The thing people might not know about me is…

Working in kitchens was a complete U-turn of in terms of career choice. In my first life I worked as a competition lawyer in Brussels and London for nine years before seeing the light and starting Sola Kitchens! 

What I love most about my job is…

My job is never boring! Running a company means that I have to deal with a huge amount of different tasks and challenges all the time and that keeps my job interesting, varied and challenging which I enjoy. I am also blessed with an amazing team and it is a privilege to be able to work with such talented and passionate people every day! Since I am the boss I can also bring my dog to work!  

If I was in charge of this industry I would…..

Encourage greater collaboration between different trades. The best result is always achieved when the different trades on site cooperate and work together to achieve the best result. Working with other trades who are proactive and resolve potential issues in a positive manner instead of backstabbing and blaming others makes for a much better result and a happy environment where everyone can be proud of a successful project.

The work story I always tell to make people laugh is…

Shortly after I started the business, I had to drive to Gatwick in a huge rush one early morning because my husband had forgotten his passport. I was still in bed when he called so I jumped up, grabbed my fur coat in one hand and my then 10 week old puppy in the other and drove like a mad person! On my way back, my installer called and said I urgently had to come to a site. I wanted to go home and get changed first, but he insisted it was urgent so I pitched up on a building site in my pyjama and a fur coat and with a labrador puppy under my arm, trying to look competent and authoritative… I’ve never been so stared at in my whole life! 

The industry person I most admire is…

There are so many amazing designers in the world of design so it is difficult to pick one. As a Swede I love mid-century Scandinavian design and many of the leading and most inspiring designers who have designed some iconic pieces. If I have to pick some, I would say my top three are Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen and Greta Grossman. 

I wish this industry would talk more about…

I really wish that this industry would talk more about the value that a good kitchen designer brings to a project! Sometimes a kitchen designer’s skill and knowledge is not fully appreciated and every kitchen designer has been in the situation where the client decides to cut out the kitchen designer and go directly to a joiner.  Joiners are amazing at building joinery but they are not kitchen designers and they don’t deal with the full aspects of kitchen design and installation.We regularly see disappointed clients where things have gone badly wrong because they have not had a good kitchen designer involved to give them the advice and help required to deliver a great kitchen.

I wish this industry would talk less about…

The work triangle. Houses and kitchens are so vastly different and every space needs to be designed considering at a whole range of different aspects.  A good kitchen designer will make sure that the kitchen is perfectly designed for the people who will use the space and that may or may not involve a perfect triangle – it all depends!

My proudest professional achievement is….

I think there are two things. The first thing is that I actually managed to start a kitchen company without any knowledge whatsoever about either kitchens or designs, and to do that during the major financial crisis in 2008. The other proud moment was when we opened our Flagship showroom on Wigmore Street (and then won the kbbreview kitchen showroom of the year award). Even since I started Sola Kitchens one main goal was to have a showroom on Wigmore street. We took on the showroom as an empty space in the midst of covid and renovated for one year before opening in June 2022 and that was a very proud moment!

If I could go back to the day I started in this industry, I would tell myself…

Don’t do it! No, that was is a joke – I love what I do and I love the industry.   The main thing I would have done differently would have been to start working with a business coach earlier. I started working with a business coach after about 4 years in business and that was incredibly helpful. I worked with her on and off for about 6 years and it transformed how I did many things. But it would have been even better if I had started earlier!

I dance in my kitchen to…

It has to be Dancing Queen by ABBA (pictured right). I am Swedish after all…