Q&A with Vicky Floros
Interior stylist and property consultant at Mr and Mrs Clarke estate agency
How would you describe yourself ?
I am an art and lifestyle enthusiast. I love to cook, entertain, host dinner parties (or all parties for that matter!). I love the art of entertaining - setting a table, curating the perfect playlist, dinner-specific cocktails, and aperitifs with perfect wine pairings throughout. I have a 4-year-old daughter who is very quickly learning all of the above and seems to equally love co-hosting a party with me.
A bit more about you…
I was born in Toronto, Canada to Greek parents. Greek culture was at the forefront of everything we did growing up. I went to Greek school and we travelled many times over the years to the homeland where I learned the importance of staying connected to your history and your roots. It is my Greek heritage that influenced my deep love for entertaining! Travel was a huge part of my upbringing and I have been told that the first place I ever asked to go to when I was just a little girl was New York City… this does not surprise me in the slightest! I have always taken huge inspiration from my surroundings and have always been wildly attracted to interesting cities with creative hubs, unique architecture, and a diverse population. I lived in Los Angeles for several years before moving to London for over 10 years and now find myself in an utterly gorgeous village in idyllic and peaceful Rutland. A very different reality to what I have known my entire life but I am very much meant to be where I am at this stage and when I need that fix I’m off to London (or Paris).
My most recent plan was to really change the way the property industry in the UK presented their homes to the market by introducing home staging and interior styling to estate agents around the country as part of their selling process. This is how I met Mr and Mrs Clarke Estate Agency. I noticed their outstanding marketing, as their images on Rightmove and Zoopla were way above and beyond anything anyone else was putting out there and so, I approached them to be their in-house stylist. I love property and as someone who has bought, fixed, and flipped my own, I found the entire industry extremely disheartening here - primarily for the people who were trying to sell their biggest asset. A serendipitous opportunity presented itself to me when I approached them, and I actually ended up training to become an estate agent in order to tie my interior styling and design life in with selling homes and being a property consultant. I now run the Stamford and Rutland area under the MMC umbrella. It really felt right for me to show people that there was a better and more advantageous way to present their homes to the market and get the most value out of it by doing so.
I managed to connect both of my industries together seamlessly and I have found that it really works for the discerning people of Stamford and Rutland. I love that I can offer people my interior design service on its own or I can walk into a home and tell someone exactly what we need to do to maximise their sale value and then go on to sell it for them myself. It is so rewarding and offers me a wonderfully exciting work life.
Who are your greatest influences?
Hmm… I am mostly influenced by places rather than people. I have to say my design aesthetic lies somewhere between a chic Parisian cafe peppered with some California boho and a splash of the Mediterranean. I love relaxed elegance and find myself inspired by places that feel that way. Nothing too contrived and always poetic in its form.
What have been some of your best experiences at work?
When I owned my own creative events company in London we did some great work for Cancer Research and Save The Children. We designed site-specific immersive theatrical events for their biggest annual fundraising galas. It was exhilarating to bring to life Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory on one occasion in Abbey Road Studios or on another to have HRH Princess Anne and Helena Bonham Carter walk down the rabbit hole in our stupendously designed Alice in Wonderland set at the Guildhall. Currently, I am working on a stunning barn conversion. We are redoing everything from every single piece of furniture to changing every colour on every wall. It is has turned into my dream job!
Traditional vs contemporary style?
A little bit of both mixed together.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
I am still working on that, but I hope it will end up being that I raised a kind and fearless human being.
What would your super-power be?
Time travel - is that a superpower?
Last book you read?
Beautiful World Where Are You, by Sally Rooney. I devoured it within 3 days and definitely shed a tear or two. I think she is a marvel.
Dream buy?
A vineyard in Burgundy.