It all started with a can of paint. Some years ago I was running a creative brainstorm for Big Idea - then a client - against a brief to create an own-label decorative range for Kingfisher/B&Q to appeal to a more female and younger adult audience (this brief continues to this day). We had already had a great deal of success with three previous new branded paint ranges.

We wanted to create a brand that was about redefining personal space and not about traditional housing stock - cities in the UK were going through an energetic phase of designer lofts and imaginative building projects. We knew B&Q could not communicate this as a standalone brand, so we sought inspiration from galleries and architecture. We were all big fans of Tate Modern - the transformation of London's Bankside power station into a truly iconic gallery was the most amazing property conversion.

The Tate brand licence seemed a compelling idea and within weeks we had brokered the deal between the very motivated Tate and B&Q commercial teams. We created four highly individual paint colour palettes for each Tate gallery and an innovative and influential wallpaper range designed by Judith Townley. We took this to market very quickly and it remains one of my favourite brand and product concepts to this day.

One thing leads to another and we still take creative ideas for products and services to the Tate. Brand licensing and the brokerage involved has now become a core area of our expertise.

Our gallery credentials have helped us win a project with the Pushkin Museum in Moscow (with our Russian partner TNC) and we continue to create international retail decorative ranges. However, a most recent spin-off has been one of the most satisfying. A Tate client left to join the management team at the National Trust property Waddesdon Manor. I went to visit her and was amazed by the magnificent setting, and the house itself and its grounds.

The manor was built in 1880 by Ferdinand de Rothschild to entertain parties of weekend guests and house his extraordinary art collection.

It is a huge idiosyncratic French Renaissance-style chateau situated right in the heart of Buckinghamshire and I found it truly inspiring. It is furnished with beautiful French furniture and porcelain, and its luxurious interiors are enhanced by wonderful wallpapers, textiles and English portraits.

We started projects for the manor and Rothschild wines, going back to authenticity and source material from historic archives, is very on-trend. But the sumptuous interiors and objects within made me believe there was an additional retail product opportunity.

Last year, I introduced the Waddesdon Manor team to Jeremy Myerson at the Royal College of Art. We all knew the house and collection would be a wonderfully rich source of research material for the students on the Helen Hamlyn Centre programme. More than 80 students and staff visited the house last November - from the ceramics, glass, goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalwork and jewellery departments.

As we expected, the students were indeed inspired and submitted design proposals in February. The work was of an exceptional standard and ten winners were eventually chosen - their work has been manufactured to go on sale at Waddesdon later this month.

I can't wait to buy some of these wonderful pieces - I am very proud of this innovative venture and the collaboration between future creative talent and an exquisite art heritage.

Bill Wallsgrove is creative director of Big Idea Brand Management