With a friendship starting on their first day of university, Tom Mark Henry co-founders Cushla McFadden and Jade Nottage formally started their interior design studio in 2014. To mark the significant milestone of a decade as a practice, Australian Design Review asked McFadden to reflect on where it all began, alongside the elusive nature of success in interior design and what is on the horizon for the next 10 years.

The landscape of business is ever-evolving. Tom Mark Henry co-founder Jade Nottage and I certainly do not claim to have the secret to success – after all, success looks different for every company. However, as we celebrate our 10 year anniversary, it is important to share the insights and lessons learned throughout our journey in the design community. 

Jade and I met at university, on day one of Interior Architecture at UNSW. You could say our paths were destined to cross, since we had also sat the same exam for the Design Centre Enmore. We then ended up together in the same lecture theatre on the first day of university.

Organic beginnings and the elusive nature of success 

We were friends first, supporting each other through five years of study. Jade went to Spain on exchange during our third year, while I moved to New York for my first job after university. Without much of a business plan, we began working together when I returned. 

In 2014, we formalised the company after realising we could make it work as a living. On reflection, we would not have done it any other way. We have had to learn everything business-related as we go, such as hiring processes, business development and marketing, invoicing and taxes – had we known the steep learning curve ahead, perhaps we wouldn’t have so naively jumped in. 

In interior design, success can feel elusive. There are countless ways to approach a brief and many directions a final design can take. As design is so subjective, you never really feel like it’s ‘finished’ — there are always more options to explore, new finishes to try, and details to refine. 

That aside, when starting our careers, we would have been happy to be shortlisted for an Australian Interior Design Award once, as that was our idea of success, so having achieved that just one year into business demonstrates that the goal posts kept shifting. 

One of the biggest leaps we have taken was opening a new office in Brisbane. We saw an opportunity there and after researching and testing the market, Jade made the brave move to relocate and lead our new Brisbane studio. We have been very fortunate to have members of the Sydney team move to Brisbane to support the studio, and the next exciting chapter will be growing our team in Queensland.

Taking time reflect and reset

Every year, we set aside time to reflect and reset. It is a crucial part of our process. We use an A3 piece of paper and a Sharpie to create a mindmap of our annual goals, breaking them down into key areas – public relations, community, culture, projects, business, and financial objectives. We are very superstitious about keeping the same format each year, but it works for us!

One important lesson we have learned along the way is to trust our gut. Business ownership is a wild ride, and following your intuition can be a guiding force. We often find that when we have encountered challenges, it is because we ignored a feeling that something was not right, so now, we try to act quickly to address issues when we sense something is off.

As business leaders, we believe it is essential to work on ourselves continuously. We do this to become better directors, to motivate and inspire our team, and to stay informed about social and workplace trends. We also need to keep up with technological advances, knowing when to innovate and when to abandon outdated practices.

COVID-19 brought about a massive shift for many businesses, and one of the key changes for us has been embracing a hybrid workplace. 

Embracing change and looking ahead

We recognise the benefits of working as a team — brainstorming, refining designs, and presenting to clients in person. But we have also found that many tasks are just as effectively done remotely, without the distractions of the office. Maintaining a strong culture in a hybrid environment is challenging, but we focus on fostering strong interpersonal relationships in the office and improving our digital culture. Our younger team members have been instrumental in helping implement these positive changes.

We are excited for the future of interior design and architecture in Australia and are proud to be a part of a community that is constantly striving for better. We are always amazed to see the designs our peers have produced – it just keeps getting better! 

In New South Wales, we are also proud to be part of the community of interior designers who are now being recognised as a profession, rather than included more broadly in the “construction” sector. There are groups in the industry who have been working very hard towards this change, in particular the Design Institute of Australia. 

As we now have an office in Brisbane, we are excited to see development happening within a state working towards hosting the 2032 Olympics. Being a part of the growth is exciting for our business and for the country more broadly. It will be wonderful to showcase the calibre of Australian design and architecture to a large international audience.

As we reflect on the journey so far, we are filled with gratitude for the experiences and lessons that have shaped who we are today, both as business owners and individuals. It’s been rewarding to see how far we have come — not just in terms of business growth, but in the relationships we have built with our team, our clients, and the broader design community.

Looking ahead, we are focused on continuing to grow, adapt, and innovate in the ever-changing world of design. With our Brisbane studio taking off and the future of the industry in Australia looking bright, we are eager to contribute to that growth, while staying true to values that have guided us from the very beginning — collaboration and creativity. We look forward to new challenges, fresh ideas, and the ongoing honour of creating meaningful spaces that inspire and endure.

Read about Bradhly Le, interior designer and founder of the recently launched interior design studio RIZEN Atelier.