ABOUT IN HOUSE INTERIORS

Founded in 1993, In House Interiors is operated by Val Armstrong from her home in Motueka, New Zealand. Until 2009 the business was located in Christchurch.

Val received her Diploma of Soft Furnishings and Certificate of Interior Design from the College of Fashion and Interiors in Christchurch (now the College of Design and Arts).

She has also worked as a colour consultant for two Christchurch building firms, and has developed a strong reputation over the years for understanding the use of fabrics, textures and colours to develop richly satisfying yet functional window treatments.

Until 2008, Val offered a wide variety of services and products and worked from her large workroom, employing some staff at times. Since then she has been downsizing the operation, moved to Motueka, and begun specialising in making roman blinds, teaching soft furnishing skills for budding or existing professionals, and designing and making a range of Valz-branded embellished Tshirts and other specialty clothing and soft furnishings, and is constantly developing innovative fabric craft projects.

Val is passionate about the soft furnishing industry and believes that standards in this sector are best built up through collaboration and co-operative competition amongst small manufacturers. To that end, in 2006 she and her husband founded Soft Furnishing Associates of NZ (SFA), a network of soft furnishers who share information and support each other as they strive to improve. Although they have recently handed on administration of the group to other members, In House Interiors remain active and enthusiastic members of SFA.