A Conversation with Nicole Salvesen of Salvesen Graham

English Interiors, Everest and the Atmosphere of a Place

OB: I’d love to know how and why you started your own business. What’s the story?

NS: I came from a family of entrepreneurs, so starting my own business felt very natural. My dad led expeditions on Everest, summiting once, before running a travel company. My mum had a catering business. I credit their spirit with making me unafraid of forging my own path. I wanted to create a life that allowed me to have children while working. In reality, the business quickly became a full-time operation. It wasn’t something I could fit casually around family life. Discipline and organisation became essential.

But autonomy mattered. Building something of our own was important.

OB: As a female founder, what has been the biggest challenge?

NS: I still find it slightly surprising that I still feel the need to prove myself, even in what appears to be a female-oriented industry.

We work closely with contractors and consultants, often in male-dominated environments. There can be an assumption that interior design is decorative or “fluffy” - cushions and curtains - rather than strategic and structured.

In reality, running a luxury interior design studio involves complex project management, financial oversight and long-term planning. I think our generation has helped redefine that perception. It’s a serious business.

OB: Was there a project that marked a step-change for the studio?

NS: Trewithen in Cornwall.

It was a defining moment because we were entrusted with a house that will be lived in for generations. It gave us confidence that we could operate at that scale.

OB: And what feels significant right now?

NS: We’re working on an increasing number of international projects, both residential and commercial, which reflects how far the studio has evolved.

But most notably, we’ve just launched a new fabric collection. It feels like a coming-of-age moment. The scale and ambition are greater than anything we’ve done before. As a cohesive body of work, it represents real maturity and that’s exciting.

OB: Salvesen Graham has a growing presence in the United States. What resonates with American clients?

NS: There’s a strong appreciation for our approach to English decorating; the layering, the sense of history.

American interiors often feel more tailored and precise. Our work tends to embrace a softer, more atmospheric quality; rooms that feel collected over time.

There’s also a genuine fascination with British heritage. Our book, A New English Style, has performed very well in the US, and we’re now represented in showrooms in New York, Texas and Charleston. That growth has been incredibly rewarding.

OB: If you could choose one interior designer - living or dead - to design your own home?

NS: John Fowler. His approach to English interiors at Colefax & Fowler was instinctive and imaginative. Much of it was born from constraint; he famously made curtains from parachute silk because that was what was available.

I admire that resourcefulness. The understanding that beauty often emerges from limitation, and that rules can be broken.

OB: Now the important question: why have you not yet joined a Slow Cyclist trip?

NS: (Laughs.) I know. It’s overdue!

My husband Tom cycled with you in Transylvania, but I’ve yet to make it happen. The idea of a cycling holiday in Romania genuinely appeals to me, particularly because so much of my inspiration comes from Eastern European textiles and traditional craft.

So many of my ideas come from travel and how a place makes you feel: the light, the texture.

Now that the children are older, I would love to bring them on a Slow Cyclist holiday. Romania feels exciting.

Discover more about Nicole's luxury interior design studio at Salvesen Graham. And if you'd like to join a Slow Cyclist journey in Romania or beyond, get in touch to find out more.