I spent the first fifteen years of my career in TV. It was a wonderful way to earn a living but what really came to interest me was a material called light and the way it could transform a space. In 2003, I decided to re-train as a lighting consultant. I studied interior design and attended a number of well-regarded lighting courses. Over the next two years, I gained valuable practical experience working on projects with Gus Alexander Architects. Today, I run my own company, Kate Beard Lighting, which specialises in lighting for interiors, principally domestic.