Isla Fisher’s London home is a reflection of a new chapter in her life

Isla Fisher viewed a hundred houses before walking into this one and realising she’d found her new home. The actress and author had always imagined herself living in London. ‘It’s such a fabulous city,’ she says. ‘It’s a place where you can tell stories and I guess I’m writing my own one now.’

She was worried about missing the light in LA and Australia (where she spent her childhood and began her career), but with an enormous skylight amply flooding the kitchen with sunshine, this place reminded her of her home on Mulholland Drive in LA. ‘To be in a space like this is so calming for me,’ she says.

Isla and her dog Maisie stand in the doorway between the formal living room and the light-filled kitchen extension. Isla wears cream trousers from Knatchbull, a green shirt from With Nothing Underneath and Brunello Cucinelli slingback heels

Airy and spacious, it had period features she loves and a ‘magical’ garden. ‘I’ve been obsessed with weeping willows since I was a kid and there’s one in the backyard, so it felt like kismet,’ she explains, adding that there were also a few non-negotiables. ‘I wanted the kids’ bedrooms on my floor so that I can monitor smartphone use; there needed to be space
for my family who live in Greece and visit me a lot and, lastly, outdoor space. With the Australian upbringing I was lucky enough to have, I’ve always been barefoot in the garden or on the beach, so this is as close as I can get to feeling like I’m home.’

Needs met, Isla turned to the interior-design team at Soho Home to shape the decor. ‘I was always in the showroom trying to buy everything, and they said “We can help you!”’ From Berlin to Los Angeles, the actress has stayed in many Soho Houses around the world, but her personal style is most closely aligned to the art deco elegance of Soho House Rome, with a dash of Soho Farmhouse’s cosiness thrown in.

Soho Home’s ‘Gia’ coffee table holds a Paolo Santo candle from Loewe, a ‘Stack’ tray by Not Limited x Fred Crouch from Aram, The Fashion Book from Phaidon, Ann Van Hoey’s ‘White object (103)’ from Maud & Mabel and Ferm Living’s ‘Dedali’ vase from Twentytwentyone. The ‘Hetty’ rug, ‘Albany’ footstool and ‘Alessio’ chandelier are all Soho Home

‘It’s all very warm and casual, but glamorous. It’s theatrical, which is a bit like me as a person I suppose,’ she explains, telling us how she worked with interior designer Sophie Arquimbau, whom she credits with absorbing her aesthetic and getting the scale and sensibility of the furniture exactly right.

Sophie proposed softly feminine rugs, elegant chandeliers and statement pieces including a huge modular velvet sofa with a burr-wood back – made to be admired from all angles in the centre of the large formal living room. ‘When it all arrived, I did have a bit of a cry because this was my first time as a single woman, being in a home of my own,’ she admits
(Isla split from Sacha Baron Cohen, her husband of 14 years and father to her three children, last year).

This is her space. ‘I’m Agatha Christie-obsessed; I think that’s why I love Soho Home,’ she muses. ‘It reminds me of Murder on the Orient Express – the craftsmanship and the glamour. It feels as if someone should be playing jazz in a corner, or smoking a cigar.’

Traditional Windsor chairs (for similar, try Ercol) surround the long farmhouse-style dining table, which holds Maud & Mabel’s ‘Kiho Kang Container 15’ and the ‘Utzon’ mug by Ferm Living from Selfridges. The artwork is a piece by Massimo Vitali

Her living room may have a jazz-club vibe, but Isla happily admits she ‘loves to be in bed,’ adding that’s where she wrote her Marge in Charge children’s books. ‘It’s sometimes the only place to get peace!’ she says, laughing. Now, the centrepiece of this space is a showstopper of a bed in mappa burr wood and blush velvet. It’s as robust as it is decadent looking, and she loves it when her kids pile on, along with the dog and two cats.

Looking back on her career, she feels lucky to have worked with film-makers such as Tom Ford and David O Russell. One of her proudest moments was playing Myrtle Wilson in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (2013). ‘I loved Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge! – his whole sensibility and aesthetic were so cool,’ she says of working with the director. ‘I had my young kids on set, the music’s Jay-Z, and Baz is walking around in a suit with a teacup… It was such a special time,’ she recalls. ‘Nothing’s perfect – and you don’t want it to be – but that was close to perfect for me.’

With its oversized rose velvet headboard, the ‘Alana’ bed from Soho Home is the star of this space. It’s dressed with a ‘Lara’ bedspread and ‘Obie’, ‘Murphy‘ and ‘Margeaux’ cushions. The ‘Nieve’ bench at the end of the bed is by Soho Home, as are the ‘Devon’ bedside table and ‘Janie’ portable lamp. Beside it sit J Hill’s Standard’s ‘Fit’ carafe and cup from Aram and Loewe’s ‘Casa de Campo’ eau de parfum. Isla wears a cream panel dress from Me & Em

Recently, she returned to the Now You See Me franchise (in cinemas 14 November), which she describes as ‘coming home, because we are a family, albeit a dysfunctional one – we’ve known each other for 12 years’. Of the film’s theme, she adds: ‘There’s something about magic; it’s the conflict it creates from what you know to be real, but what your brain can’t understand is happening. As an actor, you’re looking for roles where you can give the thrills and excitement to the audience, but you can also create magic.’

As she reflects on the last few years, from moving to London to the loss of her father in 2023 and finding this home, Isla shares how ‘trying to create a new life from a grassroots level, at least emotionally, has been challenging, but deeply rewarding’. ‘I’m enjoying this new version of my life,’ she adds. Right now, home is her sanctuary, somewhere to retreat and be with her children and pets. ‘I don’t need to party in my house anymore,’ she declares. ‘I love to get in the bath. I’ll light some candles, bring in my laptop and put on something on Netflix. That’s as exciting as it gets.’

With one more film – a romance – to shoot before the end of 2025, the coming year is shaping up to be a fun one with the release of Spa Weekend, the latest comedy from John Lucas and Scott Moore of Bad Moms and The Hangover. She had a blast working with Anna Faris, Michelle Buteau and Leslie Mann on the project. ‘I think, as a woman, we love to have female-driven comedy, and every time one comes out, the whole of Hollywood and the world goes, “Oh my goodness, who knew women go to the movies?” and I’m like, “Yes! It’s because we want our stories told our way.”’ With this deftly designed home as her base, telling her story in her own way is exactly what Isla Fisher has planned. sohohome.com