Although Alidad is best known for large projects where invariably he works alongside an architect, he is also happy to take on more modest-sized projects. It is also possible to buy the Alidad ‘look’ through his own collections of wallcoverings, fabrics and furniture, in effect offering a prêt-a-porter arm to the business, as well as a fully couture one. What is important to him is building up a truly personal relationship with each of his clients, as he explains here:

“When a client comes to me for the first time, it is my job to gain their confidence and help them find out what they really want. That means finding out what sort of people they are, what requirements they have and how they want to live. All of this needs to be translated into the design. If it is a new house, I have to help them leave the old one behind and begin focusing on the next fifteen years or more.

"Then I look at the house itself - each house has its own story and it is a mistake to go against it. It is crucial that the internal architecture, for example, be in absolute sympathy with the period and style of the building. When I begin designing, I am obsessed by all the things you don’t see - the function of individual rooms, the flow of the space, taking the best that 21st-century technology can offer and then concealing it completely. It is not until all the practical issues have been resolved that I begin thinking about decoration and how to layer up colours, patterns and textiles to achieve my signature timeless look. No room I design is ever the same.

"I personally oversee every project. The reason why clients come back to me again and again is that they know they receive an unusually personal and caring service from myself and my team - we hold our clients' hands tightly all the way through and don’t let go until every last detail is finished."