“I think people are going to be surprised that this is a project [of mine],” designer Sophie Ashby says with a knowing smile of this London pied-à-terre project. From the moment she sat down for tea at Claridge’s with her prospective client, the designer behind Studio Ashby sensed a captivating creative challenge. “I could tell that her style is very feminine just from what she was wearing—a floral dress, exquisite leather bag, and lovely jewelry,” Ashby recalls, noting that her own interiors are often decidedly edited and restrained. The well-traveled client, who spent her formative years in France, had interviewed a short list of firms to transform her new London pied-à-terre. “Very happily, she decided to work with us,” says Ashby.
“She pushed me in the most extraordinary of ways,” Ashby confides regarding her client’s more-is-more approach. “My comfort zone is often quite simple and pared back, and it became abundantly clear that she was not interested in those words.” Before delving into the layers of colors, patterns, and decorative elements that her client passionately desired, Ashby first focused on reconfiguring the three-bedroom flat, nestled within a historic building on a street lined with stucco-fronted mansions.
“The first stage with any client is understanding who is going to live there and how we can enrich and enhance their life from a practical perspective,” she explains. Initial discussions yielded a reconfigured two-bedroom floor plan, boasting a spacious primary suite and an enchanting jewel box guest room—the perfect arrangement for a jet-setting homeowner who occasionally hosts family and friends. Ashby also addressed the apartment’s recent renovation, which had stripped away many of the residence’s heritage elements. Studio Ashby artfully reinstated period-appropriate details—including moldings, wainscoting, and reclaimed wood parquet flooring—to honor the building’s architectural pedigree.
Eager to indulge her client’s fervor for cultivating and refreshing her extensive art collection, Ashby concentrated on crafting interiors that offered a measure of flexibility. “By incorporating so much color, vibrancy, and pattern, it’s all rather interchangeable,” she says. “Every room has ten colors in it, so there’s a wealth of freedom.” The homeowner now confidently exchanges pieces at will.
Ashby also commissioned art for surfaces throughout the flat. Hand-painted kitchen tiles from Balineum showcase a mural by surface designer Anna Glover, evoking “an English wildflower garden in the style of a Japanese historic illustration.” In the dressing room, Ashby channeled a Bloomsbury Group–inspired vision, embellishing the wardrobe doors with a hand-painted Grecian garden motif by the Finished Effect. The living room’s custom cabinets from Sister by Studio Ashby are veritable artworks in their own right, each piece masterfully engineered by Little Halstock and adorned with a patchwork of deadstock fabric secured by antique brass accents.
Throughout the design process, a dynamic push-pull transpired between designer and client. For instance, when selecting the embroidered, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper in the primary bedroom, Ashby initially proposed a single accent wall, but her client ultimately opted to envelope the entire room. “That’s what’s so great about this job,” Ashby muses. “I’m challenged to use my skills and expertise to create what she wants. It’s her house. Why would I do something that isn’t what she loves?”
While the experience hasn’t transformed Ashby into a maximalist devotee, she does concede the sheer joy her team experienced throughout the journey, underscoring the import of creative exploration. “Everyone’s like, ‘We’ve got loads of new trimmings in the studio. Let’s put tassels on everything!’” she laughs. For Ashby, this collaboration stands as a shining example of the magic that can unfold when you venture beyond your comfort zone.