Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead are an interior design duo with big aspirations to change the face of interiors and push the boundaries of how we live in our homes. Design columnists and regular contributors to national press they are #makinglivinglovely one project at a time.

“Our shared love of design was clear from the start. We met as actors and when we joined forces our lives took a different direction. We bought our first home together, postcode ending 2LG and our friends came up with a business name that stuck. Gradually, design began to take over our lives and now we live and breathe it, believing that good design can change your life.”

Photography by Megan Taylor

A.M.P. Interiors is a luxury design consultancy specialising in bespoke, elegant and timeless interiors for an international clientele. Their work includes high-end residential and commercial commissions in Europe and the Middle East, luxury yacht interiors and customised furniture design. Recent commissions include an artist’s home in downtown Athens, a private residence at the Mandarin Oriental in London and a complete renovation of a townhouse in Fulham.

Abigail Ahern’s inimitable dark and dramatic signature style has cemented her place as one of the industry’s most celebrated interior designers. After launching her eponymous brand in 2003, Ahern’s first product line followed in 2008 with an offbeat collection of ceramic dog lamps. Big name high street collaborations soon followed, as well as spots in both Selfridges and Heal’s and her own Islington flagship store, Atelier Abigail Ahern.

Her seasonal offerings encompass furniture, lighting, sculpture, accessories, textiles and exquisite faux flowers and plants which frequently feature on her hugely popular Instagram feed, where she posts styling tips and tricks from her East London home. Ahern also regularly runs a series of style masterclasses from the same house, where attendees can learn about the transformative power of earthy, tonal colours and sumptuous clashing textures.

Adjaye Associates was founded in 2000 by Sir David Adjaye OBE – an award-winning Ghanaian-British architect who infuses his synonymous practice with a dedication to community-driven projects and acute artistic sensibilities. His clever use of materials, bespoke designs and unique vision are widely recognised. So much so, he was awarded a knighthood in 2017, and listed as one of the 100 most influential people of the year in TIME magazine.

Adjaye Associates have a stellar portfolio that spans a wide range of projects, from commercial and cultural buildings to educational facilities, and even product design. Their residential projects never fail to both innovate and inspire, whether through their creative use of site, homage to a home’s history, or meticulous mix of materials. Adjaye Associates have studios in Accra, London and New York and, most recently, won the 2021 RIBA Royal Gold Medal.

@adjayeassociates

Image credits: Dirty House (1-2); Mole House by Ed Reeve (3-6); Carriage House (7-8); Hill House (9-10); Nanjing House by Ed Reeve (11-12); Nkron Private Villa (1-14); and Sunken House / Ed’s Shed by Ed Reeve (15-16).

Founded by James Alder and Thom Brisco, this London-based architecture practice works across the UK, designing spaces to live and work, as well as exhibition spaces and furniture. Alder Brisco has had its projects featured in Dezeen, Architects’ Journal and the RIBA Journal.

Their innovative ‘attic of warm wooden curiosities’ for Studio Represent was shortlisted for the Architects’ Journal’s Small Projects Award, and Alder Brisco’s four cast benches – a collaborative work at Rectory Lane Cemetery in Hertfordshire – have been shortlisted for RIBA Journal’s 2021 MacEwen Award, which celebrates ‘architecture for the common good’.

Alder Brisco was recently included in the fourth edition of New Architects – an influential series of publications that features the best British practices that have been established in the last 10 years, which work across architecture, urban design, public space and related specialisms.

Image credits: Studio Represent by Agnese Sanvito (1-4); Studio Nencini by Nick Dearden (4-6 & cover)

@alderbriscoarc

A rustic renovation of a dilapidated Cheshire garden workshop offers a beautifully contemporary and light-filled commercial workspace for the six associates of Annabelle Tugby Architects. Working around just one desk to create a level working structure, the team use the same collaborative approach across their architecture, urban design, interior and furniture design work, specialising in high-end residential projects.

With a contemporary, vernacular style, Annabelle Tugby Architects focus on textural contrast, light and acoustics alongside finely crafted, minimalist detailing for both their individual residential builds and larger multi-occupancy projects. Creating intricate card and timber models in-house, clients are able to envisage complex projects including exterior, interior and elevation detail. The firm’s principles include designing buildings that become intrinsic to their setting and respect their surroundings, as well as a design process that focuses on feeling to create joy for everyone involved.

The company was shortlisted for the 2020 Architects Journal Small Project Award and was a finalist in two categories at the Surface Design Awards 2020.

@annabelletugby

Archmongers is an award-winning architectural studio based in East London and founded by Margaret Bursa and Johan Hybschmann. The team have worked on several notable residential projects, these include creative updates within Brutalist icons the Barbican Estate and Trellick Tower, plus a modern and unexpected transformation of a Victorian townhouse. 

Known for their confident use of colour and interesting materials to achieve bold results, Archmongers offer a fully integrated interior design service that complements the overarching architectural concept​. They collaborate closely with clients and oversee every stage from design to on-site construction to completion. 

The practice’s designs are joyous to look at yet practical and built to last. They utilise hardwearing materials to create uplifting and playful spaces. Archmongers have been nominated for many prestigious awards including Don’t Move, Improve, Dezeen and AJ Small Projects.

Bauwerk Colour – champions of limewash paint – have reimagined this ancient material for the contemporary home, with an extensive palette of sophisticated shades created with natural earth pigments. Limewash has a distinctive textural effect due to the nature of lime and the brushed application process, giving variation and movement to the finished effect. The lime contains light-refracting calcite crystals which give the wall treatment a distinctive glow, and unlike most modern emulsion paints, are plastic and VOC-free, and also produced using 100% green energy. Limewash is a breathable material allowing moisture to evaporate rather than being sealed into walls which can lead to damp – the breathability makes it suitable for application onto heritage and contemporary materials and for both interior and exterior settings.

@bauwerkcolour

Broosk Saib was born in Baghdad, but moved to England with his Kurdish family when he was a teenager. He established his first showroom in 1985 after studying interior design at the American College in London. In 1993 he decided that his home demonstrated his talent for elegant and stylish interiors in a far more intimate way. Broosk is known for his immaculate presentation and sense of sophistication and has undertaken a wide range of commissions for a variety of international clients, establishing himself a reputation for unique perfection.

Led by Creative Director, Angus Buchanan, and Managing Director, Charlotte Buchanan, Buchanan Studio creates distinct, considered spaces for both the commercial and residential sectors. Angus’ extensive work history with luxury global brands combines with Charlotte’s experience in corporate partnership branding to imbue all the studio’s work with an unrivalled sense of artistry and focus. Buchanan Studio is built around three key pillars – creativity, imagination and originality – and brings authentic enthusiasm and conceptual innovation to each undertaking. In 2001, the studio stepped into the product market, with the launch of their much-admired Studio Chair. More product is in the pipeline.

@buchanan.studio

Caroline Legrand’s work is probably best described as “eclectic chic” but also embodies sophistication, glamour and an element of whimsy. She states her inspiration comes from constant research and a love of art and design, in all its shapes and expressions. Above all she sees the home as the ultimate expression of your true self. So it’s easy to see why we love her work.

Born in Belgium, Caroline left at 17 to study in the US and moved to the Netherlands after graduating. Fluent in six languages, Caroline has travelled extensively giving her designs a global perspective and giving her an appreciation of international art and architecture. Caroline works internationally and is based between London and LA.

Photography by: Michael Paul / Matthew Williams / Kate Martin

The husband and wife duo behind Chan and Eayrs – Zoe and Merlin – began working together after meeting as architecture students. The award-winning team’s much-celebrated interiors are distinctive both aesthetically and conceptually. Instead of designing around a client brief, Chan and Eayrs create each home from scratch with a holistic and unique approach. They live on-site throughout the project to get a feel for the space, architecture and light before they begin crafting and designing.

With total creative freedom, the pair take on the role of investor, developer, architect and interior designer, thoughtfully creating a home they love over a period of at least two years. To fully dedicate themselves to each project, they consciously work on only one project at a time. After the completion and sale of a home, the lengthy explorative design process begins again in a new setting.

Of the exceptional homes that Chan and Eayrs have already completed, The Beldi – a factory conversion in Shoreditch – might be the best-known and most publicised, with its striking green interiors and Moroccan influence.

Borne from a love of nature and belief in the importance of sustainable building practices, Clayworks founders, Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce, travelled extensively to learn about the traditional techniques of using clay as a building material. They were already running a small company in Cornwall specialising in cob wood, stone, clay and lime, but their continued research built on this foundation, developing a particular fascination with the aesthetic qualities of clay as a finish for interior surfaces. Through centuries old knowledge learned from master plasterers around the world, experimentation and science, the pair focused on creating easy to use, ready mix clay plaster finishes. Clayworks now offer a variety of finishes from the polished concrete effect to Arakabe, the Japanese tradition of using straw in clay. On offer are 88 naturally pigmented shades, and all clay plaster finishes are made from 100% natural materials, are low carbon, compostable and non-toxic. Continual learning will always be central to the company’s philosophy, as will its vision to use building mediums that are both beneficial for the environment and the user.

@clayworksclayplasters

Images credits: Nicholas Worley (1-5); Rachel Boston (6); Nicholas Worley (7); Matt Austin (8); Edmund Sumner (9); Clayworks (10); Matt Austin (11); Clayworks (12)

Interior architecture and design company, Compass and Rose, operate from their studio in Clapham, south west London. They offer the full range of interior design services, from complete concept design for large projects down to lighting design and individual pieces of bespoke furniture.

Côte de Folk interior design consultancy was founded in 2016 by former fashion stylist and art director, Sophie Rowell. Based in Kent but working throughout the UK, Côte de Folk offers a range of services from one-off consultations on topics such as colour schemes, furniture sourcing and home staging to full-scale refurbishments and interior design on large residential projects.

The consultancy embraces the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi; finding beauty in the imperfect. They work with clients to celebrate the unique character of a space and their ‘perfectly imperfect’ approach allows room for design to evolve and change over time. With a focus on reducing waste, Côte de Folk repurpose and reuse salvaged items, vintage textiles and antique furniture throughout their projects.

De Rosee Sa is an award-winning architecture and interior design studio based in London, Lisbon and Brussels. Founders Max de Rosee and Claire Sa guide an experienced team, fostering an holistic approach as the foundation to all the projects they undertake. The studio is defined by their strong sense of materiality and detailing, which steers them away from a ‘one size fits all’ signature aesthetic and allows them to maximise the potential of each project in turn.

De Rosee Sa’s imaginative design schemes span the residential, retail and community sectors. Their work across a broad range of projects means they have significant experience working with local planning departments and building contractors, as well as a thorough understanding of working with listed buildings and within conservation areas. They were recently listed as one of House & Garden Top 100 Interior Designers 2021 and featured on Homes & Gardens ‘The Hundred List’ 2019.

@deroseesa

DEDRAFT are an architectural and interiors studio based Hackney, East London. We approach each project with a vision for imaginative yet functional design. Our strong focus is not only to design – but to build, bringing projects to fruition to address issues of the everyday, at every scale. Driven by our clients’ vision and aspirations to be deeply involved, we take a more collaborative approach to that of many architects. This collaborative partnership uniquely shapes every project delivering spaces that are not only humane, functional, and tactile but also deeply connected to their context and purpose.

Our aim is to produce simple, well-crafted spaces, rich in character, responsive and timeless in which clients can enjoy both the broader and intimate experience appreciating the route taken and choices made to achieve their aspirations.

One of the foremost features of the studio is our desire to build up a close client-architect relationship allowing us to translate and respond architecturally to every aspect of the brief.

We have no defined ‘house style’ but rather seek to create a lasting, holistic design encompassing key aspects of the brief  – we do not do trends! With issues of the climate foremost in our thinking we design robust, sustainable, low-carbon architecture, We offer the full range of architectural services, project management and site supervision. This is highly dependent on the nature of the project, scale and budget however our service can be tailored to the unique needs of the project from feasibility to completion.

Our approach involves collaborations with other designers and consultants which we feel provide an enriched and stimulating design process as well as creating those timeless and responsive pieces of architecture. DEDRAFT have experience in many sectors including residential, both new-build and refurbishment, social housing, interiors, retail, wellness, commercial fit-out, and landscape/ garden design.

Over the past decade we have streamlined our process from design to handover to be able to deliver built projects ranging from £50k up to £8M.

@dedraftlondon

DESIGN & THAT was founded in 2016 by interior architect Emma Shone-Sanders. This creative and contemporary studio brings together Emma’s appreciation for well-crafted furnishings and considered materiality to bring about unique and modern spaces that retain a warm and relaxed ambience. Collaboration with clients is elemental for this small and amiable studio, be them residential or commercial. DESIGN & THAT also offer an acutely curated selection of furniture, lighting and accessories through their online store. The pieces presented here all reflect Emma’s passion for well-crafted pieces and intuitive use of material.

@designandthat

Image credits: Victoria Park I (1-2); Lion House (3-6); Kensington I (7-10); Cleland House (11-12) by Leo Davut.

Founded in 1989 by Loughborough University design graduates, Philip DeVries and Paul O’Leary, deVOL has grown to become a renowned design-led manufacturer of bespoke kitchens, interiors and bathrooms. The headquarters at Cotes Mill, a 16^th century water mill in Leicestershire, is where every piece is designed and made, with woodworkers, ceramicists and metalworkers all based at the historic site. Known for the quality of their craftsmanship, impeccable design and compelling imagery, deVOL are a benchmark of British kitchen design. With two London showrooms – St John’s Square and Tysoe Street – and their first US showroom on Bond Street, Manhattan opening in 2019, the deVOL brand is developing far beyond kitchens to become a fully-fledged design house.

@devolkitchens

@devolceramics

@devolmetalstudio

Design Haus Liberty was founded in 2013 but Dara Huang, who brought together a team of highly experienced architects and designers, and gave them the freedom to create without limitation. The outcome is a showcase of imagination and innovation, from some of the world’s brightest design minds. With a base in London and a satellite office in Hong Kong, DH Liberty have completed residential, commercial and civic projects all over the world; from lighting installations for Cartier and contemporary office towers in China, to serene lakeside villas in Italy and penthouse apartments in London. DH Liberty deftly combines collaboration, communication and creativity throughout each project, producing outcomes that are as practical as they are aesthetic.

@dhliberty