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Country practice perfects makeovers
18 April 2010 By Carol Hayes
Few businesspeople can claim to divide their time between interior design and farming, but for Lorna Sixsmith, it’s a way of life. Sixsmith runs an interior design business and online shop, in-between helping to deliver calves on the farm which she runs with her husband, Brian, in Carlow.
After renovating and decorating five houses over eight years while living in Britain and working as a teacher, Sixsmith had plenty of practical experience of design before she returned to Ireland with her husband to farm seven years ago. But as the dairy sector became increasingly financially challenging, she decided to diversify and turn her hobby into a business, opening Garrendenny Lane Interiors in November 2007.
‘‘At the time, I did worry if clients would take the business seriously, given that it was located on a farm, rather than on a high street, but people seem to enjoy the homely atmosphere," she said. ‘‘Because a considerable amount of my time is spent doing home consultations, it doesn’t matter where my base is."
With the downturn in the economy, working from home turned out to be a prudent move, as it saved Sixsmith a considerable amount on rent and staff.
It also means that she can manage her working hours around her children. Sixsmith grew up in Carlow on a dairy farm, before spending time working in Dublin, London and Bristol.
At 24, she decided to go to university, doing a degree in English and history and an MA in Irish studies. ‘‘I taught for four years before returning to Ireland with my husband in 2002, when our first child was three weeks old," she says. She went on to complete a part-time diploma in interior design before starting the interiors business.
Sixsmith travels to international trade fairs twice a year to buy stock and keep abreast of the latest trends, and her clients come from all over the country. ‘‘They tend to be female, aged 30-plus and usually from within a 25-mile radius," she said.
‘‘That said, I have had clients in Westmeath, Wexford and Sligo. My online customers are varied -most of them are Irish, but I do also have clients in Britain and America."
She was nominated for two awards - personal service and female retailer - at the South East Women In Business awards last September.
Sixsmith said the recession had hit the interiors industry hard. ‘‘I found last summer very quiet, and I think part of it was due to the bad weather - people seemed to have planned to decorate a room, but then suddenly September came and they realised the summer had come and gone," she said.
‘‘Rather than tackling most of the house, people are now generally decorating a room or two at a time."
Sixsmith has joined a number of networking groups, including the Carlow Business Club and Women in Business at Carlow Enterprise Board.
‘‘Being part of a group means you are learning from others and exchanging ideas all the time - and it prevents you feeling isolated when you are working on your own," she said.
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