Block winner on the art of the reveal

The secret to good design? For Alex Walls, it’s patience and observation.

When she takes on a commission - whether working with an existing home, or creating a scheme for a new-build house or apartment – her first step is to ascertain exactly what each space will be used for.

“I profile people – not in a sinister way of course, but we all want different things from our homes and it can take a while to figure out exactly what that is,” she says.

“I find Pinterest a useful tool and I ask my clients to pin as many as 100 things they like because that way we can form a shared picture.”

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Walls is relatively new to the professional world of interior design, and she pinpoints her decision to take part in The Block in 2014 as one that allowed her creativity to blossom. Although “life-changing” is a sentiment expressed by many who appear in reality TV shows, for Walls the reveal feels genuine.

“I had a job I absolutely adored. I was a merchandising manager for a clothing company, overseeing production, working as a buyer, and charting its creative direction. I was earning great money and travelling internationally. I guess I was the true definition of a high-flyer,” she says.

Yet she and her husband, Corban, a mechanical engineer, knew they needed to change the way they were leading their lives, not least because Walls was spending four hours commuting each day.

“I knew that I would be leaving an awful lot behind because I simply couldn’t work and take part in The Block as well.

“But we’re quite philosophical people and didn’t have too many ties, so we took the plunge.

“The Block introduced us to a whole new world. Corban had the ability to construct things and solve related problems, while I took my creative ideas from the clothing trade and applied them to our renovation. It was perfect for us both.”

Walls doesn’t deny that being on the show was tough, but she and Corban found themselves working well together. “We complement each other and discovered that we’re mutually quite cool under stress,” she says.

The couple also discovered that there were thousands more Kiwis like them who wished to express their inner selves through renovation or decoration projects, but often lacked the confidence to do so.

“We dared people to open their eyes and try something new,” she says of her time on The Block.

Emerging as winners, the couple decided to pursue their shared passion and a new business emerged. “What we really aimed to do was help people express themselves through good design,” says Walls.

“In this throwaway world, we wanted to guide them in creating décor with a social focus, using materials that are carefully chosen and sustainable.”

She worries about chain stores selling what is admittedly attractive and relatively cheap furniture and accessories that follow short fashion cycles but aren’t expressly designed to last.

“As Kiwis, I think we like the instant gratification this brings, but we need to think more broadly and buy quality pieces that will look good for a long time without doing undue damage to the planet.”

She is heartened to see a growing movement for giving “brown furniture” such as mahogany dining suites, credenzas, and other classic items an imaginative new lease on life.

“Have a look at Instagram. People are doing the most wonderful projects with these pieces,” Walls says. “I really like combining old and new this way. Design really needs to be a naturally evolving thing.”

Walls is immersed in design, and runs several retail outlets, all recently rebranded as A&C Homestore.

She likes to source items locally, where possible, “to sell with love”, and she’s thrilled with the team she’s gathered around her over the past few years.

“We’re like family, and we all bring our own skills and ideas to what we do.”

Meanwhile, Corban has his own business, Special Projects, offering innovative “engineering creative solutions” for a diverse range of clients.

“But he still helps out on my side of things,” Walls says.

With spring and summer ahead, she’s excited at the prospect of using variations on the colour “greenery” – a true leaf, or grass green, which was last year’s Pantone Colour of the Year.

“It’s going to go well with botanical style and add a refreshing accent to modern interiors.”