DREAM OFFICES
INTERIOR DESIGNERS SHARE INSIGHTS INTO CREATING SPACES THAT WORK
Leading interior designers showcase studies in every style – from a chic curated
writing corner in a bedroom to a modern multitasking live-work space
1. This is a home-working area in a guest bedroom in Islington, London. The house is north-facing, so we had to energise much of it with colour, while this room is on the top floor and benefits from enough natural light.
2. We gave this area a rather exotic, tropical theme. The focal point is the 1960s Danish rosewood desk, which the wife bought as a present for her husband. It is offset by textured walls of split bamboo on grasscloth. We found an Audoux-minet pendant made of rope and string, not shown, in Paris. Much of the rest was done on a budget. The chair is from a vintage store and adds a pop of colour.
3. The clients are well-travelled, have diverse cultural influences and have amassed a number of interesting objects that they like to have around. The simple floating box shelving system is ideal – it was made for the project. I also love to use clip-on Anglepoise lamps for libraries; we found these at Kempton Market.
Founded by Scott Maddux and Jo le Gleud, Maddux Creative is known for interiors that are unexpected, playful and bold. madduxcreative.com
LIVING-DINING-STUDY BY ROBERT STILIN The American decorator expresses his curatorial eye and innate ability to arrange art, furniture and objects from varying eras with a sparing use of colour 1. This room is in my own apartment in New York City. It’s a large living-dining area which faces west with floor-to-ceiling glass. I don’t often host dinners, so it makes no sense to have the dining table taking up all that space and set for the ten times a year it’s used.
2. Although this is a multipurpose space, I’ve organised it very aesthetically with things that I love. It’s where I leave my keys and credit cards, the things that require action or need to be taken to the office. It’s about embracing and adapting to life as it evolves – using the things you have in a way that makes sense instead of being stuck in some set idea of what has to be.
3. When designing a scheme, I always start with function. Having said that, the Guillerme et Chambron table is a foundation piece, as are the two Wade Guyton prints behind it. If I ever change the artwork, I’d still always have one or two large pieces on the wall and the salon-style hanging of smaller ones to the left because it just makes sense in the space.
4. I am a big collector and the neutral, textured backdrop is easy on the eye and comfortable to live with. But, as expressed in this room, I also like layers: they create depth and character. Mixed with the function of the furniture selected, the layers keep the space from feeling like an art gallery or a museum.
5. The dining chairs are by Atelier Marolles and I bought them nearly 20 years ago from my wonderful friend and amazing antiques dealer, the late Amy Perlin. Atelier Marolles has become incredibly fashionable, but I bought them because they were good looking, functional and comfortable. I also like that they have a picnic chair quality yet I’m using them in my city apartment in Soho.
Robert Stilin began his decorating career in Palm Beach in 1989. He now works in New York City and the Hamptons and serves on the Director’s Council of the Whitney Museum of American Art. robertstilin.com
1. When decorating this penthouse, I chose layers of velvety botanical green to echo the old flower market location. I find green as a colour, and biophilic design in general, to be hugely grounding and inspiring – especially important for a home office.
2. I love finding ways of displaying books, ceramics, artwork and special objects to weave character into a space. The Italian-designed modular bookcase in graphite is one of my favourite aspects of this scheme as I enjoy the process of curating and exhibiting a collection. I’m not a minimalist, but I do believe in only having things in the work area that either inspire or hold significant meaning. Above all, innovative storage solutions are essential for retaining a serene and stylish space.
3. Most office chairs with the correct back support are less attractive unless you invest in a statement piece, such as this one. A substantial mid-century dining chair that you can have re-covered also ticks all the boxes.
Studio Ashby’s work reflects Sophie’s love of antiques, colour, contemporary ‘world art’, modernist furniture and photography. studioashby.com
1. This project was a collaboration with the clients to reconfigure the ground floor of their double-fronted Victorian house. The aim was to create a new kitchen, dining and sitting area and improve flow while retaining the staircase. To do this, we introduced a small linking extension that allowed circulation behind the stairs and used metal-framed glazing to unify the new space with the existing one.
2. Relocating the kitchen to the front of the house with the dining room at the rear meant that we could add this study area behind the kitchen, which is mainly used by the children to do homework. It has no external windows so we installed a glazed door and wall to borrow light from the extension. 3. The desk slides to allow anyone using it to move around and to gain access to the cupboards below. These were designed to hold A4 files, while the deep drawers store subject folders and other school materials. The plugs, router and cabling are concealed in the cupboards, as is a small printer.
Chantal Michelin is a founding partner of Flower Michelin Architects, which works on projects in London and across the UK. flowermichelin.com
1. For this scheme, we wanted to create a private study for the owner of the house. It takes the form of a delicately hand-painted chinoiserie bureau in the master bedroom suite. This much-loved antique was found on their travels; to complement it, we sourced a pretty vintage rush-seat chair. The client uses this quiet spot for composing correspondence; being adjacent to a large window, it benefits from abundant daylight and a view over a beautiful park. 2. The walls are painted in a warm neutral tone that was chosen to set off the deep orange-red of the desk. The curtains are in a weave designed to evoke the intricate geometry of traditional Moroccan embroidery. The scheme also includes country-style furniture and interesting textures. 3. A crucial factor when including a study area in a bedroom is to consider its impact on the wider scheme. Even when this desk is not in use, it is a very aesthetically pleasing arrangement and gives joy throughout the day.
Melissa Hamilton is interior design director of Studio Indigo, a highly influential Chelsea-based practice founded in 2005. studioindigo.co.uk
1. This project was a ground-up construction. I was hired in the early stages of the design, which gave me time to find wonderful architectural elements such as antique doors, mantels and flooring, all of which I used in this study. The ceiling was designed to replicate one that you might find in an old house in France. I spend a lot of time sourcing in Europe and our clients were very passionate about the use of reclaimed elements and antiques.
2. This room is at the front of the house and the French doors open to a beautiful 17th-century fountain set in a small garden of lavender and olive trees. I was mindful of the tonality and textures and selected hues that highlighted the gravel, the old stone and the shades of the planting.
3. The desk is an antique that we stripped down to its original oak and the chandelier (not shown) is 18th-century Italian. Most of the other elements in the room are new, but in textures and tones that reflect the landscape.
Ohara Davies-gaetano was awarded International Designer of the Year by the Andrew Martin Design Review in 2018. odg-interiors.com
CHINOISERIE LIVING ROOM BY DE GOURNAY Hannah Cecil Gurney used an exuberant wallpaper complemented by abundant foliage plants in this London apartment
1. The wallpaper in this room is de Gournay’s St Laurent – a hand-painted chinoiserie design inspired by 18thcentury panels belonging to Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in their exquisite Paris apartment. It’s a dense and verdant scene of an oriental garden in riotous bloom, with elegant peacocks perched in sprawling branches laden with foliage, flowers and fruits. 2. My sister Rachel and I chose it for the apartment we shared to take best advantage of the room’s high ceilings and the abundant light streaming through the large bay window. We wanted to exaggerate the impression of a hand-painted garden bursting into life in the heart of the city with the addition of flourishing palm plants. We loved the idea of a marble floor, but it was out of our price range, so instead we had this striking monochrome marble effect hand-painted; it chimes perfectly against the colourful walls. 3. The desk faces the street-level windows so it is beautifully lit, but we added blinds to minimise the distraction and obscure the view from passers-by.
The wallpaper so effectively conjures a garden around you that it feels wonderfully calm. That’s the benefit of a hand-painted chinoiserie – it’s good for the soul.
Hannah Cecil Gurney is a director of the family interiors firm, de Gournay, which her father founded in 1986. It has showrooms in cities across the world from San Francisco to Shanghai. degournay.com
MULTIPURPOSE STUDY BY K&H DESIGN Henry Miller-robinson and Katie Glaister blend high craftsmanship and exacting details in this versatile London space
1. Our brief was to design a space that looks and acts as a study most of the time but also has a sofa bed in the bay window for guests. The client previously had the desk in the bay but, while the light was good, it felt too exposed. Set back, it takes advantage of the aspect but is more private. 2. We always let clients choose where to save and where to spend. Here, we gave them the option of having a desk made by top British craftsmen or one designed by us and made in Colombia; they chose the latter. It is curved so that the papers fan around you as you work. Cables are channelled down one of the legs and there’s a shallow pen drawer so you can sweep everything away when guests arrive. A printer is set low in the shelving unit within swivelling reach of the chair. 3. We don’t tend to have focal points in our schemes; we opt for a more layered approach. This contemporary convex mirror picks out the suede of the desk chair and is accentuated by the deep blue of the joinery.
Founded in 2015 and based in west London, K&H Design has built a reputation for its meticulously crafted interiors. kandhdesign.co.uk
INSPIRATION SPACE BY TAMSIN JOHNSON Mixing antiques, sculpture and art, the Australian decorator has created a casual but curated work area in her bungalow
1. One-off pieces are really the only way to create a unique interior, which is why I use a lot of antiques and vintage furniture. I essentially grew up in an antiques store with antique-dealer parents. 2. Our house is a 1970s bungalow tucked on the coast between Bronte and Bondi beaches, and we undertook a complete reconfiguration. My aim was to create a refined space as an extension of the coastal surroundings. I wanted it to offer warmth in the winter and freshness and tranquillity in the summer. 3. I wanted this room, which I use as a workspace when I’m at home, to feel calm and considered yet restrained and not overly decorated – less is so often more. An antique Flemish tapestry forms the backdrop of the scheme. The desk is mid-century and always covered in favourite books; more of them sit on the white-painted floating shelves. This is both a tranquil space and a nice escape.
Tamsin Johnson is known for creating welcoming, eclectic interiors with a masterful balance of antiques and modern pieces. tamsinjohnson.com