DESIGNER OF THE MONTH
In an industry equipped with phenomenal designers left, right and centre - we want to highlight our favourites - and why we think they’re unique and brilliant at what they do. Follow along each month to see our picked ‘Designer of the Month’.
Samantha Todhunter
January
For our first edition of this months handpicked designer, we have selected the wonderful Samantha Todhunter. Her exceptional use of colour is just the injection of pizzazz we all need at this time of year! Charming and charismatic, whilst balancing soft and subtle features. Her gentle use of texture and shape highlights the space, honing in the rooms natural qualitites.
When I need to feel inspried, I...
I don't think you can beat jumping on a plane to a new destination - or an old familiar one - a change of scene always opens the eyes to something new. Or if a trip isn't possible, leafing through a book on interior design, furniture design, art, architecture - is the best thing.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
A fabulous Foo Dog (enormous) in the perfect shade of apple green and white from the wondrous antiques barn in Somerset curated by Susie Forbes.
My most treasured possession is...
That is a hard one as I have many! A collection of Constance Spry vases, Rigattieri roosters from Venice, Jean Roger frogs, Ginori's Oriente Italino china... but probably at the top of the list, and if it is ok to call them possessions because they are integral to our family, our divine King Charles Spaniels, Josephine & Napoleon.
Sarah Brown Interiors
February
For this months handpicked designer, we have selected Sarah Brown Interiors. Sarah balances soft hues and unexpected textures with one of a kind pieces, adding sophistication, harmony and softness to a home. We love their confident use of colour, using it cohesivly to balance their clients wide variety of artwork.
When I need to feel inspried, I...
Pull out all my interiors’ books and particularly ones by American decorators and architects like Steven Gambrel, Gil Schafer, and Bunny Mellon. I also like to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum for inspiration and love to wander round the furniture collections.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
A large, framed Polynesian tapa cloth from the Decorative Fair. I’d been looking for a framed textile for my sitting room for a while and found one that was the perfect size and colour.
My most treasured possession is...
A large platter that I bought from an antiques shop in Tetbury that hangs in my kitchen. It commemorates the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 and although I’m not a royalist, I love the blue and red chequerboard design on it and year, which also happens to be the one my Dad was born in.
Emma Kirby Design
March
Our March Designer of the Month spotlights the enormously talented Emma Kirby Design. Emma and her team curate authentic barnhouse feel designs, inspired by natural elements and textures including exposed brick, reclaimed wood and wooden cladding. Emma uses these materials to create a warm and textured ambience - from the ceilings, the walls and on furniture - they encapsulate the room.
When I need to feel inspried, I...
Travel. A lomg weekend is my favourite. I love walking through streets taking in all the colours and smells as well as visiting galleries. This is often as much for the interior architecture as the paintings themselves. I could go back to Rome and Venice again and again for the food, people and beautiful buildings. Last year we visited the ancient city of Mattera in Southern Italy where many of the houses are built in the rock face. It is absoulutely remarkable and I would encourage everyone to go! I feel very inspired and happy on a mountain top in winter too where you feel on top of the world!
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
38m of Rose Uniacke Copper Beech velvet to upholster two sofas that I had made for the house when we moved in 11 years ago. They look incredible and have given the sitting room a new lease of life! Of course, it has now had a domino effect and I am changing the ottoman fabric, the upholstered chairs and even the artwork but as the last sitting room lasted eleven years so it was due a refresh!
My most treasured possession is...
Obvously, pets aside - a hand written recipe written by my grandmother and given to my mother for our family Christmas pudding which is, hands down, the best pudding I have ever tasted! It is rich and so light. My mother helped my grandmother make it when she was a girl, I helped my mother and now my daughter helps me. I am a sucker for traditions and we make it on Stir Up Sunday every year listening to Michael Buble's Chirtsmas album dancing around the kitchen like a pair of ninnies. The same old precious piece of paper with my grandmother's beautiful writing comes out every year.
Annabel Grimshaw
April
Our April Designer of the Month is Annabel Grimshaw. Her designs are full of charm, soft pastel colours, charming patterns and quaint antique finds. Annabel perfects the balance between classic and modern, the dual combination for a heartwarming home.
When I need to feel inspried, I...
Visit London. I'm based out near Bath now and we have some amazing creatives, makers, shops and hotels here that I frequently visit, not to mention the architecture! But a trip to London doesn't fail to spark the imagination. Some of the shops and places that I love visiting are Tissus D'Helene, Soane Britain, Robert Kime, Liberty London, The V&A, Choosing Keeping & VV Rouleaux.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
A new ottoman covered in a Pierre Frey fabric I've been wanting to use for a while.
My most treasured possession is...
I don't really have one thing. I love my Atelier De Villate collection, and in particualr the John Derian painted plates. I also love the Diana Forbes painting that I commissioned that hangs in our kitchen.
Henry Prideaux
May
Our May Designer of the Month is Henry Pideaux. His designs are just as characterful as Henry himself - full of quaint antiques, colourful fabrics and colour. His portfolio honours historic features and combines them with a fresh concept.
When I need to feel inspried, I...
'Look up'. We can be so consumed by looking down at content on screens that all blend into one that sometimes the best inspiration isn't right in front of you, but up and out in the real world like the different shades of green in a landscape to inspire a room scheme or the profile of a period architectural construction detail to solve an interior conundrum.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
An oil painting of some sardines from Kempton market that now hangs in the kithen at home. I like to add vintage original pieces to our home that are collected over time to sit alongside the newer pieces we put in when we refurbished the house. The easiest things to add are small artworks, little side tables (make sure you turn them upside down to check for woodworm) or sculptural forms that just need a bit of a wipe down rather than a full rewire or upholstery (which we do as well, but adds another step to the process).
My most treasured possession is...
A pair of tall, off-white, vintage Royal Doulton lamps that have moved from house to house with me and featured in a handful of photoshoots. They always attract buyers but I can't bear to part with them.
Howark Design
June
Our June Designer of the Month is Howark Design. James and Saskia's work is full to the brim with texture, colour, pattern and harmony. Their portfolio sparks imagination and playfullness in a balance of subtle and charming designs.
James and Saskia's latest finds:
Fabric: Ede Citrine by MetaphoresTrim: Mind's Eye Beaded Tape by Schumacher
Light Fitting: Pineapple Sconce by Casa Alfarera
When we need to feel inspired, we...
find a change of scenery usually does the trick. Whether that means travelling somewhere new, exploring a different neighbourhood, spending time in nature or simply stepnig outside of our normal routine. Being in a new environment helps us see differently, think more creativity and reconnect with ourselves.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
James: A work by Kim Waine-Thomas discovered earlier this year at the 'Outside In' at Christie's. I was immediately drawn to her freehand machine embroidered sculptures, delicate stitched forms that feel almost alive. The piece now sits amongst the other works on my living room gallery wall and feels like the perfect living wall sculpture.
Saskia: I'm currently in the process of making a custom outdoor bench made from limestone and pebbled mosaic finished with an outdoor cushion in performance fabric with a contrast trim. Hopefully it will be done in time for summer!
My most treasured possession is...
James: A hippopotamus that I bought from The British Museum when I was 11 years old. This even served as the inspiration for my turquoise bath in the bathroom at my house. It’s been covered in a painted lotus flower motif.
Saskia: My passport, which aside from being a practical choice, is a symbol of freedom. Traveling the globe is what brings me to life so without a passport I would go mad!
How did you last handle a client who purchased a large monstrosity (i.e. unsolicated) for a project you were working on?
We’re lucky enough to work with clients who generally have wonderful taste, but we’re always up for a challenge. Part of our job is finding a way to make unexpected pieces work within a scheme, whether that means reframing them, repositioning them, or designing around them in a way that makes everything feel intentional and cohesive.
What's your ultimate design faux pas?
James: Bunny-chopped pillows, leave it in the 90’s!
Saskia: Coffee tables placed too far away from sofas, how can you put down your cup of tea?! It drives me mad!
What does this mean when you show this to a client? (see image below)
The mood board is part of an exciting collaborative meeting where we walk clients through every detail of the scheme and refine things together until everything feels right. If a client wants to change something, we embrace it as an opportunity to better understand their taste and how they want to live in the space. We’ll always be honest if something isn’t going to work, but collaboration almost always makes a scheme stronger.
Kate Guinness Design
July
Kate Guinness and her small team are revered for creating a strong sense of feeling, rather than striving for a particular aesthetic. Kate’s assured way with pattern and colour makes for interiors that are authentic, layered and joyful. Based between west London and Wiltshire, the studio works primarily on family homes both old and new.
Kate's latest finds:
Fabric: Bayadere Multi Stripe by Carolina IrvingLighting: Cloche Pendant in Serpent by Palefire
Trim: Hampton Moulding by Kate Guinness x Camilla Hampton
Art: Small Foxglove by Henny Tate
When I need to feel inspired, I...
Go for a walk on the Salisbury Plain, which I’m lucky enough to live right beside. The views are incredible: you can see the Alton Barnes White Horse from the top, and in the other direction the views stretch right over the Plain which is completely empty and wild since it’s all MOD land. Summer evenings are extremely special, as are winter days where incredible starling murmuration’s can be seen.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
A large oil painting I commissioned by my talented cousin Molly van Amerongen. It’s very colourful and lives above the sofa in our kitchen, where it picks up on the upholstery fabric without being deliberately matchy.
The gem I'm always on the lookout for...
Small wall shelves; I’ve found very special antique styles for each of my children’s bedrooms (my youngest son’s one is particularly unusual with the sides carved into horses). They house their special finds, such as little glass animals from Murano, stones and feathers. I love these treasure troves — and they enjoy having somewhere to display their things (which also makes me happy as they’re not all over the place!).
My most treasured possession is...
I have a pinchbeck necklace that I inherited from my Granny that has the most beautiful clasp. I used to wear it every day but it’s quite fragile and has broken a couple of times, so I now save it for special occasions.
The fledgling maker who should be on everyone's radar...
I’ve been admiring the work of Freya Marton, founder of Black Lion Workshops. She’s a skilled painter with a fine art background who primarily handpaints vintage and bespoke lamp bases with her own contemporary designs, but she also takes bespoke commissions for murals and other decorative projects. The research she puts into different eras and movements (e.g. Arts & Crafts, Bauhaus) can quite clearly be seen in the finished products and this gives them a timeless quality. I can’t wait to see more!
How do you navigate clients - e.g. a couple - whose tastes don't always align?
What we try to ascertain are the areas of the house that are most important to each of them and help them to enable each other to take the lead. We allow for plenty of time in meetings for discussion to reach mutual consensus, and we also of course try to explain our own view on what will best meet their collective needs and wants.
What's your ultimate design faux pas?
Buying something because it’s in fashion rather than because you love it and feel it will be the right thing for the space.
Tell us about this project moodboard (see image below)
This property is set in particularly bucolic surroundings in the English countryside but having not been updated for the last 30 years, it has become a cavernous rabbit-warren of somewhat dark, heavily decorated rooms. This kitchen/ family room would be, layout-wise, an amalgamation of the existing kitchen space with the adjacent but separate dining and garden rooms. The mood we wanted to convey for the new configuration was a lighter, brighter incarnation of the house with a clear sense of evolution (rather than a rip out and start again feel), and a more seamless relationship between indoors and out.
Rees Architects
August
Materiality, beauty and usability are the key elements of Rees Architects’ design philosophy. Discover what drives founder and managing director Daniel Rees creatively, the trend he’d love to leave behind, and the London landmark he thinks gets too much bad press in our Designer of the Month feature.
Dan's latest finds:
Material: Honed Fior di BoscoLighting: Wastberg XL3 Cone
Building Inspiration: 7132 Thermal Baths
When I need to feel inspired, I...
Get into a flow state by doing something with my hands. Sketching or throwing pottery on the wheel allows the creative part of my brain to reboot. I can very happily sit there for half a day and not think about anything else.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
A photographic print by a Montreal photographer. He uses very long exposures in the dark and moves around with a candle so he builds the picture up with light. It’s currently hanging in my hallway.
What eBay alerts for treasures do you have set up?
I have a thing for chairs! Especially ones that are quite sculptural - Nordic chairs and Hans Wegner designs talk to me. Sometimes it can be more about the craftsmanship of the joints and how they go together than the chair itself.
I wish I'd been the person to design...
Everything I admire I think to myself: ‘Why didn't I come up with that?!’ Most recently it’s the Vibia Flat by Ichiro Iwasaki, a pendant light made up of discs which look like they’re floating. It’s so simple yet does quite a lot; it’s the sort of design that can’t be improved on.
The building I think gets too much bad press...
The Barbican Centre. A lot of people despise it because of the Brutalism and what it looks like from a distance, but when you're actually in the utopia of it and understand how it works, it's a very successful community space. I lived next door when I was studying at university so I spent a lot of time there. Nowadays I’ll go and sit by the ponds if I have time to spare and enjoy a coffee.
The trend I'd love to see the back of...
I really dislike maximalism, because I look at something and think: ‘How can I keep refining this to be as considered as possible?’ - whereas I feel like maximalism is almost the opposite. I would never try to add to something. Some people do it really well, but it can also be done badly.
How do you handle clients - eg. a couple - whose tastes don't align?
We work mostly on residential projects and most of the time there will be differences of opinions. I like to give clients time to breathe and think, and keep giving rational answers and my best opinion to let them reach a decision. If I really feel they are going down the wrong path then I will keep reinforcing what I think is best, but if they want to go in a different direction I’ll always facilitate that as best I can.
A general misconception about architects is...
…that we only work on huge buildings or that we are purely technical. There are different scales and at Rees we work on the smaller side, considering everything from light switches up to extensions.
Tells us about this concept design...
This is a render of a family home in Walthamstow. Here we’re illustrating how the new interventions - a rear extension and a loft conversion - work together with the existing building and the alignments of it. It’s also trying to convey the materiality and where the light is coming in, as well the atmosphere created by the landscaping, so it’s working quite hard. Around the ground floor is a render by Clayworks and timber windows. To get to this point a lot of pieces of the puzzle will have already been figured out, such as feasibility, local planning and budget.
Harriet Anstruther
September
Get to know our Designer of the Month for September, Harriet Anstruther. A creative force whose career spans fashion, art, film and interiors, she explains why she pays zero attention to trends, and why her ego has no place in any project.
Harriet's latest finds:
Fabric: Sanderson x Giles Deacon Regency Aperigon in Carmine/RaspberryWallpaper: Sanderson, Hykenham in Gold Metallic/Rose
Lighting: Chamusquina, Lampara Bloom Rosi
Artist: Caragh Thuring at Thomas Dane Gallery
When I need to feel inspired, I...
Immerse myself in art and nature. Looking at sketchbooks and the work of design graduates who are seeing the world in a very different way opens things up for me. Nature does the same thing: it's completely reliable in its complexity, beauty and power. I live in the countryside and there’s nothing like walking across the garden at dawn and seeing the foxes and deer in the field, not to mention all the fauna and the trees.
The last piece I bought for my own home was...
A pink vase in silk moiré pink with black gloved hands hanging down by Maryam Keyhani from Chez Dede. It fits over a plastic bottle (which you then can’t see) and appears totally dysfunctional, but isn’t. It has humour and charm, and amuses me every time I look at it.
What eBay alerts for treasures do you have set up?
I have a thing for chairs! Especially ones that are quite sculptural - Nordic chairs and Hans Wegner designs talk to me. Sometimes it can be more about the craftsmanship of the joints and how they go together than the chair itself.
The design trend I'd love to see the back of...
Is the concept of trends in general. I’m not aware of what's in and what's out - I'm simply interested in not being afraid to experiment. I understand why a trend is interesting because it captures a zeitgeist of what's happening in the world, but it just makes me want to curl up and die.
The place I dream of travelling back in time and stepping into...
Is Jimi Hendrix’s house in London. I’d sit and sit and listen to him play guitar. I find music a complete leveler because you can't fake how you feel when you listen to something. It immediately makes you want to dance, or drop your shoulders, or cry… it's one of the few things that makes me instantly feel like myself.
The artisan I think should be on everyone's radar...
Furniture-maker Max Lamb MBE. I think he’s a white-hot genius. He’s famous for his chairs and is very interested in the friction - which is what I'm interested in - between the perfection that modern technology and machines produce, and the human experience, which is of course imperfect. His work often uses materials that are discarded from something else and made into something new, but in an incredibly sophisticated and elegant way.
How do you navigate clients buying an unsolicited yet significant element for a project?
Frankly, I think you have to take ego out of the equation. However unromantic it sounds, we are in a service industry and providing a service for people. If they think that a particular chair or artwork is going to make them happy then really it doesn’t matter, because it’s their home.
Tells us about this concept design...
This was for a penthouse in New York that I completed last year. The apartment had an incredible view of the Manhattan skyline and reminded me of the silhouettes and shapes of Brancusi sculptures. It also made me think of creating a nest in the sky - like a bird within a tree - and so it was a combination of the two elements.
