5 design principles
we live by

A strong set of design principles never goes out of style. It reaches beyond the latest colour crazes and furniture fads to forge a value system, an ethical code, that guides us while we create beautiful, one-of-a-kind homes for our clients.

We begin with storytelling – spaces shaped by small batch items that bear the mark of their maker, pieces with gorgeous imperfections and surface variations that can’t be replicated:

1. Tell a story

*Provenance* used to be the buzzword in interiors. Everyone asking, ‘Where’s this chair from?” “Who made that mirror?” “I might like this rug more if it’s from somewhere I can’t point to on a map.” Today, people are in search of something deeper, more story-driven. They want *narrative*. Narrative tells them not only where something is from, but also how its place and culture feed into the design and craft techniques used to create it. Narrative talks about meaning, materiality, sustainability, form, function – all the things we strive to incorporate into our designs.

2. Appeal to the senses

Interiors can’t just look good. They must also feel, smell and sound good too. The pleasing grooves of a hand-carved marble lamp, the aromatic fragrance of a eucalyptus bedside, the hushed swoosh of a soft-close drawer – characteristics that appeal to the senses and speak of timeless craftsmanship and quality. When we’re designing and sourcing products, assembling fabrics and thinking about the textural and olfactory journey we want to take people on, we always look at how each piece will work in concert with each other to create a rich, satisfying, sensory experience.

3. Support emerging talent

As luxury interiors move from bling to beautiful, from shouty to quietly assured, wealthy property owners are eschewing traditional emblems of wealth – like flashy big brands – in favour of lesser-known talent. This talent – often young, on the fringes and on the rise – is esoteric, a best kept secret, known only to those with the inside track. We need this talent to help us craft meaningful designs. And they, in turn, need us to keep their businesses and crafts alive.

4. Put ethics in aesthetics

Tables made from reclaimed wood. Sofas padded with recycled ocean plastics. Vintage finds, like the 1930s Halabala armchair (pictured) upcycled in contemporary fabrics. Products with short supply chains. Factories with good working conditions. Craftspeople paid a real living wage. These ethical products, practices and considerations will continue to fuel the narrative of our designs.

5. Invest in quality

Fewer people are mindlessly throwing money at furniture just because it looks the part or carries the weight of a designer label. Instead, they’re picking pieces with posterity in mind – modern heirlooms that are well-crafted, often original, that can be passed on to future generations. As well as legacy, people are craving constancy in a world that’s become startlingly unpredictable. This is when we turn to our homes – lasting homes that provide a dependable and happy refuge from life’s storms and stresses. For us, this is what investing in quality interior design is all about.