Interiors with a European sensibility
A love of European style and architecture inspires us every day. In particular Italian - think ancient Roman ruins and medieval palazzi as a backdrop to modern comfortable yet sleek design, a splash of antique finds from markets and fairs across the continent, against the dynamism of contemporary art and understated but atmospheric. Or Parisian Haussmann chic, with severe but beautiful bones, an enfilade through which to glide, turning the age-worn brass espagnolette handles on floor to ceiling French windows to step onto a terrace and into a scented garden…
We’re absolutely in love with French style-moderne, reinterpreting classic architectural styles with chic 1940’s pared down lines, Italian vintage lighting, with aged brass and semi-precious stones, moss covered ancient garden statuary, dramatically veined marble worn soft with thousands of cups of coffee and glasses of wine, and simple luxuries like a fire around which to gather, a welcoming kitchen that invites guests to linger, a sitting room full of deep velvet sofas into which to sink, wine in hand, at the end of a long day…
We love to contrast the architectural bones of the building with antiques or vintage pieces and contemporary art or sculpture, bringing depth and a layering of eras, that brings an instant sense of belonging. In London, this means restoring or enhancing the delicate panelling and cornicing of Georgian or Victorian properties. In modern sleek ground up builds, this normally means placing antiques and art amongst the low comfortable lines, to give depth and sensory interest to a new space In Italy, we love to bring in a mix of modern stylish furnishings, with local antique and vintage pieces, against ancient plaster, frescoed or stone walls, vaulted ceilings, stone clad porticoes, to round out the space and always keep that genius locandi, a deep sense of where the home is located, especially enriching to those who travel frequently, bringing an immediate sense of “‘home”.
We’re lovers of faded grandeur, patina and industrial metals, against soft linens, all in muted natural but sophisticated and never boring tones. Our favourite colour is one that changes throughout the day with the lighting, and you can never quite pin down. We adore sumptuous velvet against industrial hot rolled steel. Veined marble against soft frayed linens. Texture, texture and more texture. The magic is in the mix…
We have the quiet conviction that luxury isn’t loud. It’s felt in the comfortable flow of daily life, in the ease of moving through your space, in the calm it brings you at the end of the day. We’re enamoured with the fun of space planning, guiding the daily flow of a beauty of life by placement of rooms, views and furniture placement, concealing hidden storage, creating amazing vistas, and soulful spaces
Practicality made poetic. Always.
From our base in South Kensington, in the heart of London’s incredible design district, we work across the UK and Europe, and have done so for over two decades, transforming residences into layered, intelligent, much-loved homes, and developing an international network of exceptional high end residential contractors, suppliers of the extraordinary, talented craftsmen, reliable and intelligent trades and specialist finishers.
Aside from the incredible UK fairs, such as Decorex, showcasing the best of UK makers, there is nothing more enjoyable than immersing oneself in the amazing new designs in Milan at the annual Salone del Mobile every April, or admiring the beautifully curated pieces at the Maison et Objet fairs in Paris (every January and September), appreciating the industrial-luxe pieces on show at New York’s design fair, wandering around the antique markets in Arezzo, or diving right in to the Parma Antiques Fair. Browsing Provençal markets, meandering around mediaeval streets behind the Vatican to uncover an amazing bronzista, screeching to a halt in Italy at roadside marble yards on glimpsing the perfect slab… From all of this, magic is made ..
Our approach is deeply personal and exactingly tailored — no formula, no fuss. Instead we guide each project from the excitement of initial concept to the finished project. The result is a home that feels considered, grounded in its locale, and unmistakably your own.
Founded twenty years ago by former lawyer Elaine Williams, INTERIOR COUTURE blends creative vision with precise execution and the extremely high level of organisation and attention to detail that one would expect from that background
A graduate of the Inchbald School of Design and holder of an Honours Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Interior Design, Elaine changed careers to follow her lifetime passion for interior design, and now draws on 20 years of design practice — and 15 years of legal rigour before that.
Elaine divides her time between London and Italy, now speaks Italian and enjoys the contrasts between the two, sourcing suppliers and antiques, to enhance her designs.
Interior Design is her hobby as well as her profession, although she also finds time to engage in her new passion of creating ceramics in her small atelier in the olive groves of Puglia, by the sea in Southern Italy, combined with trips to Rome and Milan for design inspiration, and her love of dogs is leading to a growing but happy pack
So, whether you’re embarking on a full renovation or reimagining a single space, in London or abroad, or hunting for your perfect home in Italy and need a hand in sourcing it, and have a love of mixing antiques with modern comfort, contemporary art, and European style, if what we’ve said speaks to you, let’s talk…