The designers who have been in our Top 100 the longest
As House & Garden's Top 100 Interior Designers arrives at its twenty-fifth year, we've been reflecting on the significance of the list's publication. As our editor Hatta Byng says, 'It has become the list that every UK designer wants to be in, a benchmark of success. And a guide for our readers and also the design industry about who is doing the best and most interesting work in this country.' The list has to evolve constantly, taking into account rising stars and brand new talent. Nonetheless, there are those who have been in the list from the start; already at the top of their game in 1998, they are still the most influential figures in the interior design world today. Whether they are doyens of classical British decoration, or pioneers of modern design, these are the most respected, most-sought-after talents in the industry. Scroll down to see the starry ranks of those who are in both our 1998 supplement and continue to be in it today.
See the full 2023 list of House & Gardens Top 100 Interior Designers in the new June issue and online. Download now or subscribe here.
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1/9Alidad
An Iranian-British designer with more than 30 years of experience creating bespoke opulent and highly detailed interiors, Alidad has been on the House & Garden list of superior British design talent since its inception in 1998.
Lucas Allen2/9Colin Orchard
His approach to social media may be refreshingly minimalist – the vastly experienced designer simply does not do it – but Colin Orchard is well known for his work, which is anything but minimalist, on very grand country houses.
colin@colinorchard.com
3/9Joanna Wood
With 40 years of experience under her belt, Joanna Wood and her team of 15 can turn their hand to pretty much any-
thing. Currently, this includes an enormous house in the West Country and an apartment in Canadian city Montreal.
Simon Upton4/9Nicky Haslam
Living proof that receiving a House & Garden Lifetime Achievement Award (he won in 2021) is by no means a full stop in a career, Nicky Haslam is an icon and one who is still very much in demand.
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Simon Upton5/9Nina Campbell
So much more than an interior designer, Nina Campbell is a force of nature who designs just about everything for the home – from furniture and fabrics to chic accessories. She has a huge following in the UK, the US and beyond.
Simon Upton6/9Robert Kime
Robert Kime is one of the most recognisable names in British interiors, antiques and textiles. Since his death in 2022, the team has been led by Orlando Atty and Claire Jackson.
Michael Sinclair7/9Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
The masters of traditional decorating, Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler founded their company in the 1930s and it is the only firm to appear on this list that has been creating impeccable interiors for even longer than House & Garden has been featuring them.
Alicia Taylor8/9Todhunter Earle
On-the-go projects for this well-established design firm, which is headed up by Emily Todhunter and Kate Earle, include a newbuild in Berkshire and an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Dean Hearne9/9Veere Grenney Associates
Whether they know it or not, many of the interior designers in House & Garden’s Top 100 will have, in some way, been influenced by Veere Grenney, the master of decorating who’s been at the forefront of the industry for over 30 years. In the February 2023 issue of House & Garden, he wrote about the importance of comfort and, according to his co-director Natasha Greig, the first step to achieving this is ‘getting the floorplan right’. They put this theory – and far more – into practice in all projects. These currently include a newbuild in Jerusalem and a 1930s Regency-style house in London.
