DE S IGN CENTRE
“H decorative
omes shouldn’t be stage sets; they are about soul and evidence of an internal life,” declared journalist and author India Knight during a recent Conversations in Design talk on the curated home at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.
She is right, of course, and we all recognise a ‘soul-full’ home when we
encounter one. Whatever the aesthetic style, they have an individuality and authenticity that feels easy and welcoming. But how are they made? It has never been easier for all of us to be our own interior designer, thanks to inspiration, how-to guides and an abundance of
accessories ours for
the taking at the swipe of a screen. But while this accessibility is more democratic, it has also led to the rise of the cookie-cutter home. Even the phrase ‘everyday clutter’ has a hashtag. The art of creating truly unique interiors imbued with the spirit of their
That understanding begins with face-to-face meetings. “You’re trying to
establish trust,” says Manuela Hamilford, founder of high-end residential and hospitality studio Hamilford Design, “and to let the client know that you will see the house through their eyes.” For acclaimed designer Joanna Plant, those first conversations are all
“OUR JOB IS TO PRIME A CANVAS SO THE CLIENT CAN LIVE THEIR BEST LIFE, AND TO DO THAT, WE HAVE FIRST TO UNDERSTAND WHO THEY WANT TO BE IN THE HOUSE”
owners was a recurring theme of this year’s London Design Week talks programme. Industry leaders from Joanna Plant, Adam Bray and Sophie Paterson to Emma Ainscough, House Nine’s founder and creative lead Jojo Barr and Manuela Hamilford, all took to the stage to speak passionately about the vital importance of a human-centred approach to the making of homes. “People often come to interior designers at moments of great change, and
they can be at something of a loss,” says Adam Bray whose London-based studio is best known for its layered, characterful interiors. “Our job is to prime a canvas so the client can live their best life, and to do that, we have first to understand who they want to be in the house.”
about listening. “We’re there to interpret what clients might not even know yet,” she explains. “That’s a great skill.” Her first question is “What do you collect?” The answer often becomes the guiding principle for the scheme of the house because, she explains, “these are the things that quietly tell you who someone is and how they live.” Turning a client’s personality and
desires into a physical space takes intuition and empathy but much of the work is practical. A layout that suits the
rhythm of the owner’s life, sufficient storage, functional surfaces – these are the foundation stones of a liveable home. For House Nine’s Jojo Barr, whose warm, honest and informal interiors have earned her a cult following (and a keen audience for her YouTube series, Diary of a Designer), choosing materials that will not only withstand but actually benefit from the rigours of family life is a prime concern. “People need to exhale when they come through the door, so you don’t want everything to look too pristine,” she says. “That means using materials that improve with age.” She is a fan of unlacquered brass, which gleams when new but then develops an appealing patina with daily use. Honed marble is another favourite, because its buttery texture is positively enhanced by stains and marks. And it is in those marks that the soul of the house is held.
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