When Jasmine Fisher first saw this home, which occupies the ground and lower-ground floors of a Chelsea townhouse off the Fulham Road, it had already been stripped back for a full renovation, with construction about to begin. It was intended for the rental market and had an architectural and interior scheme already in place – designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. However, the twist in this particular tale is that the property belonged to Jasmine’s best friend.
Jasmine picks up the story... ‘She had bought it as an investment and was already well into renovating it for rental. Following the unexpected breakdown of her long-term relationship, she decided instead to make it her own home.’ With the house changing purpose almost overnight, her role was to ensure it never felt like Plan B. And that transformation had to happen within the original construction programme and budget.
Jasmine rarely begins a project by thinking about colour or materials; instead she starts by trying to understand the person she’s designing for. ‘In the circumstances, it felt important that this house reflected my client’s own identity, rooted in her personal history, character, and memories, rather than the identity that had previously been shared in the relationship.’
Their friendship meant Jasmine understood not only what she loved, but why she loved it, and so the design conversation started from a place of shared understanding rather than explanation. ‘I don’t think my job is to express myself through someone else’s home;’ she adds, ‘it’s to understand them well enough that the house begins to express them’.
By the time Jasmine became involved, the house had already been stripped back and much of the proposed architecture had been resolved. Rather than starting from scratch, she reworked the existing plans, making targeted structural changes where they would have the greatest impact, while protecting both the construction programme and budget.
Her greatest obstacle was timing. ‘The builders were already on site, so every day’s delay had financial consequences. The challenge wasn’t simply redesigning a house; it was redirecting a live construction project without bringing it to a halt. Design decisions, technical coordination and building work all had to happen simultaneously.’
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A highly collaborative, hands-on approach was key, with Jasmine working closely with the architects, contractor and original developer to keep the project moving while the design continued to evolve. ‘There was very little opportunity to revisit decisions once construction had moved on, so I had to trust my instincts,’ she recalls.
Once she’d established the story they were telling, the material selection became almost instinctive, Jasmine explains. ‘The palette grew from the places and memories that have shaped her life: her French and Italian heritage, time spent in Ibiza, her connection to St Moritz, the sea, Japanese gardens, and the principles of wabi-sabi.’ None of those influences were interpreted literally, but quietly informed the atmosphere of the house, allowing it to express her without ever feeling thematic.
If there’s one element that best reflects the thinking behind the project, it’s the art collection. For Jasmine, art doesn’t complete the interior; it helps define it. The commissioned works, curated pieces and bespoke murals were conceived alongside the interior architecture, materials and colour palette from the beginning of the project. Each informed the others, allowing every room to develop as a complete idea rather than a series of individual decisions.
Working with mural artist Maria Cristina Design, they created bespoke murals that became some of the most personal elements of the house. In the dining room, a hand-painted Japanese landscape transformed an arched recess that had originally been intended to hold a mirror.
Rather than treating the arch as simply an architectural feature, it became an opportunity to create something deeply personal, reflecting the client’s fascination with Japanese gardens and the principles of wabi-sabi. The mural doesn’t end at the wall – Jasmine designed a bespoke coffee table with a circular aperture from which a bonsai appears to emerge, allowing the landscape to spill into the room.
In the guest bedroom, a mural draws inspiration from La Danse by Henri Matisse, reimagining the dancing figures as a circle of women, in celebration of the close-knit female friendships that played such an important role in that period of the client’s life.
‘Watching her inhabit the house has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my design career,’ says Jasmine. ‘Somewhere along the way, I came to see the project as an act of care as much as an act of design.’ For her, this project became less about creating a beautiful home and more about creating somewhere that felt like the beginning of a new chapter. ‘Seeing the life that has unfolded there since has been an extraordinary privilege, and a reminder that thoughtful design can have an impact far beyond aesthetics.’ jasminefisher.com
