Tom Mark Henry is one of Sydney’s most burgeoning design practices, acing everything from luxury private homes to large-scale hotels with a dynamic approach. Founders Jade Nottage and Cushla McFadden met on their first day of university, becoming friends over the course of their Interior Architecture degrees. Finding themselves looking for work at the same time, one-year post graduating, the pair threw caution to the wind and founded their own practice.

In what must only feel like fate, Tom Mark Henry has gone from strength to strength, now with a team of 11 who tackle 20-30 projects at a time. Nottage and McFadden credit landing WeWork as a client as a turning point and learning curve during their seminal days, at a time when co-working spaces were just taking off in Australia. The practice has now built a rich portfolio across commercial, retail, hospitality and residential projects, applying a signature ability to not overcomplicate while making a space memorable.

Read on for our full interview with the founders, covering everything from creative inspiration to organisational strategies and up-and-coming new work.

+ Hello Jade and Cushla, welcome to Yellowtrace! Could you please give us a quick introduction on yourselves and the path that lead you to start Tom Mark Henry?

+ What is your main priority when starting projects? Is there something that is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?

+ Businesses and relationships all evolve over time. What is your approach to dealing with growth and change, within Tom Mark Henry and in the interior design industry as a whole?

+ How is your studio structured? How many of you work in the studio, what types of skills do you have in-house, is there anything you are outsourcing, and how many projects do you handle at any one time?

+ How do you organise and manage the competing demands of modern business and life? Do you have any tip or tricks you could share with us that help you in your day to day?

+ Has there been any particular project, client, or an important set of skills you’ve developed that has changed the course of your practice?

+ What do you feel is the most challenging part of being an interior designer today? And if you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

+ What are your top 3 main sources of inspiration and references you are drawn to regularly – i.e. books, magazines, websites/ blogs, podcasts etc.?

+ Who or what are some of your influences? What other designers, peers and creatives, in general, do you admire?

+ What advice would you give to emerging designers? What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting your practice?

+ What would be your dream creative project or a collaboration?

+ What’s next – can you share with us your vision, some of your goals (and some of your current projects)?

+ What’s the best mistake you have ever made?

+ Best piece of advice you’ve been given?

+ Your most treasured belonging?

+ What’s one thing other people may not know about you?

+ It’s not very cool, but I really like…

[Images courtesy of Tom Mark Henry. Photography credits as noted.]