Scores Sketches, & Stories: Self-Redesign with Hannah Ashe

Episode Summary:

After a highly successful career as a music teacher Hannah Ashe teacher made a pivot to interior design before discovering an additional and entirely different form of creative expression through her Substack publication, Chez Hanny. Her creativity knows no limits and I am excited for you to hear how it fuels everything she does.

The episode highlights the importance of embracing creative reinvention and nurturing creativity in various forms, including in education and through personal expression.

Hannah Ashe Bio:

Hannah’s interior design journey began in 2012 when she bought her first London flat which needed a serious revamp. Together with her husband, she went on to fully renovate two further homes and now lives in a beautiful Edwardian house in SW London where there are always new projects on the go. It often features on Hannah’s Instagram page.

In 2023, Hannah left her teaching career and position of Director of Music to follow her passion and retrain as an interior designer. She is a keen gardener and the natural environment and biophilic design concepts play a pivotal role in her design schemes. Hannah uses natural materials and forms in her design schemes as she believes they bring a sense of calm to the home. Helping clients to discover their unique personal style brings joy and satisfaction to Hannah's work and encourages a new sense of design confidence in those that she has worked with.

The creative arts still play a significant role in her life and Hannah writes a Substack newsletter - Chez Hanny - and hosts a podcast on Creative Career Change.

As well as a great eye for colour and detail, Hannah is particularly skilled in transforming Edwardian houses. She has excellent communication skills honed through 16 years of teaching, and she brings a calm presence and personal approach to every design project.

Episode Chapters with time stamps:

• 00:17 - Introducing Hannah Ashe
• 07:40 - Meeting Hannah Ashe: A Creative Switch
• 11:38 - Exploring Creative Paths
• 15:55 - The Realization of Change
• 21:09 - Starting a New Chapter in Interior Design
• 26:59 - Exploring the Transition to Substack
• 35:01 - The Journey to Embrace Creativity
• 39:56 - Embracing Creativity and Structure
• 44:07 - The Journey of Creative Intuition
• 49:54 - Exploring Creativity and Connections
• 51:05 - Introducing The Bold Types - Exploring the Art and Science of Creative Living

Four Creative Nuggets:

“Creativity is very much linked to time and headspace… it’s about carving out specific pockets of time and space that enable those thoughts and ideas to come.” Hannah Ashe

“These creative switches don’t necessarily just happen instantly… it can be a gradual process that is evolving over time—and that’s definitely what worked for me.” Hannah Ashe

“If we write something just because we want to write it… not because we’re thinking, how can I market this… those are the things that people resonate with the most.” Hannah Ashe

“I don’t think I ever want creativity to be pigeonholed… they all just mush and merge into one—and the more that I embrace that, the more creative I can be.” Hannah Ashe

Links:

The Edge

1 Luxury London – 2025 Interior Design Trends

https://luxurylondon.co.uk/lifestyle/interiors/2025-interior-design-trends-texture-art-historical-touches

2 Houzz UK – Emerging Trends Report

https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/2025-houzz-uk-emerging-trends-report-stsetivw-vs~182019964

3 John Lewis – Press Release on John Cooper Collaboration

https://www.johnlewispartnership.media/pressrelease/johnlewis/details/23475

4 BBC – Interior Design Masters Series 6 Episodes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0029tns/episodes/player

5 UK Parliament – Debate on Music Education (3 July 2025)

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-07-03/debates/453D1DF2-6E16-4049-8767-17A00A9ABFCA/MusicEducation

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0148/

Creative Adventures

Kevin Chesters Episode

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/7f1d51f6-e7bb-4af2-92ff-90746c1c87de

Hannah Ashe

www.hannahashe.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/chez_hanny/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chez-hanny

https://chezhanny.substack.com

Nikki Vallance

https://nikkivallance.com/the-creative-switch-podcast/ 



https://www.nikkivallance.com/

https://nikkivallance.substack.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nikki_vallance/

https://podchaser.com/TheCreativeSwitch/ 

Afflliate Links

Alitu: https://alitu.com?fp_ref=nikki-53

Captivate: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=njg4ytq