As a vivacious kaleidoscope of cultures, the United Kingdom has raised many artists, each boasting an utterly unique creative arsenal. The country is indeed armed with a dynamic aesthetic landscape. As such, if you’re looking to spruce up your interiors, the United Kingdom certainly has immense design promise. Panache, luxury, and refinement personified, here are the top ten UK interior designers.
1. Natalia Miyar
An alum of Brown University, internationally renowned Natalia Miyar has achieved the perfect balance of glamour and comfort.
Natalia Miyar’s penchant for art nurtured a unique eye for style and an affinity for architecture and interior design. She blends her technical understanding of space, construction methodology, and textures with her creative instinct and love of nature. Her deeply personal connections with clients and unmatched elegance have catapulted her to celebrity status, with her work being featured in Architectural Digest, FT’s How to Spend It Magazine, House & Garden, Christie’s Interiors, and Harper’s Bazaar.
Her signature style is a contemporary vibe with contrasting colours, drawing on the natural environment of the site. With respect to the importance of contextual design, she said, “I wouldn’t recommend a velvet sofa on a beachfront home in Miami, for example – it feels counterintuitive.”.
Her portfolio includes luxury homes and hotels in the United Kingdom and Miami. From rustic villas to modern penthouses and tropical-themed apartments, Miyar’s boutique possesses an eclectic palette.
2. Christian Bense
London-based Christian Bense has been critically acclaimed for effortlessly blending old-world refinement with modern dynamism.
With an academic background in interior design and a menteeship under London’s formidable designers and architects, Bense has developed a seasoned interior design flair. By merging his South African roots with the regal traditionalism of United Kingdom interiors, he certainly possesses a unique aesthetic. His stylistic principle is: “Creating liveable spaces which centre around thoughtfulness and combine a strong aesthetic with practical living; the studio’s style reflects a cross-pollination of contemporary and traditional.”
His portfolio encompasses upscale residences and commercial boutiques – one of his residential projects was adjudged the “Best Living Space in the UK.".
3. Maurizio Pellizzoni
London-based Maurizio Pellizzoni is famous for bringing his Italian elan to the United Kingdom’s interior design space. His award-winning work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, AD Italia, AD Style, and Times Magazine.
Raised near Lake Como, Pellizzoni always had an eye for style. Having refined his creative instincts at Ralph Lauren Home, he started his own consultancy in 2007. Besides suffusing spaces with his Italian roots, Pellizzoni’s work stands out in his strong client relationships. His ethos has certainly stood the test of time: “To understand and interpret (the client’s) lifestyle, tastes, and styles.”. He is deeply involved in all projects and curates a bespoke team for each client based on their needs.
Period properties, country mansions, modern townhouses, and new buildings throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and the USA comprise his portfolio. One of his most notable projects is a £3.95 million penthouse in Mayfair.
4. Joanna Wood
With four decades of experience in her field Wood is certainly equipped with unrivalled design expertise. She is a fellow of the British Institute of Interior Designers and the Royal Institute of British Architects. She has been the recipient of the BIID Award of Merit for 2021, their highest accolade.
Besides her globally acclaimed design practice, she has established fabric and lighting companies. Wood’s aesthetic may be described as traditional, with understated glamour. Having worked extensively with period buildings, she is skilled in restoration, a process she describes as “carefully picking it apart and putting it back together again.”.
Based in Belgravia, Wood’s clientele comprises high-net-worth individuals, private developers, and public institutions – her work includes projects in prestigious postcodes such as St. James’, Chelsea, Kensington, and Knightsbridge, in addition to projects in Switzerland, Los Angeles, and New York.
5. Peter Mikic
London-based Australian designer Peter Mikic is renowned in the design space for his detail-oriented work, profound love of antiques and his very own line of luxury furniture.
Mentored by London’s foremost fashion designers and interior decorators, Mikic has imbibed a versatile sense of style. His signature approach is defined by maximalism, playfulness, and elegance, with a keen focus on the miniscule details.
Mikic’s portfolio of work includes high-end residences, private jets, yachts, luxury gyms, and commercial restaurants. He has been featured in the AD Collector Top 100, the House and Garden Top 100, and Elle Decoration.
6. Helen Green
With over twenty years of design experience, Helen Green has risen to prominence in Britain for perfecting timeless elegance.
A vocal champion of British design, Helen Green’s methodology is guided by aspirations of “luxurious, yet liveable, residences.”. From conception to resolution, sustainably-tailored design strategies are employed.
Helen Green’s work encompasses luxury residences and commercial properties throughout London and the surrounding countryside. One of the design house’s most noteworthy projects is the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge.
7. Angella Bligh
Angella Bligh’s luxury design prowess is peppered with a global perspective owing to her extensive travels as well as her meticulous personalisation.
Experienced as a corporate executive and mentored by leading London design houses, Bligh brings a multifaceted skill set to her clients. Bligh’s design sense has been described as “cosmopolitan elegance,” evoked by “sophisticated, muted, and alluring materials along with the interplay of textures, lighting, and furnishings.” Her professional mantra is defined by focused attention and unwavering dedication to a client’s vision. Bligh’s projects primarily include upscale residences throughout London.
8. René Dekker
René Dekker is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning interior designer with a 30-year-old practice. The Netherlands-born Dekker is known for his unabashed lavishness and maximalism – his atelier’s philosophy is “that the client should have fun.” Interior design is treated like the once-in-a-lifetime grandiose affair that it truly is. He has several awards in his kitty, including “the best bathroom category” at the KBBR Review, a Harper award for the “best new restaurant,” and the Daily Mail Property Award for “the best property over £100k.”. He was also featured in the Top 100 Designers You Should Follow list. His roster of projects includes furniture designs, restaurants, and exclusive residences. Dekker’s expertise is particularly exemplified at the African restaurant Akoko, located in Westminster.
9. Shalini Misra
Shalini Misra is a renowned interior designer and property developer, with offices in New York, London, Delhi, and Dubai. Columbia University-bred Misra is a committee member of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) and serves on the advisory board at KLC School of Design. A distinguished professional in the realm of design, she is also a trustee of the Vahani Scholarship Trust, a UK charity.
Misra’s hallmark style is defined by merging traditional elegance with spirited modernism and creating spaces that promote holistic physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. She also has a penchant for integrating bespoke handcrafted pieces into spaces – her sister company, Curio, presents a collection of handicrafts and artwork from different parts of the world, underscoring her unique creative vision.
Her miscellany of projects includes luxury residences and high-end commercial properties throughout the United Kingdom, India, Dubai, and New York. Some of her notable works include the Chakra Restaurant in Kensington and the Decorex Champagne Bar in Richmond.
10. Sophie Paterson
Kicking off her career in 2008, Sophie Paterson combined her remarkable design prowess and experience in luxury property development to create one of the United Kingdom’s most exclusive interior design practices.
Paterson has curated a multidisciplinary team of architects, project coordinators, and designers in order to offer extremely friendly and approachable service, to gauge a client’s style. Besides creating exquisite spaces, Paterson focuses on crafting practical, optimised milieus that absolutely reflect a client’s persona. She takes pride in cultivating long-standing, intimate relationships with clients to deliver a perfect project – as such, her practice takes on only a handful of projects every year, making Sophie Paterson Interiors one of the country's most coveted design ateliers.
Paterson’s compendium of works includes luxury residences in Mayfair, Marylebone, Chelsea, Kensington, and Surrey. Boasting a global reach, she also has a significant project in Portugal. Among her many accomplishments, she was listed on LuxDeco’s highly anticipated annual “Top 100 Interior Designers to Know” list in 2022.
The United Kingdom is a land of pioneering artists with impressive credentials, countless accolades, and unhindered aspirations of startling beauty. Tasteful luxury shines through in the country’s upscale properties, epitomising its designers’ splendid creative armour. It’s time to elevate your interiors with the nation's top interior design maestros.
