Seeing Potential and Beauty in the Undervalued

At the heart of everything I create — whether it's a home, an interior, or a piece of jewellery - lies a single principle: to see potential and beauty in what others might overlook.

It's an instinct that has guided me throughout my career. I'm drawn to the undervalued, the awkward, the forgotten. The homes that feel disconnected, the furniture waiting to be reimagined, the box of broken jewellery that seems beyond repair.

To me, these are not limitations - they are opportunities. Across all of my ventures - Architecture Ventures, Leopard House, Fontainebleau Jewellery, and Glam Warrior - 1 practise what I call creative pragmatism: the balance between imagination and execution. It's not only about recognising potential, but about realising it - translating creative vision into tangible, lasting transformation.

At Architecture Ventures, that philosophy underpins every project. Rather than defaulting to extension, I explore how the existing space can be optimised. By refining flow, light and functionality, I help clients rediscover the home they already have - often with results more elegant and cost- effective than a full rebuild.

At Leopard House, where I design bespoke interiors and signature upholstered headboards, the same approach continues. Every design begins with an understanding of proportion, texture, and purpose. It's about creating pieces that enhance a space while feeling grounded - crafted with intention rather than excess.

Through Fontainebleau Jewellery, I explore this idea on a more intimate scale. I take broken or discarded jewellery and reconfigure it into new, imaginative pieces or creative kits that allow others to experience that process of renewal for themselves. It's transformation through play — a tactile reminder that beauty can emerge from what's been forgotten.

And then there's Glam Warrior, my ready-to-wear jewellery label made from reimagined rubber inner tubes. These sculptural, almost architectural pieces push the boundaries of material and form. They embody strength, structure, and individuality - qualities that echo throughout my architectural and interior work.

For me, seeing potential in the undervalued isn't just acreative act; it's a way of thinking. It's about approaching every project — from a family home to a piece of jewellery - with the same respect for what already exists, and the same commitment to bring out its hidden beauty through considered design and craftsmanship.

That's the thread that connects all my work: vision balanced with pragmatism, creativity grounded in clarity, and a belief that beauty often begins where others stop looking.

About the Author:Camilla Monk is the founder of Architecture Ventures, SWIB (Shropshire Women in Business), Leopard House Interiors, Fontainebleau Jewellery, and Glam Warrior. Her work - spanning architecture, interiors, and jewellery - is united by a philosophy of creative pragmatism: a belief in transforming the undervalued through thoughtful design, clarity of vision, and craftsmanship that endures.

Creativity Is my gateway drug

For as long as I can remember, creativity has been my way in. my way into calm, into focus, into connection - and ultimately into better architecture.

I’ve learned over the years that my most productive architectural ideas rarely appear when I’m sitting at a desk, staring at plans. They arrive when I’m doing something entirely different - lost in the rhythm of making, creating with my hands. Whether I’m reupholstering a worn-out chair, transforming an old piece of furniture into something beautiful again, or piecing together fragments of broken jewellery into a brand-new design for my recycled jewellery company, Fontainebleau Jewellery, I find myself entering a kind of meditative flow. My anxious mind quotes down, my thoughts become lighter, and ideas begin to surface on their own.

In my blog “Making Time for Anxious Minds” on the FontaineBleau Jewellery website, I talk about creativity as a form of therapy - a way to steady myself in a noisy, fast-paced world. What I didn’t realise then was how deeply that process fuels my professional life as an Architect and Interior Designer.

The creative crossovers are constant. When I take a tangled chain or a box of discarded beads and see potential - the glint of what could be - it mirror exactly how I see architecture. I look at a tired, difficult house, awkwardly laid out and immediately start to imagine how light could move through it differently, how the flow of space could improve, how it could feel alive again and support the lives of the family living there.

Reimagining spaces and reimagining objects come from the same creative instinct: the ability to see beyond what’s there, to trust that beauty and function are waiting just beneath the surface. To see potential.

Even my love of thrift shopping feeds this same impulse. Finding a one-of-a-kind jacket or bold vintage dress isn’t just about fashion for me - it’s about expression. About layering textures, colours and stories to create something personal and unexpected. The way I dress - colourful, playful, sometimes a little offbeat! - is another form of design thinking. It’s how I remind myself, family, that creativity isn’t limited to projects or deadlines. It’s a way of being.

The truth is, my architectural work, my furniture restorations, my jewellery kits, and even my wardrobe all come from the same place: a deep curiosity about how things can be reimagined.

So yes - creativity is my gateway drug. It’s the thing that studies my mind when life feels too full. The thing that keeps me connected to joy. And the thing that makes me a sharper, move intuitive architect when I finally sit back down at my desk.

Because creativity doesn’t drain my energy - it restores it.

About the Author

Camilla Monk is the founder of Architecture Ventures Ltd an architectural and interior design practice based in Shropshire. Known for her zero-build-first approach, she helps families transform the homes they already have into spaces that feel effortless, light-filled and beautifully considered. Alongside her architecture work, she is also the founder of Fontainebleau Jewellery, where she designs creative jewellery-making kits and reimagines vintage and broken pieces into something new

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