On the sofa with Martin Waller

Introducing our new ‘On the Sofa’ series in which Founder & CEO of Taylor Howes, Karen Howes interviews key people within the British Interior Design, Property and Luxury sectors to gain some insight into their world.

To kickstart our series Karen interviews worldwide furniture retailer and founder of Andrew Martin, Martin Waller. Many people do not know that Martin is an extremely influential person in Karen’s life as he is the person that introduced her to interior design. When Karen was 18 years old she rented a room in a tiny house in King’s Cross owned by Martin. It was in this little home that Karen’s passion for interior design began as it was a real treasure trove, full of unusual artefacts which shaped her eye for design and ignited her love of interiors.

Described as the ‘Indiana Jones of Interior Design’ we sit with Martin to discover a little bit more about his world and how he has created one of best known brands in British Interior Design. Founded in 1978, Andrew Martin has been at the forefront of global design. Martin started the Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year Award, dubbed as the  ‘Oscars of the design world’ (Sunday Times) and the accompanying annual Interior Design Review ‘the Bible of interior design’.

He has been involved in wide spectrum of design projects all over the world, from movies (James Bond, Gladiator, Harry Potter) to hotels (Mandarin, Firmdale, El lodge), the list is endless. Much of his inspiration is derived from his travels and adventures. Waller has hunted for mammoth in Siberia, traded with head hunters in Nagaland and searched for lost cities in the jungles of Guatemala.

Watch the video below to find out more about Martin and gain some insight into how he thinks the interior design industry has evolved over the years, how he has grown a world renowned interior design brand, his sources of design inspiration and much more…