Peter Hodgson heads up DAKOTA House of Design - established in 2008 - which has worked with brands such as Malmaison, Aspers and Genting Casinos.
His team is currently delivering interiors for 45 luxury apartments in Hexham and is soon to start work on a project in Kuwait to transform the terrace area of Kuwait Towers into a year-round secret garden-themed space.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)?
My first job was as a shop fitting designer in Perth, Australia. I was aiming for a job in Tokyo but got to Perth as a stop off and loved it. The biggest problem I had was my degree, which was in product design, and it took a bit of convincing to get someone to employ me in interior design because I had never studied in this field, and I was a product designer which is very different. As I remember my wage was $8,000 Australian dollars per year which then exchanged to around £5,400 per annum.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business?
The most sensible bit of advice I was given was by my father who said "don’t start your own business; be the biggest cog in someone else’s business." I passed this onto my kids and none of us followed the advice… but I still think its sound advice if you are that way inclined.
What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing?
Because I’ve always been involved mainly in leisure-based projects I’ve seen such a change in the market mainly due to the expectations of the client base. It’s vast compared to when I first started out, so the first big problem is working out who you’re designing for and what they want out of a project.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work?
Actually, it hasn’t changed much from our side although it did for a while due to lockdown and Zoom/Teams meetings, but I’d say that things are back to around 95% normal regarding meetings on site. International projects were also affected because of travel restrictions but once again this is also nearly back to normal.
Who is your role model in business?
I admire so many entrepreneurs in business but in design-wise for me it was always Philippe Stark. He started life as a product designer and progressed to interiors.
What would your dream job be?
Sounds a bit crass but ‘I’m in it’ - besides this I wouldn’t mind selling fruit on a beach somewhere beautiful.
What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector?
Be prepared to be able to initially do without the big wage you might want, work hard to prove you are worth your salt and make sure you fit into the office vibe, so you become an integral part of the company.
What makes the North East a good place to do business?
I thought for years about opening an office in London but what stopped me was that I can be there in three hours. Most of our clients are around London and I came back from Australia to live in Newcastle as it’s where I’m from and a great place to live. It’s got the countryside and the seaside right on your doorstep.
How important is it for business to play a role in society?
It’s imperative……without business there’s no society. It’s what our social lives are based around, where friendships start and sometimes unfortunately finish.
Outside of work, what are you really good at?
When I was younger I could give you a list as long as your arm but now it’s fairly limited - I like socialising, drinking and creating topiary sculptures - oh, and I’m particularly good at being a Newcastle United fan!
