Even if you don’t know Vicky Charles by name, you’ll know her style: as the former design director of Soho House, where she worked for more than 20 years, she shaped the aesthetic of all its global members’ clubs and, in the process, defined the modern ideal of cool-meets-cosy interiors.
Charles didn’t follow the obvious industry route: she studied fine art and English literature at Exeter University, and began her career waiting tables at Soho House. ‘When I was a kid, I wanted to work in a shoe store and didn’t know interior designers existed,’ she remembers. ‘I only learned about this world from watching designer Ilse Crawford work during the early days of Soho House.’
Charles’ lifelong love of colour, plus early practical experience organising events at big film festivals, paid dividends. By 2016, when she established her own studio in New York, she had already won some prestigious private clients (such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who commissioned her to revamp Frogmore Cottage, and celeb royalty the Beckhams) and launched Soho Home, the homeware arm of Soho House. Now, she and her 20-strong team at Charles & Co inject relaxed yet vibrant style into homes and hotels around the world.
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What are Charles & Co’s recent projects?
‘We tend to work on full restoration projects, and have recently completed a New York townhouse,’ reveals Charles. ‘The clients, like us, love to search for vintage pieces and so the house is full of a mix of furniture, sourced from Europe and America, that blend old and new. Mid-century pieces sit alongside fine antiques and modern designs. I believe that it’s so important to be surrounded by things you love, and to look at things that make you happy – even if they aren’t from the same period or style.’
Charles restored many of the townhouse’s original features, including a smart inlaid wooden kitchen floor with classical Greek details; the room itself featured dark-painted cabinetry and brass details. Seeking to reflect her clients’ warm personalities, she created ‘vignettes with multiple experiences throughout the house’, such as a reading nook and music area in the living room (the latter complete with baby grand piano). Charles & Co’s signature love of fabrics and tactile textures is also in evidence: the main bedroom has velvet-lined walls, while the bathroom is clad from floor to ceiling in hand-painted tiles.
Charles & Co has also been busy in the UK, opening a London office in Lots Road, Chelsea, in March. Doubling as a showroom, the space caters to the studio’s growing British and European client base, who are drawn in by Charles’ endlessly versatile brand of elegance.
‘When it comes to styles or eras, I can lean into everything,’ she explains. ‘The location, architecture and client dictate the style. What’s important to me is that the interior designer works with the architect from the start. Ilse Crawford, who is a big influence on me, showed me that this was the only way to work.’
What is Vicky Charles currently working on?
A ‘fun project’ on the coast in Tuscany: a house built in 1968, now a holiday retreat in which to unwind, surrounded by nature. ‘We’ve tried to stay true to the era, working with the colour palette of the time and mixing original 1960s furniture with bespoke pieces and marble finishes,’ says Charles. ‘We imagine guests will be at home in a turban and kaftan, sipping cocktails at the outdoor bar overlooking the sea.’
She says ‘It’s all about creating spaces to feel happier in – it’s that simple. It’s never about how a room looks, but how you live and feel in it. We are working to create a future you.’ charlesandco.com
How to create a stylishly cosy and layered interior
Charles & Co founder Vicky Charles shares her top pieces of advice
When it comes to prints, pick your star design and then everything else in the room has to be selected to let it shine. Our choices are always influenced by the surrounding landscape. It’s about harmony, rather than having things that are all the same colour or style – large-scale prints work best surrounded by smaller designs and plenty of textures.
Never choose textiles or finishes from an image on a screen. You need to see colours in person, and touch any textiles or rugs. There is no wrong choice – just fall in love with something and build from there. Clients often come into our sample library and fall for a coloured tile or a particular patterned wallpaper not knowing where it will go. Find one thing at a time and let the rest fall into place.
Look for historical prints that allow you to feel the craftsmanship of the maker – anything by Watts 1874 and Antoinette Poisson. The finer details, such as a subtle tassel or trim on curtains, or a coloured lining on a lampshade or chest of drawers, add a sense of fun and make a room more bespoke.
I love using wood on walls and ceilings to create a cocooning effect, but not necessarily in a rustic way. My office at home is lined in whitewashed, textured wood panels; it is a practical way to add a layer of warmth. Always invest in finishes, it’s like creating a healthy body. Think of furniture as clothing – anything can look good if the space underneath works well.
