coated in dark lacquer that is carved before being painted.

12 panels Coromandel lacquer screen.1693.China

The famous fashion designer Coco Chanel was an keen collector of Chinese folding screens, especially the Coromandel, and is believed to have owned 32 folding screens eight of which were housed in her apartment in Paris.

Nicole Brugier was in Hong kong to present the extraordinary twelve panels Coromandel lacquer screen at Fine Art Asia, a leading international fine art fair. A growing number of Chinese collectors are now casting their eyes on these treasures.

Last July, Insight students had the opportunity to discover Nicole’s Brugier Ateliers in Paris during our “Paris design trip”. They met the craftsmen who shared their knowledge with them.

Thanks to its links to key industry players, Insight school of Interior Design is proud to offer both an inspirational and practical learning environment !