Jenna Basford Interiors wins Freelancer of the Year at the West Suffolk Business Awards 2026
Well this is a lovely thing to be writing about! On Friday 9th October 2026 I was super happy (and shocked) to be named Freelancer of the Year at the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards 2026. A few days on I'm still not entirely sure it's sunk in… Jenna Basford Interiors is just coming up to a year and a half old, so much has happened in such a short time. I started the business back in May 2025 with three children aged 1, 2 and 12. They're now 2, 3 and 13 and I can't say they're getting any easier! 😂 It's been a busy (almost) 18 months to say the least. Lots of late nights, plenty of learning as I go, more juggling than I'd care to admit and somewhere in amongst it all some really lovely interior design projects. To have that recognised at a local business awards ceremony was very special.
Something that has always been important to me is bringing the level of interior design service I've spent over 15 years developing to my own local community. There aren't many BIID Registered Interior Designers working in this part of Suffolk and I wanted people locally to have access to the same level of professional expertise, creativity and attention to detail that they might traditionally associate with larger design studios, without having to look further afield.
A little more than just an award
The ceremony itself was such a brilliant evening. I was in very good company sharing a table with Midgar Coffee and Toddle About Suffolk and surrounded by so many wonderful businesses doing genuinely good things for our local community. One of the things I particularly loved about the Freelancer of the Year category, sponsored by @inc was that it recognised not only individual business success but the wider contribution freelancers make to other businesses and the local economy. That's something I think can easily be overlooked when you're working for yourself. Because behind Jenna Basford Interiors, it really is just me. I'm the interior designer, of course, but also the project manager, administrator, accountant, website designer, social media person and the one answering all the emails. Sometimes I think the actual interior designing is the smallest part of running an interior design business! And whilst I genuinely love what I do, there's no pretending that running a business around family life is always straightforward. There are days when everything comes together beautifully and others when it feels like I'm trying to do about six different jobs at once. But there's something rather lovely about watching a business you've built from scratch slowly find its feet, develop its own identity and become something people recognise and trust.
Something that has always been important to me is bringing the level of interior design service I've spent over 15 years developing to my own local community. There aren't many BIID Registered Interior Designers working in this part of Suffolk and I wanted people locally to have access to the same level of professional expertise, creativity and attention to detail that they might traditionally associate with larger design studios, without having to look further afield.
It takes more than one person
Although Jenna Basford Interiors is a one woman business the work I do involves an awful lot of other people. Joiners, decorators, plasterers, electricians, fitters, curtain makers, upholsterers, specialist suppliers... the list goes on. There's a lot that goes into creating a space and some of the most important work happens long after the drawings and design presentations are finished. I'm incredibly lucky to work alongside so many talented tradespeople and suppliers… many which are independent businesses themselves, working across Suffolk and the surrounding areas. It's one of my favourite parts of the job actually. Getting to bring together people who are genuinely brilliant at what they do and seeing an idea develop from something on the screen/paper into a finished space. Good design is never just about the person who came up with the idea. It's about the people who help make it happen, the care taken over the smallest details and the pride everyone brings to their work. Having trades and suppliers who care about my clients' spaces just as much as I do means an awful lot. And winning an award that recognises the wider impact of freelancers feels especially lovely because of that.
And of course my lovely clients
None of this would be possible without the people who invite me into their homes or workplaces and trust me with their spaces. It's quite a personal thing, asking somebody to help you reimagine your space. Every client has different needs, tastes, routines and ideas about how they want to live and work and being trusted to help bring those together is something I never take for granted. From a simple colour consultation to an entire home redesign, every project has played a part in helping my little business grow. And one of the nicest things about working independently is the relationships you build along the way. Getting to know the people behind the projects, hearing how they're enjoying their spaces afterwards and sometimes being invited back to help with the next room. Those are the things that make all the behind the scenes work worthwhile.
A little moment to remember
I didn't start Jenna Basford Interiors with any grand plans to win business awards. I wanted to build a design practice that’s not out of reach and reflected the way I believe homes should be designed: thoughtfully, individually and with real consideration for the people living in them. I wanted to do work I was proud of, build good relationships with clients and trades and hopefully make a little business work alongside raising my family.
Eighteen months later I'm still figuring plenty of things out but I'm enormously proud of what I've managed to build so far.
A huge thank you to the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards, the category sponsors @inc, my brilliant trades and suppliers, and of course every single client who has supported Jenna Basford Interiors.
So whilst the award might have my name on it, there's an awful lot more behind that name than just me. And I think that's what makes winning this particular award feel so special.
Still feeling very lucky, and very proud 🥰
