Meet Gaël Blake, Design Director for Nook Home

The designer and co-founder behind the Nook concept is talented trend forecaster and product designer Gaël Blake, who brings to the business over 15 years of experience in the homes and interiors market, working with some of the country’s leading retailers.

Gaël is passionate about home interiors, having studied both furniture and lighting design and producing concepts for leading national and international brands. From creating high-end interiors in London to working for corporates to source and design projects, Gaël is the vision and inspiration behind the Nook team.

Gaël decided to move back to her native Yorkshire in 2021, founding her studio in the epicentre of the county’s carpet manufacturing heartland at the Dean Clough complex in Halifax.  As the mother of two young children, Gaël brings to her role as Design Director for Nook a sense of family and a real understanding of what makes a house a home.

For Gaël, it’s all about creating beautiful yet functional designs people can live with. “My objective is always to put the person I’m designing for at the very heart of what I do, creating for real people and real homes,” explained Gaël. “I use my own experience to draw inspiration from the everyday requirements of family life, blending innovation and practical solutions to create functional products with timeless appeal.”

The provenance of the business is also important for Gaël, whose family roots are firmly on Yorkshire soil. “Coming home to Yorkshire to live and work, and creating something with a true local focus in terms of concept and manufacture has been a passion project for me,” she explained. “The Yorkshire-centric idea for the brand brings together the very best of the county’s artisanal skills and craftsmanship, working closely with people who are committed to producing high quality, purpose-designed goods that are built to last.”

One of the single biggest considerations for Gaël as a designer is accessibility, designing for real life and real people, and creating products reflecting individual preferences and tastes. Cherry-picking the best fabrics and colours and offering a plethora of choices for the customer is a vital part of this.

“The unique element of Nook as a seating concept is that it can be tailored to everyone’s ideas and interiors,” she explained. “Whatever your style, from boho chic to contemporary or country cottage, with Nook there’s something for everyone – Nooks can be styled in multiple ways. What’s more, we’re committed to ensuring the products are built for quality using beautiful yet practical and hard-wearing fabrics. Plus if you fancy a change in years to come, our booths can be re-upholstered.”

Sustainability is an important element for Nook, too. “Focusing sourcing and manufacturing as well as other related services in Yorkshire effectively reduces our overall carbon footprint. We’ve considered the delivery aspect too to incorporate reusable packaging solutions, keeping the products safe in transit and ensuring we meet the highest environmental standards.”

As Design Director for Nook, Gaël plans to expand the design concept, working with independent kitchen and furniture specialists to incorporate new product innovations reflecting the latest interior design trends. “Into the future, we’re already looking at collaborations and limited editions, combining these developments with our understanding of the interiors market and design trends to keep the Nook brand at the cutting edge.”