Ever wondered what's in the travel bags of your ultimate artistic inspirations? Curious to know what the items shaping their lives while taking a break from the day job are, how they plan for weather swings, or stay inspired in their downtime? Can't Leave Without is the Livingetc column bringing you packing advice courtesy of our favorite names from the contemporary interior design and creative scene.
Since launching her practice, Studio Ashby, in 2014, South African-English interior designer Sophie Ashby has made herself a name in the industry through richly evocative, layered projects reflective of her long-term fascination with antiques, contemporary art, modernist principles, and traditional crafts. In her vibrant, imaginatively executed commissions, which span the residential as well as the hospitality and the commercial space, she doesn't just express the zeitgeist of our time — a growing interest in interiors as both an extension and a manifestation of our inner selves — via fanciful shapes, mesmerizing patterns, and statement pieces that inspire, amuse, and comfort. But she always finds a way to filter today's mood through her own creative eye, too, blending British eccentricity with the radiance, storied artisanal heritage, and intricate motifs that characterized her Cape Town and UK youth.
