According to Cushla McFadden and Jade Nottage of Tom Mark Henry, the evolution of their business was written in the stars! The pair met at university while studying Interior Architecture, and describe ‘fate’ bringing them together. Cushla and Jade followed separate paths for a year after graduating, and reunited in 2014 ‘driven by our mutual desires to take control over our careers.’ With a year of experience under their belts and a HUGE swag of ambition, Jade describes how they ‘bravely, or potentially naively, embarked upon starting our own Interior Design business.’ (What power ladies!)

For Cushla and Jade, Tom Mark Henry is not defined by a particular aesthetic or distinctive brand. Jade explains ‘we acknowledge design is very personal and our role is to guide rather than force an aesthetic.’ Instead, the consistent thread which links the firm’s projects comes through a process of considered and highly responsive client engagement.

While Jade explains that ‘we don’t feel as though we have projects that look obviously like us’ – we would ABSOLUTELY argue that all of Tom Mark Henry’s work has a refined aesthetic edge. The pair describes bringing a ‘layered palette’ and combining unexpected materials to the variety of projects they undertake across workplace, retail, hospitality and residential spaces.

Active listening and responding to client needs are guiding principles for Cushla and Jade, who explains that ‘our passion really lies in any project that allows us to express our creativity, and make the space better for people who get to experience it.’

Much like the evolving process of working with clients, Cushla has also developed a new understanding of the iterative nature of developing a career as an interior designer. She explains ‘Now I know that having a complete level of knowledge on any one subject is a mirage, and that we are all constantly learning, no matter how many years of experience we have under our belts.’