THIS IS AN OFFICE, TOO
TASTEMAKERS’ STUDIOS THAT ARE AS IMAGINATIVE AS THE WORK THEY SPARK
Under a railway arch, high in the hills, down a forest path… We sneak into seven
remarkable studios of artists and designers to see what makes them tick
Jess Lister and Alex Nutting, floral designers, Aesme
‘We’re sisters and we founded our floral design business in 2015. Three years ago we moved to this railway arch in west London. The space feels very special and personal to us. Most of the other arches are mechanics, so people are always surprised to discover this beautiful little oasis. Looking at our team engrossed
in arranging, humming to music, with buckets and buckets of freshly cut flowers on the workbenches – it’s everything we dreamed of when we started.’
aesme.co.uk
“IF I EVER LOSE MY NERVE, I WALK IN HERE AND MY ENERGY AND COMMITMENT ARE RENEWED”
MOLLY MAHON, fabric and wallpaper designer
Molly Mahon, fabric and wallpaper designer
‘My design studio is down a bumpy track, nestled in the Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. The windows are overgrown with greenery on the outside so I don’t look out much. I love the smell – a mix of paint, India, wood, paper… My favourite thing is being unaware of time as I lose myself in block-printing.
I guess I love it because it’s entirely me; I need a space of my own just to “be”. As a working mother of three, it’s important to be true to oneself. Life can feel full. In my studio I can recalibrate, breathe and start again.’
mollymahon.com
Cécile Daladier, ceramicist ‘I live in a wild and beautiful place. Nothing specific sparked my love for nature; it was always there. I was born in Paris but I now live with my husband, a dog and two cats in a stone farmhouse perched at an altitude of 800 metres in Drôme in southern France. Flowers and water are central to my work. My artistic practice is informed by the elements and processes
of the natural world, and includes abstract paintings, environmental art, installations,
objects and gardens. My philosophy is to start with what you have and what’s already there
before you, and build on it.’ Adapted from The Kinfolk Garden by John Burns (£30, Artisan)
ceciledaladier.com
“SOMETIMES I SIMPLY STOP AND OBSERVE THE BEAUTIFUL NATURE THAT SURROUNDS ME. IT GIVES ME SPACE FOR MY
CREATIVITY TO BREATHE”
CÉCILE DALADIER, ceramicist
Emma Lee, photographer
‘Last summer I turned two rooms with strip lighting and office carpet into the still-life and food studio this is now. It’s on Lambeth Walk in Kennington, London – it had to be somewhere I could cycle to from home. I wanted to create a space that felt a little different, like being in a beautiful apartment, someone’s personal space. I used a soft clay plaster on the walls, then a darker paint on the skirting and windows. I created a kitchen by starting with a marbletopped antique sideboard. I like to come early, make a pot of coffee and have a think about the shoot ahead.’
emmaleephotographer.com
“I COME IN HERE AND OPEN
UP THE SHUTTERS AND IT IMMEDIATELY FEELS CALM”
EMMA LEE, photographer
Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth, artists, Forest + Found ‘We built our studio from scratch in the garden. We love the quality
of light and the intimacy, surrounding ourselves with materials, books and found objects
that are the catalysts for new work. Though it’s a small space, we’ve found ways to produce works on a big scale. The area evolves throughout the year, moving between moments of chaos and calm. We are both very tidy, except when we are in the throes of making – then the
studio tells a very different story as we wade through the remnants, offcuts and ephemera of our individual processes.’
forest-and-found.com
Guillem Nadal, painter
‘I live and work on the outskirts of Son Servera, a small village on my home island of Mallorca. My approach is very organic. I believe that where you live, where you
wake up and eat every day, influences what you do. While I work, the immediate surroundings are constantly with me. I want to explore the dependence of man on nature. It’s important that my work stirs something inside the viewer. Having no message
leaves a painting soulless.’ Adapted from The Kinfolk Garden
by John Burns (£30, Artisan)
Anna Glover, textile designer
‘I specialise in luxury textile wallcoverings and surface design and, for the past year, my studio has been at our house in northeast London, not far from Hackney and Leyton Marshes. I love it because I share it with my partner, Ian, who is also a textile designer… we laugh a lot. It overlooks our tiny, mad garden where we grow wildflowers, salad and veg. I sit out there for breaks, which keeps me calm. My space is really important to me, and one day I would love to have the money and time to really indulge in it.’
annaglover.co.uk
“SINCE MOVING HERE, MY WORK-LIFE BALANCE HAS
BEEN SO MUCH BETTER”
ANNA GLOVER, textile designer