Osborn House by Linda Boronkay
1. Child Studio
Portaire recently featured Child Studio’s St John’s Wood Japanese restaurant Maido as one of London’s best-designed restaurants, and Alexy Kos and Che Huang’s brand of warm minimalism has a magnetic pull. They describe their spaces as “nostalgic and cinematic” and whether they are creating homes, retail or hospitality environments, there’s always a sense of craftsmanship and a reverence for collectable vintage pieces, from Eileen Gray chairs to Italian lighting.
2. Isabelle Lomas
Lomas’ studio was founded in 2020, by which time the London-based designer had already notched up stints at Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, Soho House Group and others, as well as time as a fashion stylist. The homes she designs feature bold, rich colours, bespoke joinery to maximise space, and carefully curated artwork to bring it all together.
3. Albion Nord
“Serious design with a youthful approach” is how Albion Nord describes itself. The practice was founded in 2018 and since then has picked up some high-profile commissions, including the townhouses at Chelsea Barracks (for which it designed an accompanying furniture collection) and the Grade II*-listed Georgian mansion Benham Park. Rich ,timeless and comfortable, its interiors are known for their use of antiques to give spaces character and gravitas.
4. Linda Boronkay
The former Soho House design director was in demand the moment she set up on her own in 2020. Her solo work has the same layered look and playful eclecticism that made her name at Soho House, as well as a sense of place that draws on the history, location and architecture of a project, resulting in powerful storytelling through design. “For me, interior design is about creating a fantasy, a safe haven,” she says.
5. Sascal Studio
Sisters Sarah and Caroline Stemp live and work together, setting up Sascal Studio from their London flat in 2020. Their own home has become an Instagram hit, and they are also currently bringing their comfortable, colourful style to a five-bedroom home for a client in East Sussex. The siblings design products too: a wiggly ladder back chair that they created in collaboration with the Odd Chair Company has become a designer favourite.
6. Maddux Creative
Scott Maddux and Jo le Gleud’s skills dovetail perfectly to create their idiosyncratic, artistic interiors: he works of the architectural side while she takes care of the sourcing and commissioning of furniture, upholstery and other elements, including bespoke collaborations with artists and craftspeople. The practice recently celebrated its 10th birthday, and its projects include turning a ‘white box’ new build into a space full of soul and character and a many-layered family home in Primrose Hill.
7. Hollie Bowden
From laid-back rustic-modern homes in Ibiza to Hackney townhouses, Hollie Bowden always brings warmth and soul to her projects, and her creative, artistic clients love her for it. "I see myself as a curator of spaces, as much as I do an interior designer,” she says, and her schemes are always full of unusual eye-catching pieces, from vintage textiles to abstract art, yet she never loses that practical edge – the way a layout flows is just as important as the finishing touches.
8. Stephanie Barba Mendoza
Brought up in Mexico, Stephanie Barba Mendoza grew up surrounded by colour and pattern, and these loves shine through in her work now. After working with Martin Brudnizski, the designer set up her studio in early 2020: her schemes are a rich tapestry of ideas, where bespoke pieces are mixed with antiques, and unusual colour combinations bring a fresh perspective.
9. Studio Kaya
Born in Turkey, Deniz Bayern has worked for Fran Hickman and Soho House before going it alone in 2019. She likes to mix it up across styles and eras, with cleverly up cycled pieces next to antiques and colourful contemporary tiles. She is currently working on several residential projects as well as a line of products.
10. Nicola Harding
“With hotels you can imbue a sense of mischief so nothing feels too formal,” says Nicola Harding, whose high-profile hospitality projects include London’s Beaver brook Town House and chic pub-with-rooms The Rose in Deal. She works on homes too, with the same vibrant, happiness-inducing recipe for success – hers are relaxed, atmospheric spaces with uplifting colour, period detail and beautiful craftsmanship.
