Meet Michelle - Founder of Light and Frank
Hi I’m Michelle
I set up Light and Frank Interiors in 2017. Starting a new career just before my 50th birthday was both exciting and terrifying. I tried to focus on the excitement and as each year passes I find myself so grateful to work in a field that I know will fulfill me for the rest of my life. This new direction had been building in my mind for many years, so it wasn’t a cold new start once I plucked up the courage and dared to do it!
In 2013 I worked with a talented workspace design team and admired the way they looked at the space so differently. I thought, I want to do that!
My first career was in HR and Development and I have had an interesting and varied journey with it, working with some lovely people along the way. The foundation of how I approached my HRD career was rooted in psychology. Psychology helps me to understand people’s thinking and behaviour as well as organisational culture and how to manage projects and change.
The work I now do with Light and Frank weaves together many areas of knowledge and skills. When working with clients at home or in small and larger organisations I use a combination of interior design, psychology, personality theory, change management, coaching theory, counselling approaches and project management.
I have developed an approach that helps people to analyse themselves. I don’t keep my thinking private or mysterious. Everyone is different and we each respond to our environmental context as a result of our own needs. When people go through my ‘Discover Your Design Personality’ process they discover more about what makes them unique and hopefully that then empowers them to want to create their own ideal environment. This isn’t just a nice to have by the way. I believe that its a fundamental part of helping people to boost their health, happiness and well-being.
On a personal level I have 3 main interests: art, psychology and nature. When I stay close to these 3 areas I know that I can’t go wrong and I’m in my zone of happiness! I am inspired by nature and love to use natural materials and consider the environment where possible in my work whether that is using low VOC paint, saving things from landfill by reusing/ gifting it, or up cycling old furniture in fun and innovative ways. I am always looking for new ways to live well with the resources we have and minimising our impact on the planet. So many people that I work with want this too and appreciate a considered approach.
Not surprisingly in my spare time I don’t stray far from what I do for work!! I love to comb furniture, vintage and interiors shops in the area or on the internet at auction, for pieces to save or make over. I also love to get out for fresh air walks in the countryside and seaside. I often find these unspoiled views so inspiring as well as invigorating! I even get my paints and pencils out once in a while.
Finally, I want to tell you a little story… People often ask me why the name - Light and Frank?
It’s a name that I feel describes the way I approach work and life. I am light-hearted and believe that we can make most things in life fun and enjoyable. I’m also straightforward and honest. I tell the trust as much as possible without (hopefully) hurting people’s feelings. People tell me that the name does reflect me and although I do work with others as associates at the moment I am still a small and personal business.
But all of that is a total coincidence! Ha ha. The name Frank comes from my late Granddad; Frank Holmes Armitage, who I never knew. He died when my own Dad was still young, only 15 years old but after doing some research on ancestry about Frank in WW1 I felt more connected to him and I had a feeling that I wanted to put him in my new business somehow. But wasn’t sure exactly how. And then the Light part came when I was having Reiki healing session whilst on holiday in 2017. The healer Christine said - “Why don’t you put light into your new business?” and of course, she meant celestial light. It was an incredible moment. And on that day I thought “I can literally put light into my business and I went down to the pool and painted a water colour sketch of my logo straight away. Light and Frank was born.
Everyday my aim is to bring light and lightness to people through my advice, consultancy and designs.
Thanks for reading!
Love and light
Michelle x
