After spending a decade working in international affairs, Next in Design winner Chizitera Pennington was craving a more creative career. ‘I really believe that the most important thing in life is having a happy home, one in which you feel you can be yourself. I felt this was an area I could make a difference,’ she says. ‘As soon as I began designing, I just thought “this is it, this is where I belong.”’ And so, her studio Chizitera Interiors was born.
Research, storytelling and understanding people are central to her work. Before beginning a project, Chizitera seeks to understand not only how her clients live, but where they come from. ‘A home feels richer when it draws on all the influences of a person’s life,’ she says. ‘So I want to see pictures of where clients grew up and understand what dedicated spaces they need, so I can design a home that makes sense for the people who live there.’
