The Art of Listening

Words by Jamie Crocker

Frances Healy doesn’t walk into a space with a fixed idea.

She listens. She looks. She asks the right questions. Only then does she begin to shape the design. This attentive, open approach defines her work. 

Her interiors aren’t stamped with a signature style. They’re thoughtful responses to people, to buildings, to how a room is actually lived in. The results feel natural, intelligent, and unmistakably right.

We asked Frances to talk us through how she works. What comes across is clarity, curiosity, and a designer who knows that beautiful interiors start with paying attention. 

Can you tell us about your journey into interior design – what first drew you to the field and how has that evolved into Frances Healy Interiors?

That’s a really simple question for me to answer. I was brought up in a large rambling Georgian house on the outskirts of Penzance. When my parents bought the house, the entire interior was painted one shade of cream – ceiling, walls, woodwork, fireplaces – every single surface. My father had a great artistic eye and he brought the house back to life and added colour, wallpaper, beautiful curtains, furniture and artwork to every room – the transformation was amazing – that was it – I was hooked!

Your work conveys a clear and confident aesthetic – how would you describe your signature style, and what informs it most deeply? 

I really don’t like to think that I have a signature style as I look at each house, client and project as an individual and design to their brief and requirements. That said, of course I love a mix of colours, patterns and textures and I do have a favourite selection of suppliers which I often return to for inspiration, but I also like to keep each project fresh. Clients are paying for a bespoke service, they deserve a bespoke design.

Cornwall’s landscapes and architecture often influence creative practice – do local materials, history or surroundings shape your approach to interiors? 

Cornwall inspires me every single day – I walk my dog on the coast, in the lanes, on the moors, around the villages and seaside towns and I never ever do this without stopping to look at something new or take a photograph. The colours of our county particularly inspire me, as it feels like every day something new is happening in nature. Just recently, I spent a day at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, where the colours of spring were amazing – white wild garlic, pink campions, bluebells, fresh greens on the trees and of course, the amazing technicolour range of the huge rhododendrons. 

What types of projects do you most enjoy — are there particular types of spaces, briefs or clients that inspire you?

Every house is inspiring – however sad, run down or neglected it is, it can always be improved upon and sometimes the worse it is, the more fun I have restoring it. Houses have souls, and you just need to find them and bring them back to life.

Clients are looking for my help and I inspire them, which is what I endeavour to do, but usually they also know what it is they want, you just have to ask the right questions to find out what that is and then just look and listen – listening is very, very important. I always design houses for what my clients would like and need; they live there, not me. I just hold their hand through the process and stop them from making expensive mistakes.

Sourcing and craftsmanship appear central to your work – how do you choose makers, materials and suppliers to bring a project to life?

Wherever possible, I will use local companies for either their services as upholsters, curtain makers, fitters, but also suppliers of stone, flooring, kitchens and bathrooms – the more business that I use locally, the easier it is for me and the better it is for the economy of Cornwall and the South West. However, there is a huge array of products out there, so I also make regular trips to the Design Centre, London and the Paris interior show in the Spring, which opens up the whole of Europe to me.

The product primarily has to appeal to me in its design. Secondly, the quality has to be good, and thirdly, the cost has to be correct – the price must reflect the product. Unfortunately, there are some well-marketed companies out there that charge a lot for their goods, which fail miserably on quality and service. That’s not for me!

Can you share a recent project that particularly exemplifies your approach? What made it stand out to you?

The recent boathouse project in Rock was hugely inspired by nature. The house was painted white internally from top to bottom. The clients wanted to bring in all the colours from the estuary and the fields and trees on the opposite bank. The palette I used reflected this with blue, teals and aqua from the water colours and greens from the fields and trees, with splashes of orange to represent the trees changing colour in the autumn.

What are the typical emotions or experiences you hope people feel when they walk into one of your finished spaces?

Overwhelming joy and happiness…I hope…that’s the reason why I do this, to make a house more beautiful and bring joy to people’s lives – it is a dream career.

As you look ahead, are there new materials, ideas or collaborations that excite you and may shape the next chapter of Frances Healy Interiors?

Every day is a school day, and even after 30 years, I haven’t stopped learning and finding new suppliers and products. I think the move towards furniture, fabrics and rugs being made from upcycled and repurposed products is very exciting, and I look forward to seeing more developments in this area.

Finally, how do you personally define a home that feels both elegant and deeply lived-in?

I don’t define it! I start the process, guide clients through the minefield of choice and help them to achieve a well-furnished and balanced house that will stand the test of time. They make it home and lived in, with their personal effects, artwork, photographs, books and memories.

franceshealyinteriors.co.uk