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Anna Ryder Richardson - Designer
Anna is a successful interior designer and is famous for shows such as Changing Rooms. Anna is based in Glasgow."Never be afraid of expressing your own creativity, believe in yourself and your own individuality."
The Oran Mor venue on the corner of Byers Road and Great Western Road is
fantastic, being an old converted church it has everything from a theatre with
the most fantastic painted ceiling by famous Scottish artist Alasdair Gray to
a lovely authentic Scottish style restaurants.
I had amazing sausage and
mash with gravy (one of my favs) there. It has a club for the more energetic and a great
atmosphere. Highly recommend to anyone.
My flat roof, we live in the Park Area and have views from the roof of old
and new Glasgow, the Art Galleries, The University and all the Georgian sandstone
houses and then the SECC, The Imac Cinema, The Science Museum.
Also
the highest,
revolving structure 'The Sail', which is like looking out on to another world,
all very inspirational for a girl who would ultimately like to live in a spaceship.
Our house is Glasgow has taken a long time to rebuild, it was the old Scottish
Football Association so unfortunately my poor cherubs have had to make do in
various rentals and building sites, there playroom is nearly ready to start
building the furniture, so here goes, the floor is bright cartoon green poured
resin.
I am buying two bunk beds one for each and building (out of MDF obviously)
them a house around each to sleep in, all white, in a very modernist style with
coloured acrylic windows and doors, in a perfect world I would also have two
carousel horses coming out of the floor and lots of magic roundabout trees!!!
I am just finishing filming a series called 'Baby's
room' for Discovery Home and Health which was filmed
from two hospitals, one in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow.
The show involved me arriving at a couple's house where
the birth was expected over the next couple of weeks,
we sent the mum off to a health spa and I stay at home
with the father to be and the team and decorate the
baby's rooms.
Interviewing the prospective or second
time fathers was fascinating and moving. Mum returns
to see her new nursery and then they film the birth
all very tastefully and then the couple and their new
baby coming back into the new babies' room. It all makes
me very broody for more babies and I challenge you to
have a dry eye at the end of the show!
My advice would be to learn as much technically as you can consume which you should remain open to for the rest of your life but also to obtain as much hands on experience as you can by offering yourself out to make the tea, clean up workrooms, make up swatches etc etc, all being invaluable experience.
And my final piece of advice would be to never be afraid of expressing your own creativity, believe in yourself and your own individuality.
Having two small toddlers means the days of running off to an aerobics class
are very small, so I make sure that I walk as much as possible up and down stairs,
try not to take the lift etc, keep as active as I can which with a big old house
is easy as it always needs cleaning.
Luckily even though I am a dreadful
cook, I am married to an ex restaurant owner who believes in eating as organically
as you can that day!!
If I had to choose one period it would be the late 1960's or the early 1970's when architecture, design, form, texture everything pushed the boundaries but was simple in design. I was actually brought up in a 1970's bungalow for the first 10 years of my life, which I am sure has heavily influenced me.
I would do anything for any adoption charity or association, being adopted myself the subject is very dear to me so either The Children's Society which was where I came from or Dr Barnardos, every child deserves a loving home.
To find out more about Anna please see UK TV STYLE
Go to main inspirational women page