12 Designers On How They Curated Their Dream Spaces
In our interiors series How I Curate My Space, KATIE BERRINGTON asks designers and tastemakers to share the stories and inspirations behind the most-loved room in their house. Here, discover the style mantras that have shaped these spaces…
Sophia Roe’s cool Copenhagen apartment
“I am a bit of a collector, which is unlike Scandi cleanness,” says Sophia Roe. “I have a lot of affection for the items in my home and always love the stories that go with them. The same rules go for my closet: I mix vintage with contemporary, and bold with fragile. I always find pleasure in looking at fabrics that complement each other and create a new story together.”
Alyssa Kapito’s New York apartment with French flair
“It’s a very fun room to be in,” is how Alyssa Kapito describes the study-come-library in the Upper East Side apartment she recently finished renovating. “The backdrop is neutral, but I love the primary colors that I used to bring it to life… I went a bit ‘French modern’ with the space – and I couldn’t love it more. It’s an incredibly comfortable room, while still being very beautiful. […] The light in the early afternoon is so romantic, so I love having a friend for tea.
“I’m most known for neutral spaces, but I do love color very much. I think people would be very surprised to know that my favorite two colors are actually red and green. […] This room was an exercise in using them in a way I like best.”
Natalia Criado’s jewel-like Italian loft
“It’s the perfect balance of nature and Milan’s energy,” designer Natalia Criado considers of her loft apartment, which is located just outside the northern Italian city famed for its fashion, design and cultural credentials. “I love the pristine aesthetic. It’s a jewel-like apartment – elegant, feminine and contemporary – while also creating an inviting atmosphere that resonates deeply with me.”
Andrea Larsson’s unique Copenhagen home
“My husband and I were instantly drawn to the funkis [a Swedish abbreviation for ‘functionalism’] style of our house when we discovered it 15 years ago. Its unique square shape and contemporary design were a perfect fit for our tastes.” The individuality of the architecture of designer Andrea Larsson’s distinctive Copenhagen home is matched by the eclectic pieces the couple has brought into it – from a turquoise Kalager chair that creates an almost illusionary impression, to the geometric, vividly colored ‘Lea Heart T-Light Holder’ (from her crystalware brand Reflections Copenhagen, which sits atop a stack of books.”
Kirthanaa Naidu’s beautiful west-London dining room
“Some of the happiest moments in my life have been in this room. I’ve hosted breakfasts, lunches and dinners for close friends and family. Birthday parties, Christmas dinners and so on,” says stylist, cook and creative consultant Kirthanaa Naidu of the dining space in her Victorian terraced home. “It’s always been a place of celebration… One side is dedicated to the dining table only, right by a big window looking out onto the garden – where you can open up the windows for a fresh breeze. The other side has a bar and soft seating area, so you can change it up completely after dinner – I often serve dessert there. It has a fire, for cozy evenings, and the mantlepiece is perfect for seasonal flowers and decorations. A room isn’t just about the aesthetics, it’s about the atmosphere it creates.”
Ulla Johnson’s Long Island living room
JJ Martin’s kaleidoscopic Milan kitchen
JJ Martin injected a vibrant “mix of styles” that make up the aesthetic of her kitchen. “It’s the perfect fusion of tastes and my creative process – one side of the room is 19th century, the other side is slick ’90s Italian modernist design and, in the middle, you have a mid-century table with Thonet chairs I bought on a vintage site and covered with La DoubleJ fabric… The mix of eras is very me.”
Laila Gohar’s party-ready New York dining room
“I love throwing parties and inviting friends, family and people I work with. It’s always very eclectic and thrown together, but in a style and with a vibe that’s very me… I love to mix in table accessories, like our Gohar World dessert stems, with glassware that I’ve collected over the years. I like the way the materials look together.” A perfect dinner-party setting for Laila Gohar is usually completed with flowers, “and sometimes, at the end of the meal, I serve fruits on ice, which I really enjoy”.
Anna Jewsbury’s converted London pub
“I always think a room shouldn’t be static. I like to move things around, try new arrangements, have the room evolve with time,” Anna Jewsbury says of the fluid, emotive approach she takes to creating a space that doesn’t feel too formal. “Rather than being heavily influenced by a particular design period or movement, I think, for me, it’s about surrounding yourself with pieces you love – whether they make sense or not, and without overthinking how it all goes together. I like to add personal, unexpected, even illogical details to a room – details that make the eyes dance around.”
Rosh Mahtani’s treasure-trove London apartment
“As I’ve lived in the flat, I’ve accumulated more sculptures, images from favorite photographers, and rare books,” Rosh Mahtani says of constantly changing her home with pieces to inspire. “I love the idea that this space is a canvas on which to paint all my life’s experiences.” She took design influences from Georgia O’Keefe’s New Mexico Ghost Ranch and Cambridge art gallery Kettle’s Yard, and wanted the aesthetic to feel in line with her brand Alighieri’s Modern Heirlooms collections: “A juxtaposition of modern lines with antique treasure.”
Martina Mondadori’s evolving Milan apartment
“I never finish a room the moment I move into a place,” says Martina Mondadori. “I think it’s by living in a space, especially a living space like a sitting room, that you actually understand how people move in it, how the light comes in during the day, where you like to sit, what you like to do. I think the most successful rooms are the ones that layer over time.”
Louise Olsen’s Australian beachside abode
A minimal framework of light, neutral palettes and simple lines “gives us the opportunity to fill it with objects,” says Louise Olsen. “The house is a bit like a gallery; the walls are white – apart from the library and TV room – so you get to see a pure sense of color because there’s nothing interrupting [it]… When I’m working on a Dinosaur Designs collection, I tend to bring the pieces home and experiment to see how they sit in a space,” she continues. “I really want the objects to have that sense of humanity, that hand-felt touch, but also [to see] how they sit on a table and how they make you feel.”