Meet our new Top 100 interior designers and architects for 2023
House & Garden was launched more than three quarters of a century ago and, since its inception, the magazine has been more than simply a resource for those looking for design inspiration. To look back through the archives is to see how House & Garden has always sought to champion the best of interiors and garden talent that this country has to offer. Countless designers got their big break in the pages of this magazine, which in many ways can be seen as a record of the contemporary tastes of the nation. This was formalised in 1998, when the first list of 100 leading interior designers was published in the magazine – and when an equivalent round-up of garden designers was introduced in 2019. It is remarkable to think that, as well as eight interior design studios making their debut in the 2023 iteration of the Top 100, there are nine practices that were on that first list and which continue to do incredible work 25 years later. There are also eight new names included in the Top 50 Garden Designers for the first time. We highlight all of this in the June issue, along with Rising Stars – 25 names to watch in the years to come. In the coming weeks we shall reveal the winners of the House & Garden Awards 2023, including Interior Designer of the Year, Garden Designer of the Year and Project of the Year.
Below you will find the Top 100 for 2023: it's a much anticipated and hotly debated annual list of whom we consider to be the best interior designers and architects working on private projects in the UK today. They have different styles and take varying approaches, and their projects reflect the wide spectrum that we feature in the magazine and on the website. But what they have in common is that they are brilliant at what they do, creating interiors, houses and flats with flair, and showing sensitivity to their surroundings and the inhabitants. Assembling this list is one of the hardest tasks in the year for the House & Garden team, but the result is an exciting celebration of UK-based talent.
The Top 100 is published in our June issue, out now. You can download House & Garden on your iPhone, iPad or Android device now or subscribe today to get your issue for just £1.
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1/100Adam Architecture
Based in Winchester and in London, and taking on major projects throughout the UK and beyond, this practice is an authority on new classical architecture, and collaborates with many of the respected interior designers on this list.
Owen Gale2/100Adam Bray
It is not surprising to hear that one of Adam Bray’s great influences is the renowned antique-dealer-cum-interior-designer Piers von Westenholz. Adam started dealing in antiques at the age of 16 (he has a shop in Camden) and long ago added interior design to his remit. His projects are much more than rooms filled with antiques: his use of colour and pattern is interesting and chic, too. That is no doubt why he has been asked to collaborate on ranges for the likes of Soane, Vanderhurd and carpet specialist Peter Page. As well as houses in the UK, Adam has ongoing projects in California and Dublin.
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3/100Alidad
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.
Luke Hayes4/100Alison Brooks Architects
For the founder of this multi-award-winning architecture practice, ‘a successful design is one where the client immediately feels at home in the building and yet is surprised by what the architecture offers them: generosity of space, beautiful light, unexpected views and thoughtful details’. A notable recent success for Alison Brooks was the extraordinary house that won the 2021 RIBA House of the Year award and which was featured in the July 2022 issue of House & Garden. In many of her high-profile residential projects, including that house in Gloucestershire and Salt House, in Essex, Alison experiments with what she calls organic geometry. ‘For me, it’s about loosening the boundaries that define space,’ she says. ‘Subtle angles create a near imperceptible sense of spatial informality.’
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5/100Anna Haines
A classic sensitivity prevails at this boutique studio. Anna Haines’ transformation of two 18th-century flint cottages in Norfolk will appear in House & Garden this summer.
6/100Architecture for London
Ben Ridley (an architect and Passivhaus designer) and his team specialise in low-energy buildings. The firm’s projects include newbuilds as well as refurbishments and extensions of period houses.
7/100Beata Heuman
Since winning the House & Garden Designer of the Year Award in 2018, the Londonbased Swedish designer Beata Heuman has conquered the design world with her playful, modern-Scandi aesthetic.
Paul Massey8/100Ben Pentreath
This architectural and interior design practice reflects its founder Ben Pentreath’s deep appreciation of the classical tradition and his ability to layer it with the energy and eclecticism of modern life.
9/100Berdoulat
The best place to get a sense of Patrick and Neri Williams’ work is at their beautifully restored, three-storey, 18thcentury shop in Bath, where they sell historically inspired furniture and craft-rich bits and bobs. If a refined version of below-stairs is your thing, then look no further.
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10/100Brandon Schubert
An American in London, this designer cut his teeth working for Ben Pentreath. Recipient of the House & Garden Rising Star Award in 2021, Brandon Schubert is skilled at mixing new with old, and pattern with colour in his striking scheme
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Mark Cocksedge11/100Bryan O'Sullivan
With offices in London, New York and Kenmare in Ireland, the studio of the charismatic designer Bryan O’Sullivan is known for creating lavish, contemporary interiors – ranging from private houses to hotels.
Sophia SPRING12/100Buchanan Studio
There is a real buzz surrounding this multidisciplinary design studio led by Angus and Charlotte Buchanan. They both have a background in the fashion industry and their work, which includes interior and furniture design, has a fantasy-cool feel to it..
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13/100Campbell-Rey
Behind this groovy young studio are the dynamic principals Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey. They balance playful and colourful international interiors with their growing furniture and home accessories product line.
14/100Carden Cunietti
Audrey Carden and Eleanora Cunietti’s modern and subtleluxe approach to interior design has lured in more than a handful of music-industry stars and execs as clients. Travel and art are both big influences in their projects.
15/100Carlos Garcia
A one-man band whose varied influences range from John Fowler to Renzo Mongiardino, Carlos Garcia takes on just a handful of projects at a time. He is best known for his work on period country houses.
16/100Clare Gaskin
Having founded her studio just over 10 years ago, interior designer Clare Gaskin has built a reputation for creating colourful, pattern-on-pattern, family-friendly interiors that are as joyful as she is.
Lucas Allen17/100Colin 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
Simon Upton18/100Craig Hamilton Architects
This practice has built a very solid reputation for its work with traditional architecture, including newbuilds in the classical style. A London house designed by Craig Hamilton won a commendation at The Georgian Group’s Architectural Awards. Gail Kenton, who cites Passivhaus design as an influence, has rejoined the firm after a five-year stint at ADAM Architecture.
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19/100David Bentheim
Known for its modern – and deceptively simple – interiors, the London studio founded by David Bentheim creates spaces characterised by clean colour palettes. They also include a good sprinkling of fine 20th-century pieces.
Tag Worldwide20/100De Rosee Sa
Clients have access to architecture and interior design services at this practice, run by Max de Rosée and Claire Sa. It has offices in London, Lisbon and Brussels.
Simon Upton21/100Douglas Mackie
With a boutique-size studio known for its restrained and ultra-luxe interiors, the highly experienced designer Douglas Mackie has a newbuild in Dorset and three projects in the Persian Gulf on the go.
22/100Edward Bulmer
Rigorous historical research and a commitment to environmentally sound practices are two of this small studio’s major focuses when approaching all of its interior design projects. Edward Bulmer’s interest in the latter won him the House & Garden Responsible Design Award in 2022.
Dean Hearne23/100Edward Hurst
While interior design is not Edward Hurst’s main focus, this antique dealer – based in Dorset – has an extraordinary eye for originality. He regularly consults on projects that require a detailed knowledge of historic decoration and design, particularly those that date from the 18th century.
24/100Eldridge Architects
This award-winning cuttingedge architectural practice is known for its bold and daring newbuilds, as well as radical reinventions of existing houses in and around the capital – and also further afield.
Jake Curtis25/100Elicyon
Charu Gandhi had worked for a number of different architectural firms and developers (including Candy & Candy) before she set up Elicyon in 2014. A creative and incredibly engaging designer, Charu leads a team of nearly 30 interior designers, architects and project managers, and takes on big projects, from country houses to high-end urban developments. Elicyon operates at the luxury end of the market and its designs are highly detailed, but also filled with interesting art and distinctive, one-off pieces.
Owen Gale26/100Fleming Artchitects & Partners
Christian Fleming’s Cotswolds-based architecture practice specialises in country houses, often echoing the Georgian style with references to the local vernacular. The majority of what they take on are newbuilds, he says, because of ‘the eff iciencies of running costs, but we are being asked to build them “historically”, embracing the eccentricities, in the spirit of old houses where nooks are seen as interesting elements and not mistakes’.
©simon upton27/100Flora Soames
Based in Dorset with projects currently on the go across the UK, Flora Soames is equally adept at pretty, country-house style and chic, unpretentious modern interiors. She also has her own successful range of fabrics and wallpapers.
Fred Howarth28/100Flower Michelin
Based in London with satellite offices in Hampshire and in Oxford, this architectural practice – established by Alex Flower and Chantal Michelin – works on everything from extensions and newbuilds to historic renovations.
29/100Found Associates
Set up by the architect Richard Found in 1997, this is a RIBAaward- winning practice that works on projects all over the world, ranging from newbuilds to contemporary reimaginings of existing properties.
Jake Curtis30/100Fran Hickman
‘I love the simplicity of Japanese design,’ explains Fran Hickman, and you can see those characteristic clean lines and minimal styling in her work. But there is also a real sense of soul and energy – she creates cool spaces. Before setting up her own studio in 2014, Fran worked as part of the design team at Soho House and at Waldo Works, so it is no surprise that the homes she creates err on the liveable, usable side of modern. The studio’s HQ is in London but there is a New York office, too, thanks to the number of projects she is landing in the US – most recently a brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
31/100Francis Sultana
A London-based Maltese-born design powerhouse, Francis Sultana creates interiors and furniture through his studio and is also artistic director of David Gill Gallery. His redesign of Herefordshire’s Poston House was House & Garden’s Project of the Year in 2022.
Bozho Gagovski32/100Gavin Houghton
A fully fledged creative, Gavin Houghton is never afraid to spice up a traditionally decorated room with something very modern, an electrified colour combination, or even a collection of the saucy, handpainted ceramics that he has started making recently.
33/100Gras
With a raft of commendations and various awards to its name, this Edinburgh architectural practice is adept at designing from scratch, but it has also restored and adapted countless Scottish listed buildings.
ASTRID TEMPLIER34/100Guy Goodfellow
For interior architecture and decoration of the traditional variety, the small studio run by Guy Goodfellow offers a wealth of experience in preserving and conserving period properties, but can also bring contemporary houses to life
Paul Massey35/100Hackett Holland
Although Johnny Holland and Jane Hackett and their talented multidisciplinary team can design a new house for you from the ground up, they also have vast experience of working on listed houses with inspired sensitivity and flair.
36/100Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay
This small interiors studio has an imaginative approach, which can be turned to everything from inner-city flats to country houses. Right now, Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay has projects ongoing in London, Sussex and Costa Rica.
37/100Hoare Ridge & Morris
This Suffolk-based architectural practice has extensive experience working on listed buildings – from castles to Tudor and medieval houses, all of which are characterised by a sensitive use of materials and distinctive craftsmanship.
©simonupton38/100Hubert Zandberg
London-based South African designer Hubert Zandberg says that he always aims to express ‘my taste, the client’s taste and a sense of place’ in his creation of highly curated international interiors. These are invariably sophisticated, interesting and eclectic.
Lucas Allen39/100Hugh Leslie
A considered and somewhat understated designer, Hugh Leslie runs a small team who create sophisticated, beautifully curated interiors. Expect a 21st-century take on classical design and decoration.
Ståle Eriksen40/100James Gorst Architects
Designing an excitingly modern house in the countryside is one thing, but reinventing or adding to a historic property in the city with the right balance of drama and subtlety is quite another. Unusually, this practice, set up by James Gorst in 1981, does both with confidence and aplomb. This explains why the philosopher Alain de Botton has said that this architect’s work ‘has helped to heal one of the most unnecessary and painful wounds in contemporary British architecture: between the traditionalists and the modernists’.
41/100Janine Stone & Co
With offices in the UK and in New York, this high-end architecture and interior design practice applies a distinctive, luxe finish to newbuilds and refurbishments alike.
Owen Gale42/100Joanna Plant
When Joanna Plant was a fledgling designer in the Noughties, she met the great David Mlinaric and asked him for advice. ‘Never stop looking,’ he said. And she hasn’t. ‘Every time I find myself in a room that feels wonderful, I think about why that is and make some mental notes,’ she says. And Joanna’s rooms are pretty wonderful, too. From elegant traditionally decorated interiors to more modern, restrained schemes, she has a real knack for getting the balance just right. Joanna’s small team is currently working on houses in the Cotswolds, Buckinghamshire and Chelsea.
Simon Brown43/100Joanna Wood
With 40 years of experience under her belt, Joanna Wood and her team of 15 can turn their hand to pretty much anything. Currently, this includes an enormous house in the West Country and an apartment in Canadian city Montreal.
44/100John McCall
A stalwart of the British design scene, John McCall is known for interiors that have the quality of seeming as if they have always been thus. This is a great skill when they often involve back-to-the-brickwork renovations. Traditional English decorating and country houses big and small are a particular strength, but John is no stranger to softening up more modern environs. One of his recent projects was the overhaul of the largest privately owned house in Knightsbridge (to appear in a future issue).
45/100Jonathan Tuckey
Architect Jonathan Tuckey is a master when it comes to the thoughtful remodelling of existing buildings to create bold and exciting contemporary spaces. Sustainability is at the core of his 30-strong practice, which is based in west London.
Andrew Montgomery46/100J James Mackie
It is extraordinary to think that just three years ago, James Mackie was still heading up Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art department. He had worked in auction houses for most of his career before deciding to establish an interior decorating studio and art advisory. ‘I met Chester Jones when I was at Sotheby’s,’ he says. ‘I greatly admire the way he incorporates art and design into the interiors he creates. Looking at his work was a significant inspiration.’ Major projects soon came in, including a barn conversion and the decoration of a 17th-century manor house with architect Ptolemy Dean.
James McDonald47/100Kate Guinness
Busy with family houses in town and country, the eponymous design studio of Kate Guinness has offices in west London and Wiltshire and is establishing a reputation for its relaxed, elegant interiors.
48/100Katharine Pooley
A large-scale and impressive interior design and architecture studio, Katharine Pooley currently has ongoing mega projects across the UK, and in Scandinavia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
Simon Brown49/100Kit Kemp Design Studio
This is the studio to turn to for admirers of the look Kit Kemp originally developed for her family’s Firmdale group of hotels, rich in art and craft, as well as colour and pattern. The team has private projects on the go all over the world.
Milo Brown50/100Lonika Chande
Since winning House & Garden’s The List Award for Design Talent in 2020, Lonika Chande has been busy with a string of largely London-based houses. Her look is on the modern side of decorative, with patterned fabrics, strong colours and a mix of old and new. ‘I love French post-Impressionist art, particularly Gauguin, and this has definitely influenced my work,’ she says. Lonika and her team are currently working on houses in Margate, Chelsea, Hackney and Notting Hill.
51/100Lucy Cunningham
Located in Hampshire, Lucy Cunningham’s one-woman practice has form when it comes to applying a prettywith- a-twist aesthetic to UK country houses. Expect lots of print and pattern, with a liberating no-rules approach.
52/100Maddux Creative
Scott Maddux and Jo leGleud are the principals of this brilliant contemporary design practice, which won House & Garden’s Interior Designer of the Year Award in 2022.
53/100Maison Artefact
Headed up by antique dealer and designer Victoria Davar, Maison Artefact has grown out of its founder’s love of Swedish and French antiques, sold from her shop on Lillie Road, SW6. Her interiors are elegant, quiet and calming.
54/100Brudnizki Design Studio
More is more for the Swedishborn interior designer Martin Brudnizki. His design team works from offices in London and also New York to create punchy interiors, which are opulent and fantastical.
55/100Martin Hulbert Design
Curious, clever and unfailingly creative, this well-established studio has projects ranging from Chelsea pied-à-terres and expansive Grade I-listed houses, to luxury hotels in the country and Greek holiday houses in the Ionian islands.
56/100Max Rollitt
Known for creating eclectic and handsome country-house interiors, the antique-dealerturned- interior-designer Max Rollitt is based in Hampshire. But he is in huge demand on both sides of the Atlantic.
57/100McLean Quinlan
Run by mother-and-daughter duo Fiona McLean and Kate Quinlan along with son-in-law Alastair, this Winchester- and London-based studio majors in beautifully crafted, contemporary houses, designed with everyday life at the forefront.
58/100Vanessa Macdonald for Melissa Wyndham
Vanessa Macdonald worked for the late Melissa Wyndham for 14 years and is now at the helm of this small Londonbased design studio, known for its pretty English style and rooms elegantly layered with fabrics and antiques.
Kate Peters59/100Miminat Designs
A polymath who has a background in fine art and a degree in interior architecture, Mimi Shodeinde creates cool, contemporary interiors (she has current projects in London, Portugal and Kuwait), and furniture that is aimed at the collector end of the market.
60/100Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi
This esteemed London design studio dates back to 1964 and is now headed up by Tino Zervudachi, Jason Roberts and Laurence Macadam. Tino also runs offices in Paris and New York. The team can turn its hand to just about anything (and probably already has).
61/100Natalia Miyar
Now with offices in London and New York, this interior and architectural design studio is working on stylish projects in Miami, London and the Big Apple. Natalia Miyar won House & Garden’s Pineapple Award for Hotel Design in 2022, for her work at The Twenty Two hotel on a corner of Grosvenor Square, W1.
Tag Worldwide62/100Nicky 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.
Tag Worldwide63/100Nicola Harding
She is known for her comfortable blending of antiques and modern pieces, but the real strength of talented interior designer Nicola Harding is her distinctive way with colour – inviting combinations abound in her impressive projects.
64/100Nina 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.
Michael Sinclair65/100Nina Litchfield Studios
There is a fantastic energy in the projects we have seen by Nina Litchfield and her team, which includes right-hand woman Blanca Pérez González, the studio’s senior architectural director. Rules about how to use colour and pattern are thrown out of the window to dramatic effect, perhaps because of the studio’s international background. Nina, who cites the American designers Billy Baldwin and Stephen Gambrel as big influences, was born in Brazil and raised in Germany, while Blanca is Spanish.
66/100Octavia Dickinson
Based in Gloucestershire, Octavia Dickinson is a multidisciplinary creative with a background in the art world. She not only designs interiors and fabrics, but also sells a mix of antiques on her website.
Kat Green67/100Olivia Outred
While traditional decorating techniques, classic furniture and antiques are a feature of Olivia Outred’s work, there is a freshness and a paredback modernity to it. She says Jacques Grange (for his effortless style) and Ilse Crawford (for her simplicity) are big influences and explains, ‘My goal is to create a dwelling that feels like a home rather than a project, and ref lects clients’ values and sense of style.’ Current projects include two Chelsea flats and a house in the Cotswolds.
68/100Paolo Moschino
Paolo Moschino heads up this international brand and design studio together with Philip Vergeylen. It has three shops selling furniture, lighting and fabrics, and takes on high-end projects all over the world.
Tag Worldwide69/100Penny Morrison
While her hugely successful fabric, wallpaper and home accessory collections have become a focus in recent years, Penny Morrison still takes on some interior design projects. In these, she shows the same knack for joyful layering of colour and pattern.
James McDonald70/100Peter Mikic
Peter Mikic’s London-based studio has an international clientele that evidently appreciates the glamorous things in life. And this is not confined to houses: the studio has also designed yachts and is now working on a private train.
Oivind Haug71/100Ptolemy Dean
A specialist in conservation work and the restoration of historic buildings, Ptolemy Dean is an authority on the work of Sir John Soane (about whom he has written two books) and is surveyor of the fabric at Westminster Abbe
Tag Worldwide72/100Rachel Chudley
Since winning the 2019 House & Garden Rising Star Award, Rachel Chudley has gained admirers – and many clients – round the world who value her original, often unconventional approach and particularly her use of colour. A creative and completely charming designer.
Tom Fallon73/100Retrouvius Design
Co-founder Maria Speake was House & Garden’s Designer of the Year in 2019. Her studio is still unrivalled in its skilful reimagining of salvaged materials to create interiors that are chic and sustainable.
Andrew Montgomery74/100Remy Renzullo
This decorator, who grew up in Connecticut, now divides his time between London and New York, and has projects on both sides of the pond. Occupying much of Remy Renzullo’s attention right now is the decoration of parts of Castle Howard in Yorkshire. ‘It will forever be a career high,’ he says. Quite different is his work in the former home of the late architect IM Pei: ‘It’s an iconic piece of modernist architecture; I love to be challenged by an interior.’ A decorating Anglophile at heart, he says Geoffrey Bennison’s interiors are among his key influences – ‘the high watermark of 20th-century decoration’.
Tag Worldwide75/100Richard Parr Associates
Self-described as a team of ‘modern traditionalists’, this architectural studio – which has offices in Gloucestershire and in London – designs new houses and updates historic ones. It is perhaps best known for its work on The Farmyard, at The Newt in Somerset.
76/100Rita Konig
This quintessentially English interior designer (and clever entrepreneur) has clients all over the world. Rita Konig’s major restoration and decoration of a Cheshire farmhouse will be featured in House & Garden later this year.
©simon upton77/100Robert 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.
78/100Rose Uniacke
It is very hard to classify this Renaissance woman, who is revered for her textural take on minimalist interiors. Rose Uniacke designs not only spaces, but also furniture, fabrics and paint. She started out in antiques, in which she remains a key player, with her gallery on Pimlico Road, SW1.
79/100Rui Ribeiro Studio
This designer creates luxelooking spaces without a hint of bling. A Portuguese native, Rui has lived and worked in London for 30 years, but he also has a studio in Comporta and his homeland continues to inform his work through the craftspeople he commissions
Simon Brown80/100Salvesen Graham
Part of a wave of designers reestablishing what the English country-house look is in the 21st century, Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham offer a version that is family friendly and goes heavy on pretty.
81/100Samantha Todhunter
Bright colours and a distinct way with pattern underlie the good-vibes interiors created by London-based Samantha Todhunter. The slightly offbeat designer has recently developed a capsule collection of furniture, too.
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82/100Sarah Vanrenen
Traditional decorating with a jolt of unusual colour and pattern combinations have been the calling card of Sarah Vanrenen in her more than two decades as an interior designer. Based in Berkshire, her studio is currently working on projects in Wiltshire, in Yorkshire and in Ireland.
83/100Seth Stein Architects
Specialising in contemporary architecture, Seth Stein’s firm has more than three decades of experience working on projects in countries across the world. Its most recent accolade is a 2022 RIBA National Award for its futuristic Creek House in Cornwall.
84/100Shalini Misra
The architectural designer works on projects worldwide. This is luxury with a capital L, infused with her twin passions: art and modern design. Last year, she launched Curio to promote artists and makers..
85/100Sibyl 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.
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86/100Sigmar
Purveyor of pared-back design with a distinctive Scandinavian accent, Sigmar is both an interior design studio (run by Ebba Thott) and a Nordic design shop (run by furniture specialist Nina Hertig).
Adam Carter87/100Sims Hilditch
The Cotswolds-based interior design studio led by Emma Sims-Hilditch has a less-ismore philosophy. This is the go-to practice for clients who are looking for a thoughtful and gentle nod towards modernity in their country house.
David Jensen88/100Stone Hollond
Josh Stone and Phoebe Hollond set up their own studio in 2020. Previously, Josh had worked for Caroline Paterson for nearly a decade and says she encouraged him to express his personality in his schemes. Phoebe worked for years under Beata Heuman, who taught her there should be no limits to bravery in creativity. Notable current projects include a modernist house in Surrey and an ‘Art Deco meets California’ penthouse in the former BBC Television Centre in west London.
Philip Durrant89/100Studio Ashby
Founder Sophie Ashby was House & Garden’s Interior Designer of the Year in 2021. Her studio is known for bright, energetic interiors in which art plays an important role.
90/100Studio Peake
Having started her career cutting her teeth working for Alidad and Todhunter Earle, Sarah Peake set up her studio in London five years ago. Now, she and her skilled team are busier than ever, designing modern, upbeat and playful interiors throughout the UK.
Tag Worldwide91/100Studio Atkinson
Celebrated for her designs for British hotels – among them Lime Wood, Beaverbrook and Babington House – Susie Atkinson excels at creating laid-back, modern interiors with decorative flourishes.
Lucas Allen92/100Suzy Hoodless
London-based designer Suzy Hoodless set up in 2000 and has since established a very well-deserved reputation for creating modern yet liveable interiors. Her current projects include a Shropshire rectory and an elegant Arts and Crafts house in Hampstead.
Dylan Thomas93/100Thomas Croft Architects
Before setting up his own practice in 1995, Thomas Croft worked for John Pawson. This gives a little insight into his modern aesthetic, which he brings to houses new and historic. He and his studio of nine fellow architects are working on projects including the renovation of an Arts and Crafts house in Hampstead and seven sets within Albany, W1. He could be regarded as the architect in residence at this iconic London building, having worked on several sets there already, including the home of Francis Sultana.
Simon Brown94/100Thurstan Design
Founded by James Thurstan Waterworth, a former design director at Soho House, this studio is known for its paredback yet craft-rich interiors, which are peppered with an appealing mix of old and new.
Ray Main95/100Todhunter 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.
96/100Turner Pocock
The studio founded by Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock has a soft-modern aesthetic and excels at creating hardworking family houses in towns and in the country. It is well known for a finish that is sharp and tailored, but never stiff.
Dean Hearne97/100Veere 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 codirector Natasha Greig, the first step to achieving this is ‘getting the f loorplan 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.
98/100VSP Interiors
This Dorset-based specialist in country-house interiors is currently working on projects including Georgian manors in Devon and Oxfordshire, a Wiltshire farmhouse, and a home in Montecito, California.
99/100Waldo Works
This hip interior design and architectural studio is based in London but has projects all around the world, including family houses in London and the Cotswolds, and the revamp of an Austrian hunting lodge.
100/100William Smalley
Less is so much more – and so very elegant – in the hands of architect William Smalley. His recent sensitive restoration of a 1958 Leslie Gooday house in south-west London offers a masterclass in restraint and materiality. UK and New York projects are now underway.
