Windermere’s Alison Tordoff of Fidget Design has won the Creative Industry of the Year title.
The announcement was made at a grand ceremony in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens at the Enterprise Vision Awards which recognise women in business from across the North West.
Alison, whose designs grace homes and hotels across the country, including the award-winning Cedar Manor Hotel, was one of five finalists in her category.
She had completed a rigorous process to reach the finals, including an interview and a presentation to a panel of judges.
The award comes alongside the opening of her latest innovative project, the Special Spaces design hub in Windermere which brings together the region’s top designers of furniture and smart home technology.
Fidget Design, set up by Alison in 1997, has earned a reputation as one of the most creative and innovative interior architects in the UK. She has worked on a wide variety of prestigious projects with top brands including Jaguar, Aston Martin, The Samling, Langdale Leisure Club and award winning Serenity Spa at Seaham.
Her designs for the Cedar Manor won Best International Hotel interior at the Bloomberg Hotel Awards. She has since created a distinctive Welcome Lounge at the hotel which helped them win Best Small Hotel in Cumbria (and one of the top five small hotels in the UK, highly commended in recent VisitEngland excellence awards.)
Here she pioneered a new range, The Love District, home furnishings based on the landscape, history and traditions of the Lake District, including cushions embroidered with the outlines of the fells, and a Lakeland bookends wallpaper.
Married with two young children, Alison won the Cumbrian Businesswoman of the Year Title in 2003. She is a regular columnist with Lancashire Life magazine. She enjoys walking, scuba diving, hang-gliding and “anything adventurous”.
After the ceremony Alison said: “I want to communicate a message about the importance of good design, and believe that this award will provide me with the platform to do that, and to inspire others creatively. I am very keen to enthuse and encourage others in developing their creativity. The right atmosphere and design in any building can make or break its success.”
She added: “This award represents a hugely positive and empowering boost to my confidence regarding the way my work is perceived. Life has its twist and turns and the past few years have been no exception. I am a small business and along with my husband Richard need to juggle family life alongside my work commitments.
“As many would agree practical life and intense creativity don’t always confer. Sadly I lost my father 18 months ago which hit me hard. I am lucky to have amazing support from friends and family however, and my pride in the achievement that this award represents is a clear indication that I have managed to remain current, relevant and creative during this period. Thank you so much to the 30 judges who deemed me worthy of this EVA award.”
Owner of the Cedar Manor Hotel, Jonathan Kaye said: “Alison has been a massive influence at the Cedar Manor, creating all our fantastic bedrooms, suites and public rooms. She is a big part of our award winning hotel. We are already excited about future projects that are now on the drawing board. Congratulations to Alison from all of us at Cedar Manor on the EVA award she won.”
Andrew Smith, managing director of Lakeland Fells Furniture and a partner in the Special Spaces project said: “Having worked with Alison for many years her success at the EVA awards comes as no surprise. The opportunity to convert her vision into reality always provides our team with refreshing challenges that assure clients the bespoke quality and individuality that they desire.
“The ability to showcase Alison’s creativity within the setting of our Special Spaces showroom in Windermere now provides clients a tangible experience of just what can be achieved.”
northwestnewsandfeatures.wordpress.com 