Chowwai Cheung
Fred Ingrams
Sophie Green
Day Bowman
Daisy Cook
Halima Cassell
Barbara Rae
Patrick Hughes
Bruce Mclean
Nelson Makamo
Sandra Blow
Tracey Emin
Amory Brown produce luxury but liveable spaces with a down to earth and focused approach. The duo aim to bring together all aspects of interior detailing to exude modern understated style. We catch up with Hannah, one half of the design duo, to ask her a bit about current design trends and that time a client asked her to design a whole scheme around a silk leopard print and peach coloured pillow case . Finally, Hannah matches 5 pieces of art to 5 rooms the two have designed.
What's the most important thing to know about you?
Amory Brown is a creative design studio, providing bespoke interior design services to private clients and residential developers!
How did Amory Brown come about?
Lucy and I met whilst working for a high end design company based in Chelsea. We quickly realised we had a similar eye for design and a great working synergy. We wanted the challenge and the satisfaction of setting up our own company and being in sole creative charge of our own projects so we set up four years ago and haven’t looked back.
Your style in 3 words?
Relaxed, eclectic, considered
What's the weirdest brief you've ever been given?
We have not really had any crazy briefs since we set up Amory Brown but I do remember one of my first projects when I started out where I was asked to base the whole scheme around a silk leopard print and peach coloured pillow case.
How important is art in providing a quick method of refreshing a room?
Without art on the walls a project can feel very lifeless or lacking in personality. Hanging art immediately brings another dimension to the scheme and a new focal point for the eye. Depending on the art and the questions it might pose, it can create a fresh talking point or something which you can mull over in private. Art is also a great way of introducing or bringing together the colours in the room. Stylistically it can enhance the style of the furniture and accessories chosen as well and at the very least it fills an open space on the wall which can make the room feel empty and like it is missing something.
3 trends in interior design at the moment?
American design influence is growing stronger as we move further away from beige and neutral designs and incorporate a lot more pattern, especially geometric patterns, everywhere in design schemes. This is not only found in cushions and wallpaper but also pattern is coming into carpets. It is also becoming more and more popular to mix and match all sorts of patterns and colours. Everything isn’t matching and toning, the style is bold and eclectic.
Different metal finishes are becoming more and more popular. Moving away from everything being stainless steel or chrome we are seeing a lot more bronze and brass coming into ironmongery, taps, lighting. This list goes on.
The pastels and soft tones of previous years are being overtaken by rich jewel tones such as turquoise, jade, amethyst and peacock blue on furnishing fabrics cushions, throws, lacquer furniture and tiles.
Statement piece of art or clusters of small works?
Clusters of small works
3 main influences?
David Hicks, Kelly Wearstler, Kit Kemp
What advice would you give a budding interior designer?
Organisation is key to being a good interior designer and is equally important to being creative, which sadly takes up only a small proportion of projects in reality. Clients want to feel safe in your hands, knowing that you have control of every aspect of their project and will not let it run over budget or beyond the expected completion date.
Make the effort to seek out new suppliers and tradespeople all the time. Every client needs something different so it is really helpful to not only have as much knowledge about fabrics and furnishings and where you can get them as possible but it also imperative to know the right tradesman who will do an excellent job and uphold your standards.
Make the effort to get to know your clients and build a strong relationship. Working with clients on their homes is a very personal experience and they want to feel secure that your understand what they need and can follow it through for them. Most clients want to feel that the design is an interpretation of their own taste rather than the designer’s taste alone, so you need to get to know them to get this right.
What are you currently working on?
Some of the projects we are currently working on are a full refurbishment and extension of a five bedroom Victoria terraced house in Clapham. The client wants to keep some of the existing features such as the mouldings but marry them with a paired down, relaxed Scandinavian feel with wide plank soaped, douglas fir floor boards, contemporary lighting details and a minimal German kitchen.
We are also working on, again, a full refurbishment and extension of a 1950’s house in Notting Hill. The client wants the house to have a grown up feel with enveloping fabrics and wallpapers, beautiful rugs and mid-century furniture and detailing, acknowledging the provenance of the house itself.
5 rooms 5 artworks: Curated by Amory Brown
Mews house, Paddington
St Paul's Cathedral by Edd Horder
1930's house, Richmond
Sometime I think, sometimes I am by Sara Fenelli
1930's house, Richmond
Putney Loft
Period Apartment, Kensington
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