Creativity, philosophy and being bold

You started your career in urban architecture and interior architecture, later moving into interior design, how has this shaped your design Approach?

My work has evolved constantly over the years. It started with a very minimal ‘black and white’ architecture that has evolved project after project, layer after layer, year after year. Today, when I design, the whole room or environment becomes one. I consider how spaces flow into one another and imagine how it feels to be inside the space. The impact of a window, the height of lamp, the position of a painting. No detail goes unthought. A multi-sensory, three-dimensional holistic experience. That’s how I would describe my expression of design.

Is this particularly important working with private clients?

Absolutely. The client’s lifestyle becomes the context as much as the project itself. When I am designing a family home, I think not only about the use of space, but the layers that will create the best experience for the client. In our recent Windsor Way residential project, every detail was considered to enhance and maximise day to day life in their family home. The original footprint of the property with dark, small spaces made it a complex project. We removed the original cornicing and used shadow gaps to enhance the feeling of lightness and space. In the family room, we designed a striking bespoke architectural shelving unit to create divisions between work and play. Bespoke finishes, such as the brass liquid metal used on the kitchen cupboards were considered at the time of spatial planning to ensure the right amount of reflect daylight and warmth would enhance the space.

In contrast, you recently completed the chic refurbishment of Tomtom Cigars in Belgravia that was exclusively covered by Nick Foulkes in FT How to Spend It.  What was your approach for this project?

For me this project was very exciting. We had to combine a world-class retail experience with a club-like feel; a place where regular clients could come to enjoy their favourite smokes, like an extension of their homes. From the tobacco hued colour scheme to the nostalgic feel of the timber joinery and the atmosphere conjured when cigars are lit under the antique mirrored ceiling, every detail was considered down to human measure.