DESIGNER LEADERS: Interiors Design

DESIGNER LEADERS: Interiors Design

A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH SENIOR PROFESSIONALS WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE, INSIGHT AND VISION OF BOTH THE CURRENT AND FUTURE BUSINESS ROLE FOR DESIGN AND CREATIVITY. TODAY WE SPEAK TO MARC PRITCHARD, SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR TAYLOR WIMPEY ESPAÑA.

What role does design play within your business, and how do you think this has evolved over the past decade?
In a ‘normal’ market, show homes are key to success. They need to be designed and ready to wow those looking round as early as possible within the sales and marketing process. In the current market, we are selling lots of our properties off-plan. However, a physical show home still delivers a very different experience compared to a virtual show home tour or computer-generated images.

Design is important to each project and every project is different. We have sites which are first line to the sea. We design, furnish and decorate those in a very different way to a project which is further inland (for example) or to one in a little town. In terms of its power, design is very important. You need to aim to deliver the wow factor the moment the customer enters the show home. When that happens, you know you’ve got the design spot on.

What are the key success factors that have driven growth for your business in recent years?
For the second home market in Spain, the leading growth driver in recent years has definitely been low-cost air travel. More recently, the digitalisation of the complete buying process – driven by the pandemic – has also been an influential factor. With working from home becoming bigger, our market is growing too. More and more northern and central Europeans are thinking of relocating to countries with warmer climates, as they’re freed from the need to be physically present in the office.

Is there a design team in-house at Taylor Wimpey España?
No, we don’t use an in-house team. We prefer to work with interior architects, designers and suppliers who are local to each of our projects. We’ve found that doing so means they connect deeply with the project in question, sourcing local materials and designing in such a way that each project really resonates with its location.

What will be the important characteristics that businesses like yours – and others in your sector – will need in order to remain competitive and to aim for growth in the years ahead?
There are a few factors at play here. One is the need to look after and take care of our employees. Another is the need to be customer focussed in every element of what we do. We also strive to be as environmentally friendly as we can, using the newest materials and technologies. That’s really important. The last factor is not losing out on digitalisation – this is key to remaining competitive over the years ahead.

Taylor Wimpey España / taylorwimpeyspain.com

DESIGNER LEADERS: Interiors Design

https://designerati.co.uk/designerleaders-marc-pritchard/