Big Interview: Why there's no place like home for Maven owner and TV judge 2024 Patricia McGinnis

“Our dad is a builder, and from a very young age, our conversations would naturally turn to that of houses,” Patricia recalls.

“Buildings, design and architecture have always felt as though they are ingrained in our DNA.”

Having attended Loreto College in Coleraine, Patricia left home for London, where she studied French and Drama, before working in the events industry, and then landing a job as a tour manager for a record company.

After 10 years living the London high life, the company she work for folded. At the same time, the family business was going through significant changes and an opportunity to move back to Northern Ireland presented itself.

“I loved London, and at the time, I wasn’t sure I was ready to settle back in Northern Ireland,” she recalls.

“But when I came back in the early 2000s, I found things had changed so much here and there was a great buzz about the place.

“I still love London, and visit often. You sometimes find yourself wandering the streets thinking about what life would have been like if you’d stayed. But in reality, living and working somewhere is a very different experience than a leisurely city break, and I know I made the right decision returning home, I just love living in Belfast now and can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Working with her dad in the family business ignited a passion for interiors, and provided a solid construction knowledge, and the beginnings of a career through creating show homes and then moving on to working on designing interiors schemes for private client homes.

When Patricia and her sister, Catherine opened Maven, their popular interiors and homewares shop on Belfast’s bustling Lisburn Road in 2013, they did so out of a desire to share the brands they love with other people.

“At that time, Catherine and I were at a crossroads in our careers and had this desire to start our own business.

"There were brands that we loved and wanted for our homes, and for client’s homes, that just weren’t available here at that time,” explains Patricia.

“We thought if we had these frustrations, others must too. We saw an opportunity and bit the bullet.”

Over the last decade, Maven has cemented its place as the go-to destination for beautiful and functional design-led furniture and homewares, bringing new and established – local and international brands – together under one roof.

Supporting both leading designers as well as independent makers, Maven is all about well-made goods that will stand the test of time.

In addition to their bricks and mortar shop and online store, Patricia and Catherine offer a personal shopping/interior design service and also work alongside contract clients helping them to with commercial spaces.

“We’ve gone on a real journey with a lot of our customers over the years and had the privilege of establishing some lovely relationships. We love nothing more than working with clients to find creative solutions that help bring their visions for their home or project to life.”

In essence, this passion for helping clients unearth their dream design schemes, is where the name ‘Maven’ came from.

“The name was inspired by Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point. He talks about talked the cloth mavens who travelled from Europe to America with these beautiful materials.

"That idea of going out and finding beautiful things and bringing them home felt like what we’re trying to do. He also talks about a maven being someone that wants to ‘solve other people’s problems’, someone that’s ‘almost pathologically helpful’ and that shares and trades what they know. That is Catherine and I to a tee. It’s a strong McGinnis trait to want to share your passions with those around you.”

In her own home in Belfast, which Patricia shares with her son, Lalit and partner, Vince, she has created a warm and welcoming space, where contemporary pieces sit alongside vintage finds.

“There’s no reason why vintage and contemporary pieces can’t sit comfortably side by side. In my own home, a mid-century dining table bought second hand by my parents in the Seventies and passed down to me takes pride of place. It sits on an antique rug flanked by contemporary Scandinavian dining chairs, whilst a Japanese inspired pendant lamp lights the whole scene up.”

For Patricia, her biggest influences and inspirations come from places she’s visited.

“Thirty years ago, my dad built a family house in Donegal, designed by talented cousin and architect, Louise Haslett. It’s a thoughtful design made with simple honest materials. Lots of family members were involved in the physical building of it too.

"All these years later it’s still a place that I continue to be inspired by every time I visit. I quite often plan my travels around places I want to visit.

"Last year took me to Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge and Glebe House in Donegal – both of which left me fizzing with inspiration and ideas. I’m fascinated by how physical spaces can be so visceral and evoke so many feelings when you walk into them.”

As a judge on the current BBC House of the Year series, Patricia is getting an opportunity to feed this fascination further.

Alongside fellow judges Jane Larmour, James Fairley and host Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, she is relishing the opportunity to step inside some of Northern Ireland’s most interesting homes.

“From small to large, modern to traditional and everything in between. There is something that will appeal to everyone. Each of the homes reflects the personality of the people who live in them, and for me, this is the most fascinating thing about interiors.”

As we enter autumn, and thoughts turn to Christmas entertaining, followed by New Year DIY projects, what advice does Patricia have to share with fellow interiors enthusiasts?

“The most interesting rooms are rooms that cannot be read with one glance but rather keep you guessing, and give you little unexpected moments, whether that’s through shape, colour or layering of textures and materials.

"For me, this means mixing things up and taking inspiration form a range of sources. Experiment and play a little, there is always room for playfulness and whimsy in interiors.

“My other piece of advice would be not to compromise. If you can’t afford the piece you love right now, I’d always recommend waiting and saving for it, rather than compromising. This is especially true for sofas, dining chairs and tables, things that you’ll spend a lot of time on or around.”

Maven is open seven days a week at The Bank, 364 Lisburn Road, Belfast. For further information and to shop online visit wearemaven.co.uk or connect with Maven on Instagram @wearemaven_