INTRO BY NICKY SUMMER: For the past 25 years I’ve been designing private residences around the world for contacts I know socially and through business, private clients of top realtors and friends who are in property – either as developers or consultants. The top end of the interiors world is full of interesting and highly talented individuals – from the designers themselves through to their suppliers. Often, major industry events bring the interior designers together and there’s a sense of pride in knowing one another and being both inspired and intrigued by what each is producing, and where. It may be a vaguely competitive world, however there’s so much new business in so many different areas and in different spheres that it’s rare that one designer conflicts with another, hence our willingness to showcase their work here in this online magazine. It’s the same in the world of event design – there’s a feeling of mutual collaboration and support – which brings me to Studio Clementine. I first became aware of their work when I visited Bonadea boutique in Pimlico Road where the finish of the interior decor is the the perfect backdrop to the luxury home accessories on display. Here’s the perfect insight to the Studio Clementine brand delivered by the founder herself, the lovely Georgina Wood:
The DNA of a project is made up of many factors: No. 1 is the client, then the location; the location informs the lifestyle, which in turn informs the design…”
Georgina Wood, Studio Clementine
GW: “Hello, I’m Georgina Wood and I’m the founder of Studio Clementine, an interior design practice that I set up in 2020. You might think that setting up a business just as the first Covid lockdown was in full swing in the UK was fairly crazy, however I’ve always thought that if my baby business could survive christening by Zoom, it would flourish once normal life resumed. Apart from that, I think that it’s people, not projects, that are usually the main challenge, especially when you run a small consultancy delivering the highest quality projects. Every person in your team matters, not just their skills and experience, but their character too. Still, that’s normal and I can’t say I’ve encountered any major challenges beyond the expected…”
The latest design trends don’t influence my thinking a great deal, however, since I’ve always celebrated colour and luxurious layered detailing in design, I’m very happy that Viva Magenta is Pantone’s Colour of the Year (above) and that there’s a return to what might be called ‘maximalism’ in design…”
Georgina Wood, Studio Clementine
GW: “We design private residences, exclusive retail boutiques and hotels, spas and restaurants. I got into design because, as a teenager, I went to a performing arts school in London – that may have been the influence of my mother, who was a professional dancer, coming out in me. However, increasingly my interest swung in the direction of art and interior design – that was my father’s influence. He was a skilled carpenter and builder owning his own joinery workshop. In the end, I studied a degree in Interior Design with the idea of becoming a set designer for film or theatre, but my first job after graduating was for a studio designing F&B projects and my career took its course from there. I gained my experience in design by always demonstrating tons of enthusiasm, being prepared to travel a lot and by burning the midnight oil. There’s no halfway house when you’re a young designer – you have to be prepared to let work dominate your life – my three key learnings, which I still practice today are: Listen, research and practice. So far, Studio Clementine’s work has all been in London or the surrounding countryside, however I’d be more than happy to mix this up with high quality projects abroad…”
I work from a beautiful studio in Belgravia. It was designed by the architects who own the space so it’s full of light, very social and looks over a buzzy courtyard that we share with several restaurants and galleries…”
Georgina Wood, Studio Clementine
“I believe the essence of good design is commitment to originality, superb craftmanship and interiors that are truly designed for the people who will occupy them. This means design that transcends the latest style trends and instead achieves longevity which is ever more important to our planet. I also believe that good design is usually a reflection of a good relationship between designer and client and all the other members of the project team. I would add that great design elevates the experience of the user, either subconsciously or consciously, whether that’s the promise of an exceptional stay to come when you step into a hotel lobby, the backdrop for a delicious meal out, or the joy someone feels in sharing their home with friends”.
Our typical client is a successful person, well-travelled and with informed tastes; they value the quality of timelessness in their interiors which means seamlessly combining past, present and future and always creating something that’s original…”
Georgina Wood, Studio Clementine
GW: “My most prestigious project to date is the Cambridge House Hotel where I’m currently designing the residences. The project is very much in the public eye due to its exceptional heritage as the old In & Out Club on Piccadilly, which has sat empty for so many years. Now, the vision for this architecturally unique Grade l listed building is to extend and re-design it, to create one of grandest hotels in London…”
The Studio Clementine style is simple, it is about harmonious colour, attention to detail and a love of design, history, and people – I adapt to each project; no one style or brief fits all, otherwise the interior is textbook and too commercially contrived. Each project, client and location needs to be studied before a DNA for the interior can be created…”
Georgina Wood, Studio Clementine
CONTACT: http://www.studioclementine.co.uk
