068 FOCUS
Steven Saunders, founder of Fabled Studio, on the depth, immersion, character – and a dash of theatre – that makes a project really work…
Interview Steven Saunders
Fabled Studio
What is your own background and what was the path that led you to specialising in hospitality architecture and design?
I’ve always enjoyed creating things and drawing. I left school at 16 and spent the next three years studying fine art. I loved to sketch and paint and was really drawn to the hand drawn renderings of the architects Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses and Daniel Libeskind’s de-constructivist pieces. I loved the form, discipline and energy and wanted to create my own. That led me into my own architectural drawings and renderings, and I was also looking at a lot of famous product design pieces by Seymour Powell, which led me onto study 3D design at Te Arts Institute, Bournemouth.
I was offered a placement at a company in the Midlands called GMP Design, and during my placement there I designed Cambridge’s Student Union Bar; it was so hands-on and I shadowed the boss for those two weeks. I felt that I learnt more in those two weeks than the three years of my degree! I was offered a junior design role when I graduated and I snapped it up.
I eventually decided I wanted to work in London.
Above Noble Rot, in Shepherd Market, Mayfair
After a short stint at United Designers, I settled in at David Collins Studio and never looked back. Te calibre and
prestige of the projects they had on their client list when I was there was mind-blowing; magical for a new, young designer. Te crème de la crème of chefs, fashion brands, hotels and super-luxe residential projects opened my eyes to working at the top level of the industry. Te budgets (or more like, no budgets!), the finishes, the historical design references, the celebrities, the energy and atmosphere of the studio was electric when David was alive. It was extremely hard work and long hours, but the pride and honour I felt to be able to work and deliver such projects was second to none.
Having earned my stripes at David Collins, I set up Fabled Studio 13 years ago with my best buddy from David Collins – Tom Strother. We lived and breathed the long hours, attention to detail, hissy fits, pressure and dedication it took to last at David Collins together. We were both very young, but child and mortgage-free, and naive enough to start Fabled Studio and have never looked back. We started from humble beginnings and wanted to create a studio that people felt a part ‘of’ – rather than working for an eponymous name over the door, we wanted our staff to feel included and heard, and ultimately to enjoy the process of creating world-leading design. My love and expertise of F&B design is something I have pushed hard at Fabled. I love the process of working with my heroes – from Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, Clare Smyth, Ashley Palmer-Watts and Claude Bosi. We design the best restaurants for the best
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