They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and that’s certainly the case for Hamish Dodd. The celebrity interior designer was headed for a career as a commercial pilot when his mother, Adrienne, retrained as an interior designer, sparking her son’s career pivot. The star of such TV shows as My House, My Castle and The 100 Day Bach, Hamish tells MasterStroke about his love of colour – and why colour should provoke a reaction.
How did it start for you?
I was born in Adelaide, where my parents were on the first leg of their OE. They never made it to England but came back to Auckland where I was raised. Growing up, Mum loved to paint our bedrooms in bold colours and she eventually retrained as an interior designer.
I always liked growing things and garden design so headed to London on my OE and ended up doing a year’s landscape design course at Inchbald School of Design in London. I set up my own landscape business when I got home. I also did some work for Mum’s clients and in 1999 was asked to audition for TV special Ground Force and the television work took off from there.
What drew you to a career in interior design?
Although I don’t have formal interior design training, there’s a lot of similarities with landscape design, such as form and colour. And I worked with my builder uncle while I was studying to be a pilot, so I learned a lot about structure and construction.
I merged with Mum’s business about six years ago to form Dodd & Dodd Design. She does the bulk of the design work because of my TV commitments but we’re able to work well together – she’s my design mentor. Mum focuses more on the soft furnishings side whereas colour is my thing.
Why is good design important to you?
One of my tutors at Inchbald once told me that everyone deserves good design and even if something is utilitarian, it should be designed well. So that’s a belief I take into every job.
You’re known for your love of colour. How do you use colour in projects?
Colour makes people happy – it brings a house together and puts a smile on people’s faces. I’m particularly a fan of wrap-around colour or painting the ceiling and walls the same shade – it can create a sense of drama. Colour can also polarise – for example, in the early 2000s, I painted a feature wall in orange and others in grey – people either loved it or hated it, but at least it provoked a reaction.
But there should always be consistency – I’m not a fan of having a mishmash of 20 different colours in a house. There needs to be a commonality in the colours you use.
How have you used colour in your own home?
Our living room is a deep moody red – a mix of Resene Old Brick and Resene Barn Red. We’ve done the ceilings and walls in the same colour – it creates a cosy sanctuary you want to sink into. I’ve also gone for a bold Resene wallpaper in the master bedroom, a pale green and turquoise print with islands and palm trees. It makes me smile every time I see it.
I have a wife and 15-year-old son at home and although they both understand my love of colour, I also have to take into account their tastes because it’s their house too.
What advice would you have about how to use colour?
Have a go – if you don’t like it, you can always change it. And don’t get bogged down with Pinterest – it can be a great source of inspiration but remember that the design and colours must work for your setting.
I’d also suggest not letting your kids run riot with the paint chart – maybe give them four options to narrow it down and let them pick one. And if you’ve painted the room and are starting to think it isn’t right, don’t freak out! Wait until the furniture and artwork is back in place because that makes a difference to the entire look and feel of a room.
