21 British interior designers to know right now

Seamlessly blending influences from his South African roots with classic British style, Southwark-based designer Christian Bense is a talent to watch. ‘I bring an intellect to my interiors – it allows me to connect to clients who may not be creative,’ he explains. ‘My love for interiors stems less from being surrounded by nice things at a young age than from an ability to rationalise one’s surroundings to make the best version of them.’

Having set up his studio in 2020, Bense has assembled a team with similarly offbeat identities – members of staff have backgrounds in real estate, set design and floristry. christianbense.com

Since founding her eponymous studio in 2014, Sophie Ashby has gained a serious following for her interiors style, which is heavily influenced by the art world. Often focusing her room schemes around a certain artwork, Ashby has a strong eye for colour and pattern, building interiors that are reliably packed with personality.

Having worked on residential and commercial projects, in 2022 she opened the doors to a showroom space in London’s Blewcoat School (pictured), which also functions as a place to shop her own range of homeware and furniture – Sister. studioashby.com

Sophie van Winden and Simone Gordon met while studying interior architecture at London’s Ravensbourne University. ‘We were immediately drawn to each other as we had a similar style,’ says van Winden. Owl Design was formed in 2014, and today has an enviable portfolio of stylish residential projects.

The studio’s interiors feature fluid, organic shapes, with a strategic use of pattern and cocooning colour. ‘When we started out we wanted to inject a sense of fun and light-heartedness that we weren’t seeing elsewhere in the interiors world,’ says van Winden. ‘Our philosophy is that your home should make you smile,’ adds Gordon. owldesign.co.uk

Notting Hill-based interior designer Tala Fustok honed her eye for vintage pieces as a child, roaming London’s flea markets and galleries with her parents. ‘Growing up, I had a constant passion for design and interiors and was always exposed to a rich mix of influences, thanks to my British-Palestinian heritage,’ she says.

She describes her style as ‘bold and original, playing with opulent materials and juxtaposed textures to inject character’. Her diverse list of inspirations include 1970s glamour, French modernist Jean-Michel Frank and stainless-steel artist Maria Pergay. talafustok.studio

Founded in 2017 by Alexy Kos and Che Huang, Child Studio creates ‘nostalgic and cinematic’ interiors for residential, retail and hospitality spaces. The pair, who are based in a former glass factory in east London, met as MA students at University of the Arts London, where Kos studied architecture and interiors and Huang specialised in furniture and object design.

They don’t have a set aesthetic, but their interiors are always sophisticated and elegant, with a traditional-meets-modern feel and a sensual approach to materials (think lots of comforting wood panelling). childstudio.co

Emma Shone-Sanders set up Design & That in 2016. The Victoria Park-based studio has since clocked up an impressive portfolio of residential and commercial projects, including a boutique hotel in Scotland and the headquarters of PR agency Rainbowwave.

Shone-Sanders, who works closely with her partner Jade on furnishings and styling, says her interiors are ‘pared-back and contemporary, yet relaxed, inviting and liveable’. She likes to begin projects with a muted colour palette, building up layers of materials and textures to add warmth and character. Moody, intense hues are a signature, as are classic, well-crafted Scandinavian designs. designandthat.com

This Peckham studio, founded in 2011, is headed by Tennessee native Scott Maddux and Brit Jo Le Gleud, who met on a dancefloor in 1996. Maddux is an architect who spent his early career experimenting with maximalism and minimalism, which informs his current eclectic style. Le Gleud, meanwhile, is a craft expert who formerly worked as an embroiderer – she takes the lead in making unique pieces for Maddux Creative projects.

Elegant and varied, their style is strikingly unique. Among the duo’s inspirations are neoclassical architecture and the colourful fashion of Dries Van Noten; coaxing clients to be ‘unafraid of colour and texture’ is a core element of their process. madduxcreative.com

Lucy Currell owes her passion for interiors to her father and grandma, who took her on tours of antique fairs and car-boot sales as a child. In 2017, she set up Studio Iro and now masterminds projects from her office in Forest Gate.

Modern and understated, her aesthetic is informed by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which celebrates natural materials and imperfection. ‘I apply it to every aspect of my process,’ she explains. ‘I would say my designs are very soulful and warm, while remaining visually balanced and calming.’ She cites Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt – another exponent of wabi-sabi – as an inspiration. ‘I love how antiques are such a big part of his interiors. There’s always a story to be told, and it makes the pieces much more meaningful.’ studioiro.co

It was a shared passion for colour, pattern and classic furniture that Cath Beckett and Liv Wallers bonded over before setting up their studio, Yellow London, in 2017. The pair say their skills and tastes are complementary: Wallers’ flair for colour, texture and narrative, married with Beckett’s love of art, antiques and period features.

They’re proud of not having a ‘set style’, but their interiors are often gloriously bright, with creatively clashing patterns. ‘There is an underlying theme to our work, but our clients can request very traditional interiors, or something much more modern,’ says Beckett. ‘We love the variation. Contemporary maximalism is a big inspiration for us, but there’s also definitely a nod to the past.’ yellowlondon.com

Sarah Peake had almost a decade of experience under her belt before setting up her Parsons Green studio in London at the start of 2019. Having grown up next to some of the grandest properties in the country – her father was an estate manager at houses such as Castle Howard and Cornbury Park – her style is a mix of traditional and modern.

She likes rooms that ‘aren’t overly curated, so they feel as if they’ve been built up organically over time to reflect the personality of the client’. For instance, she might pair a contemporary kitchen with antique furniture or add colour and pattern in unexpected places, such as inside a cupboard or on curtain linings. studiopeake.com

Sam McNally and Mark O’Callaghan co-founded Echlin in 2011 and between them have a wealth of experience in design, fashion and property development. McNally, who heads up the design team in their Notting Hill studio, previously worked for high-end developers supplying bespoke furniture and finishes. O’Callaghan, meanwhile, is a retail and interior design expert who’s had senior positions at Burberry, Mulberry and Alexander McQueen.

Echlin interiors feel serene and expansive, thanks to the duo’s love of broken-plan layouts that create light, airy spaces. They’re influenced by classic 20th-century design and Britain’s industrial past – the latter comes through in their love of patinated metals, which they say have longevity and an imperfect beauty. Wellness and sustainability are also core to their philosophy. echlinlondon.com

Growing up in a military family, Nicola Harding lived in a series of ‘identikit houses with standard-issue furniture’, so was sensitive to the subtle touches that make a home from an early age. She set up her own interior design studio in 2008, after five years working with renowned landscape designer Arne Maynard. ‘I thought I’d tag interiors onto my business as there was a recession and gardens tend to fall off people’s budgets,’ she explains. Decorating gradually became her main focus, but always with an eye on the link between indoors and out.

Her style is colourful and comfortable, with a nod to classic English country house style and a focus on antiques and sustainability. ‘I aim to create a sense of home and that’s about comfort, nature and a feeling of being welcome,’ she says, citing London decorator Robert Kime as an inspiration. nicolaharding.com

Elicyon was founded in 2014 by architect Charu Gandhi, who’s previously worked at Allies and Morrison (where she contributed to the London Olympics Masterplan). Her studio team includes Swedish-born creative director Cecilia Halling and projects director David Harris. The creation of Elicyon was sparked by Gandhi’s love of craft, which gave her a freedom she couldn’t find in the architecture world.

‘I aim to create exquisite “interior couture” – something that speaks to the clients’ dreams for their home and that evokes a feeling appropriate to the space,’ she explains. ‘I often look to art deco, mid-century and Biedermeier periods for furniture inspiration, but I will also dip into other stylistic influences from around the world.’ elicyon.com

Alex Holloway and Na Li met as apprentices at design studio Michaelis Boyd, where they found themselves working together on the design for Soho Farmhouse (Li designed the main barn, while Alex was responsible for the gym). After officially setting up together in 2018, they now specialise in luxury hospitality projects, but have also designed homes that share a modern, opulent aesthetic, with theatrical flourishes.

Holloway says this look was shaped by the ‘pomp and ornament’ of his Catholic schooling and, later, his love of clubbing. ‘We like to create impactful interiors with a strong narrative,’ he reflects. ‘We’re very inspired by art and film, and our designs often centre around a key moment that has a filmic quality.’ Director Stanley Kubrick’s penchant for symmetrical vistas and the detailed stage sets of performance artist Matthew Barney are cited as key influences, along with the London landscape. hollowayli.com

Founded in 2017, this Fitzrovia design studio is led by a quartet with impressive CVs: interior designer Ben Johnson, formerly of Heatherwick Studios; project manager Anthony Kooperman; and creative directors Camilla Clarke and Ottalie Stride. The team’s focus is on creating exceptional residential interiors with a refined, understated feel.

Many of the projects are in architecturally rich locations and all incorporate their love of antiques and classic British and European styles. ‘We’re particularly inspired by Georgian design, but the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic also influences our work,’ says Stride. albion-nord.com

Growing up in socialist Slovenia, Petra Arko’s love of interiors was fuelled by regular school tours of the local furniture factory, as well as her family’s unorthodox passion for Marcel Breuer chairs and Danish lighting (her father was a film director, so he travelled abroad more than most). In 2016, she set up her own studio in London’s Soho. Bergman & Mar is named in tribute to her origins: ‘bergman’ means ‘mountain man’, while ‘mar’ means ‘sea’ in Slovenian, referencing the country’s location between the Adriatic and the Julian Alps.

Reflecting her upbringing, Arko’s designs have a cool, contemporary feel. ‘I like to combine iconic pieces with designs from lesser-known makers,’ she says. ‘We always place the human element at the centre of our projects. A well-designed space evokes emotional connection, but functionality is just as important.’ Longevity is a key consideration, too. ‘The aim is to use pieces that clients can pass on to the next generation.’ bergmanandmar.com

Duncan Campbell met Charlotte Rey in 2007 when the pair were teenagers, both working as editors on Acne Studio’s biannual magazine Acne Paper. Since launching in 2014 they have, they say, ‘slowly built a design practice that now incorporates residential and commercial interior design, creative direction, and furniture and product design.’

Projects span from a penthouse in Mayfair to a house in Kent, as well as branding and styling a hotel, reimagining Kartell’s ‘Componibili’ storage units, designing rugs for Nordic Knots, and even creating the trophy for the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 2017. The duo work closely together but regularly collaborate with small teams depending on the creative endeavour – which, judging by their past record, could be just about anything. campbell-rey.com

Transatlantic practice Nune is run by interior design duo Sheena Murphy and Tor Sauder, British and Canadian, respectively. The pair met in New York where they have an office, although Murphy is now chiefly based in the UK.

Together they have applied their clean and contemporary yet eclectic style to New Yorkers’ homes (above) as well as hospitality projects, including 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge – think pale woods, textured greys and cosy whites with fine black accents.

With a philosophy that thoughtful design can enhance wellbeing, Nune incorporates locally sourced natural materials, the work of independent makers, and flea market finds in its schemes. The pair credit the work of Louis Khan, Carlo Scarpa and Axel Vervoordt as inspiration. nunenune.com

Sarah Delaney’s practice has been running for over 20 years, but her background is in TV and film production. Her designs have a quiet poise with a restrained colour palette, and carefully considered furniture pieces, many of them antique.

Her work is ‘based on creating interiors which reflect our clients’ individual style and interests’, so it’s no wonder she has a lot of repeat commissions for their homes across the world, as well as this west London house. Working closely with top architects gives her an acute awareness of the building process, as well as ‘a rigorous attention to detail’. sarahdelaneydesign.co.uk

Having worked together for years as commercial and residential interior designers on projects in London and New York City, Adele Lonergan and Maria Lindgren set up their joint venture, Covet Noir, in 2018. They’ve completed a range of private residential projects in this time, including a Grade II-listed Georgian residence in Surrey and a California-inspired townhouse in Belgravia. What connects their work is a respect for architectural heritage – carefully marrying period features with more contemporary details.

Lonergan and Lindgren describe their style as ‘timeless and considered’, wanting to create designs that, they say, ‘last rather than become slaves to trends’. covetnoir.com