Design Philosophy
Timeless and Effortless Interiors
Creating timeless and effortless interiors form the basis of our design work, with a fundamental belief that all interiors should not appear to have been ‘built in a day’, and instead tell their own story and include a hybrid of styles and cultures. Josh believes any interior should equally feel considered, however not appear to be over designed and instead instil an essence of intrigue and curiosity, appreciating new details and design elements when you enter a space, time and time again.
Authenticity & Quality Craftmanship
Travelling and experiencing a variety of cultures and styles has defined Josh’s design language and continues to mould his interiors, forming an authenticity in design schemes. He has spent a great amount of time seeking out the root source of products, finishes and design styles throughout Europe, North Africa, India, SE Asia and Central America, ensuring all of the studio’s interiors use a palette of sustainable and ‘real’ materials throughout, and by doing so, follows what he feels is the wisest piece of advice ever received “if you can’t do something authentically and to the best standard, don’t do it at all”. Josh follows this guidance for all design schemes, and has developed an extensive network of boutique workshops, co-operatives, small fabric houses and makers to help fulfil this vision for all clients.
Influences & Design Style
Josh credits his mum, Mary as the inspiration in creating layered and cultured interiors. A childhood spent scouring flea markets, car boot sales and auction houses in South Durham for treasures, surrounded by the antique stores in the small towns and antiques dealer hubs of Barnard Castle and Leyburn. Weekends taking in every detail of National Trust properties and hunting through boxes of antique objects, books and photography, unopened for decades, in their farm’s old Victorian barn instilled a love for all things antique and design, and to this day forms a fundamental part of Josh’s interiors.
In contrast to traditional English decorating and antiques, Josh is heavily influenced by European Modernism, and regards the father of modern Italian design Gio Ponti as a constant source of inspiration for design projects, his innate ability to reimagine traditional Italian Renaissance styles as lightweight, beautiful pieces of furniture or architectural detailing, beautifully re-inventing classical Italian design for the modernist movement with clean lines, a playful touch and creating a sense of joy in an interior, remains an underlying thread, influencing all of our designs.
The coming together of these varying styles within our design work; balancing Modernism, Traditional English design values, antique sourcing and authentic natural materials, form the basis of the Studio’s design narrative, which we feel create an unparalleled and individual approach to interior design.
