Bridget Foley’s secrets for making a space feel like home

“People probably think I’m crazy, but every night I’ll pull the curtains closed, dim the lights – it helps me get ready for the evening,” shares Bridget.

When she’s gathered with friends and family, it’s all about the candlelight and the music: “It’s about the whole package, not just walking into a house with some pretty things that you’ve bought from a shop – that’s not a home.”

You could always find Bridget flipping through the pages of interior design magazines when she was growing up, fascinated by the beautiful homes and all of the different fabrics and colours found within them. But when it came time for her to figure out what she wanted to pursue as a career, she didn’t realise that interior design was actually an option.

“I always thought it was a job that you did overseas, not in New Zealand,” explains Bridget. So instead, she went on to do nursing. It wasn’t until after an injury that saw her unable to continue in the profession, that she took the leap into interior design.

“They’d just started an interior architecture diploma in Wellington, so I applied and was lucky to get in because I was an old student in my twenties by then. And I loved it.”

Bridget then completed her final year of study at Inchbald School of Design in London and started in the industry by working on five star hotels and luxury homes for GA Design International, before working with Baker Neville Design.

“The types of places we worked on were incredible, every project was exciting. It was mind-blowing and I just loved going to work every day,” she says.

After a decade abroad, Bridget then returned home to New Zealand and was approached by a friend in Wellington to work on her house.

“It was an incredible house and this job remains a highlight. It was such a fabulous client, a fabulous house, and I’ve continued to work with that client on various projects over the years. I’m working on one right now, and that first house was about 20 years ago.”

While all of the projects that Bridget has been part of over the years – both internationally and in New Zealand – have been unique, they’ve all had a common thread: “It’s their home. The key is to not go in with any set ideas – I don’t have a set style because I wouldn’t want to go into someone’s space and put my mark on something that’s theirs.”

Just as in her own home, Bridget focuses on bringing together her client’s spaces with timeless, beautiful details that make them feel at home.

“It’s not just all about the fabric and the furniture and everything, it’s a feeling – the ambience. It’s having lights on dimmers, candles and lamps so that you’re not walking into a room that’s too bright,” she says.

“It’s about getting the ambience of your house right – the sounds, the feel, the lighting. It’s about making it a home.”

Words by Cassie Birrer