Meet The Tutors

VICTORIA HAMMOND has over 20 years professional experience as a curtain making, soft furnishing and interior design specialist working on prestigious projects mainly in London and surrounding counties. She grew up helping her mother who ran a successful curtain making and upholstery business. Following graduation with a Degree in Textiles and a Diploma in Curtain Making & Soft Furnishings, Victoria gained experience working for fabric and design companies before establishing her business in 2001. She now thoroughly enjoys running both Victoria Hammond Academy and the Interior Design business. Her award winning Academy is leading in the industry having trained hundreds of people from all over the UK and the World to set up professional creative businesses.
Victoria feels a huge sense of achievement and pride in her company and her students, many who now run successful businesses. Her advise is to be flexible and diverse, work hard and be willing to take risks to progress professionally. To take pride in your product and service and treat both suppliers and customers with respect and as you wish to be treated yourself.

ANDRA PEMBERTON assists Victoria on training courses. She studied at Victoria Hammond Academy in 2008. Since then she has set up a successful business working from home around her family life. Andra is very knowledgeable and patient and kind with students; her and Victoria compliment each other well in the classroom.

NATALIE WEAVERS is a renowned Interior Designer, who tutors at the Academy on the course ‘Introduction to Interior Design’. She graduated with a degree in interior architecture in 1986 and set up her own company in 2001 after working for several practices in London, Melbourne, Australia and Brunei, where she designed a hotel, and residential and sports complex for the Royal family. Natalie mainly designs bars and restaurants; recent projects include Indi-go Westfield, Mia Lounge Swiss Cottage, Al-dar Cafe Kings Road and Bocadito Esher. Since February 2012, she has been a visiting lecturer at UAL Chelsea (University of Arts London Chelsea) specialising in restaurant interior design.

GARY BENTON is an independent fitter working directly for various trade suppliers, interior designers and specialist curtain and blind supply companies. He runs the course at the Academy ‘Introduction to Professional Fitting’. Gary started in the industry by joining Silent Gliss in 1996 and managing their installation teams. During his time at Silent Gliss he worked with their wide diversity of customers who supply and install to almost every aspect of the curtain and blind industry. In 2002 he became an independent installer working with suppliers to the London and Europe/Middle East markets who needed his installation experience to install many of their prestigious projects. He now works 50/50 with independent outlets and suppliers nearer to Kent in the high end residential and commercial field.