INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Sophie Ashby was just 25 when she launched her interior architecture and design studio. With nothing but a laptop and seats in cafés, the Parsons School of Design graduate had within weeks won her first client, which quickly became three. That was back in 2014 and, seven years later, her eclectic style has placed her on the industry’s most-wanted list.

In June 2020, prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement, closer scrutiny by Ashby of that very same list revealed a stark lack of people of colour, which galvanised her into action. The result is United in Design, a charitable initiative founded by herself and Alexandria Dauley of Dauley Design that aims to address the lack of diversity in the interiors industry. ‘With the help of a committee of leading editors and some of the country’s best regarded designers, we’ve built partnerships with educational programmes, industry professionals and sponsors,’ she explains. ‘Our new apprenticeship scheme launched this year and we’re honoured to see the apprentices flourish.’ Going forward, 2022 will see the launch of a live event, the United in Design festival.

More recently, Ashby has branched out further still with ‘Sister’, a collection of affordable furniture and antique pieces chosen to make her work available to a younger audience. ‘Winning the ELLE Decoration Interior Designer of the Year award is a total honour for the whole of Studio Ashby,’ she says. ‘I am so proud of my talented and inspiring Studio Ashby family and we will celebrate this achievement together.’ (studioashby.com)