Hiring an interior designer sounds like the ultimate extravagance in these straitened times.
But for a unique home unaffected by the latest Instagram trends, and to avoid the renovators’ remorse (‘Should have done this! Could have done that!’), an expert holding your hand can save you from making potentially expensive mishaps in the long run. And in London, there are studios to tickle everyone’s tastes.
Do note: some of the more established designers will only consider full revamps, but others will happily macro on a single space (their input for kitchens and bathrooms is especially worth its weight in gold).
Many charge on a price per-square-metre basis, but remote consultations (which usually involves a video call, before receiving a mood board and shopping list) costs upwards of £600 per room. The fun part is picking your favourites.
Get saving and pinning rooms and spaces that resonate with you so that even if you can’t quite verbalise your preferred aesthetic — the pictures can do the talking for you.
To get you started, we’ve whittled down some of the must-know studios in the capital to bookmark right now.
Adam Hills and Maria Speake, Retrouvius
For salvaged finds with soul, it has to be Retrouvius. The broadcaster Laura Jackson turned to this Kensal Green institution to source her magnificent kitchen (the fronts are repurposed Italian church floors) and Blur’s Damon Albarn is a fan.
Adam Hills has spent 25 years saving incredible materials from landfill (like school science lab worktops, which you can buy online) while Maria Speake, who oversees the award-winning interior design, has just helped Soho heiress India Rose James with her home.
Anna Burles and Chris Trotman, Run for the Hills
Ellie Goulding has Anna Burles and Chris Trotman on speed-dial: the pair have designed several of the singer’s homes. But anyone can get a feel for their style at the new cafe Audrey Green at the National Portrait Gallery.
The couple’s own house is an innovation of the London terrace: the awkward ‘middle room’ is the kitchen, and the hallway is opened up to the lounge with industrial-style glazing.
runforthehills.com; @runforthehillslondon
Linda Boronkay, Linda Boronkay
Many will be subconsciously familiar with the layered and sophisticated style of Soho House’s former design director.
Hungarian-born Linda Boronkay also worked at Tom Dixon and Martin Brudnizki before establishing her eponymous studio in 2020. Her cosmopolitan view informs a cultured and cinematic glamour underpinned by comfort and character.
lindaboronkay.com; @lindaboronkay
Carolynne Shenton and Abigail Kendler, Studiomica
The team behind the contemporary and cultured interiors of Nobu Shoreditch also do a mean line in residential projects.
In an east London penthouse, the living room is as photogenic — and opulent — as a hotel lobby. Clients span London, Ibiza and Kent, as Studiomica also has an outpost in hip-and-happening Margate.
studiomica.co.uk; @studio_mica
Rebecca Wakefield, Studio Fortnum
The quiet luxury that reverberates through south Londoner Rebecca Wakefield’s projects has made her one of the most requested designers on The Expert, the platform connecting renovators with top interior decorators.
A real testament to her vision is her recent transformation of a refuge for domestic abuse survivors in partnership with the charity Furnishing Futures.
studiofortnum.com; @rebecca.wakefield
Sheena Murphy, Nune
Minimalists will find solace in Sheena Murphy’s pared-back projects. Funnelling references from stints in locations such as New York, Seattle and Bangalore, Nune’s focus is on how simple, considered design positively contributes to the wellbeing of those immersed in it. For luminous city dwellings, Murphy has the look down pat.
Alex Holloway and Na Li, Holloway Li
A bathtub overlooking a kebab shop-inspired kitchen sounds so wrong on paper. Holloway Li co-founder Alex Holloway took out the second bedroom in his north London flat to create a triple-aspect, New York-style loft for which Instagram went crazy.
His projects with architect partner Na Li are just as exciting, as the thoughtful design for co-living residences in Wembley for ARK attest.
Lucy Sear-Barlow and Joshua Sear, Barlow & Barlow
If you gave this dynamic couple carte blanche, you might end up with a retro futuristic-themed bathroom like the one just unveiled for WOW!house at the Chelsea Design Centre.
With a metallic shower curtain c/o Paco Rabanne and a mirrored terrazzo floor, the Sears’ comfort zone is playful and maximalist. That said, the pair can dazzle with composure, as the fabric-wrapped baths and canopy-covered beds at events venue Kin House in Wiltshire are testament to.
barlowandbarlow.com; @barlowandbarlow
Scott Maddux and Jo leGleud, Maddux Creative
Crowned Designer of the Year by House & Garden and Homes and Gardens, this Peckham-based studio is in demand.
Scott Maddux cites the clean and contemporary style of Carlo Scarpa, and the fashion designer Dries Van Noten’s use of colour, as key influences. The studio goes out if its way to repeat ideas, making for fresh and dynamic projects that aren’t always recognisable.
madduxcreative.com; @madduxcreative
Lisa Jones and Ruby Kean, Atelier LK
Much of the work being undertaken by trans-Atlantic duo Lisa Jones and Ruby Kean is under NDA, but stay tuned for good things. They have impeccable credentials: Jones was previously a fashion buyer for Browns, and Kean was head of design at Firmdale Hotels.
We’re particularly excited to see the evolution of No 43, the Hackney residence belonging to late artist Ron Hitchins that serves as an immersive design experience for LK.
Lucy Curell, Studio Iro
Applying the philosophy of Japanese wabi-sabi to decor from her studio in Forest Gate, Lucy Curell’s home is a showcase for her covetable brand of perfectly imperfect interiors.
Soulful and warm, she has a soft spot for natural materials and antiques. She has just completed work on a converted factory in Kentish Town and a Grade II-listed house in Highbury.
Natasha Landers, Until Lemons R Sweet
With an affection for bold colours and mid-century furniture, Natasha Landers’ singular vision translates into spirited spaces that have nothing to do with current trends.
Her home in Walthamstow is a laboratory of ideas — catching the eyes of magazines and brands such Vitra to shoot editorials there. Into her style? Look her up for a remote consultation before she gets too in demand.
untillemonsrsweet.com; @untillemonsrsweet
Rachel Chudley, Rachel Chudley
Rachel Chudley has few decorating rules (her own bathroom has velvet walls) and an intriguing aesthetic informed by a love of art and history.
It’s a look that speaks to a creative sort with means, such as Vogue beauty editor Tish Weinstock and husband Tom Guinness, and Laura Marling’s manager Adam Tudhope.
She doesn’t like to be dubbed a maximalist, but more is always more in her layered world.
rachelchudley.com; @rachelchudley
Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey, Campbell-Rey
Good luck pining down Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey; the duo are currently busy with the restoration of villas in Ligura and Cap d’Antibes, an apartment in New York, a group of houses on Patmos in Greece and a chalet in the Italian Alps.
Inspired by the classical architecture of northern Europe via the convivial way of life in the Mediterranean, Campbell-Rey does escapist interiors rich in opulence, fantasy and mood-boosting colour.
campbell-rey.com; @campbellrey
Nicola Harding, Nicola Harding
Nicola Harding is the creative vision behind The Rose in Deal, one of the most Instagrammed (and accessibly priced) boutique hotels in the UK.
Bold splashes make her atmospheric spaces sing. “Colour is a magic toolbox for connecting spaces, creating atmosphere and making sense of things,” she says. We’ll soon be able to buy into a little of the Harding magic with NiX, her exclusive collection of homewares.
