INTERIOR DESIGN THAT’S FOR EVERYONE
ALISON BETHELL-COLLINS INTERIOR DESIGN
Alison Bethell-Collins has lived on the Costa del Sol for many years and has become a well-known and respected face within the interior design world. Her wealth of experience and, more importantly, her continued passion and love for her work in providing special homes for her clients has led to many becoming good friends. As a result, she is often asked to accompany clients on buying trips to the likes of Paris, Morocco and Italy, as she has the invaluable “little black book” of supplier contacts that makes furnishing a home, wherever that may be, a much easier and more pleasurable process. Alison has now opened a showroom in the heart of San Pedro de Alcántara, where she has music playing, coffee on the go, and chocolates and biscuits a plenty. The showroom
mainly houses Italian designer furniture and a huge array of fabric samples from major international brands, but she also has a veritable library of catalogues to show clients if a particular product is not in stock. She comments, “Even though most interior designers are very friendly and approachable, I realise that sometimes high-end interior design showrooms can seem a little daunting to enter, so I like to keep the ambience relaxed and fun so that customers feel at ease and enjoy the whole experience. “Even if you are just wanting some curtains or blinds or a small reform in your home, I’m more than happy to help out. For clients who want to fix their budget from the very beginning, I have created some excellent packages that offer real style and won’t break the bank.
“What many people don’t realise is that I offer a fully-comprehensive architect service, including plans, refurbishment and renovation. My team and I provide a full project management service during building, and I send regular reports and photos to clients if they are overseas.” Alison is one of the few interior designers who can work with clients in Gibraltar due to the different legislation procedures, delivery implications and import duties. “I have recently renovated a 200-year-old fortress in Gibraltar and turned it into a lavish private home with most of the furniture being specially made. It really has the wow-factor and is without doubt, I am proud to say, one of Europe’s most exclusive homes. I am currently working on another project in Gibraltar which is a complete refurbishment of a four-bedroom house, where I have designed a spectacular bar and cinema area in the basement – it is going to be a real showstopper.”
Alison has lived in many countries including Italy and Indonesia and has always picked up design inspiration from wherever she has visited. Thanks to her worldly travels she has carried out projects that have ranged broadly in design style, from high glamour, art deco and modern ethnic to Scandinavian chic. Her impressive network of contacts means she can offer clients experts in their fields as well as some of the Costa del Sol’s best artisans to create personalised pieces for their home.
Alison Bethell-Collins Avda. de Mediterráneo, Edif. Corona 20, San Pedro de Alcántara (Marbella) Tel. Showroom (+34) 951 507 350 Mobile (+34) 627 487 364 www.alisonbethellcollins.com
NEW LIFE HOME
SHOWCASING THE ESSENCE OF GLOBAL DESIGN
Interview with Jorge Francia Cuadrado
Tell us a bit about the background to New Life Home and its origins… At New Life Home we come from a family that has been dedicated to the sale and design of exclusive furniture for stores throughout Spain for more than 20 years. But our real birth actually dates to two years ago, thanks to changing trends in the area of decoration and interior design. We have immersed ourselves in a constant evolutionary wave with the objective of offering clients the most avant-garde and exclusive products in accordance with current market demand. The New Life Home concept derives from that change. We were not only looking to import furniture but we also wanted to develop our own style, giv en that 90 per cent of our products are designed exclusively. Our inspiration when acquiring furniture has always come from travelling, from being familiar with different cultures, from representing the history and crafts of the world. That’s where our “Made In World” originates, and its goal is to expand that beautiful part of the East to Europe. New Life Home expresses a new per sonal and professional period for us, following on from this transformation and inspiration, and above all from our enthusiasm to seek an evolving and well-established new era. Our growth has been remarkable. We are making a significant investment in staying abreast of the public’s preferences, and especially in image, always
with the intention of maintaining our commitment to bringing natural aspects of the world to the West.
All the products in your showroom have an organic aesthetic. Why do you think this style is so popular in southern Spain? Our style aims to be in sync as a kind of representation of the Mediterranean climate. The furniture has a marked natural character accompanied by a handcrafted touch that we bring from the East, making it the ideal combi nation for a wide variety of spaces. Our furniture has personality, and it fits in perfectly with our seasonal climate, not only in southern Spain but also in the entire Mediterranean area. We offer a natural style, with an ethnic and modern essence – hence the public’s appreciation and interest.
You have an extremely comprehensive showroom and website where a wide variety of products can be purchased conveniently. Apart from the store, what other services do you offer? Since our beginnings, in addition to the sale of exclusive furniture, one of our essential services – an important one that the company takes great pride in – has been carrying out interior design projects. The key consists in advising and creating unique and outstanding spaces that respond to each client’s
requirements and desires. Once we secure a project, and after carrying out all the necessary adjustments, we execute the project and turn the ideas into reality. Within our specialisations, we design spaces that range from the modification of homes, focusing on those spaces where we are particularly specialised, to a service for professionals in the field of hotels and restaurants. We develop each space made-to-measure, with special care always given to adapting to a client’s multiple requirements. We also produce customised furniture. In tune with our philosophy, and al ways listening intently to a customer’s requests, we create the products that best suit their needs, always following aesthetic criteria and constantly being open to their advice.
You sell both indoor and outdoor furniture. What interesting new products do you have in your store for us to decorate our homes this summer? Our intention is to present a large number of new collections that will be on public view through March and April. We are working to ensure that our showroom, website and social networks are kept up to date with the new products we offer. The products that have been most popular are teak wood collections and rattan decorations. From tables of various designs, side boards and chairs to decorative baskets, lighting and cushions made of
natural materials – and all of these products have become available after an exhaustive search for suppliers and manufacturers in the East. Currently, our furniture comes from Indonesia, Vietnam, Morocco, China and India, and we have personally visited these countries on multiple occasions to acquire products that are manufactured there to our designs.
In conclusion… At New Life Home we are always happy to listen to customers, to adapt to new trends and, above all, to create unique spaces. And always following our philosophy of bringing the essence of the world into people’s homes.
New Life Home Avda Velázquez 204-206, Málaga Tel. (+34) 951 576 384 www.newlifehome.es