Interview with Sam Hood, founder of Amara

Gingerlily talks to Sam Hood, founder of luxury e-tail specialist, Amara, to discuss her inspiration behind the Amara brand and her favourite styles for interiors. Q: How did you start working in interiors? A: When it came to decorating my home I couldn’t find anywhere online that stocked my favourite homeware accessory brands so I took the leap with my husband to launch Amara. Amara started as a boutique home store but soon the website took over so we decided to concentrate our efforts on our e-tail business. Q: How would you describe your own aesthetic? A: My style is an eclectic mix of treasured pieces I’ve had for years, combined with new and modern pieces I’ve bought along the way. I love to mix and match trends and colours to create a unique look. Q: What does luxury mean to you? A: Luxury to me is the way something can make you feel. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive item but it does have to be the most treasured. Q: What would you say are your key trends for 2017? A: This season’s A by Amara collection focuses on four trends we’ve pin pointed for SS17 Odyssey: A cool and relaxed approach to a laid back lifestyle has a nod of grown up nautical charm. With elements of coral for a burst of citric colour, this calm interior scheme and colour palette exudes a fresh approach to a traditional décor scheme. Bazaar: An eclectic mix of fabrics, finishes and shades evoking a sensual and vibrant experience. Inspired by adventure all pieces tell of a possible story with a lasting impression. Enchanted: Inspired by natural and organic living within a cool and calming landscape. Each piece evokes a relaxing and elegant feel with the use of crisp linens and playful prints. District: A collection with an architectural style inspired by loft living. Accents of burnt orange and fresh blue teal are mixed with marble, concrete and leather for a masculine stylised look.

Each trend differs from the other giving out customers a variety of looks and styles. Q: Do you use brands that you have worked with in your own home? Does your personal style influence your work? A: We use a mixture of brands I love and those I’ve recently discovered. You can’t just work with brands you use in your own space - as a designer you have to embrace all tastes, trends and looks to be able to offer something different to your clients and customers. Q: Were there any particular brands/collections that pushed into launching your own collection and helped inspire your ideas? A: We took inspiration from places, people, cultures and styles rather than existing brands when we developed the A by Amara collection. We wanted the range to be something to everyone rather than a hybrid of an existing brand. The beauty of my role is that I’m immersed in so many design ideas and concepts that I don’t have to look far for inspiration