Studio Summer Interlude

I believe that creativity can be nurtured in the quieter spaces – this year I’m gifting my team an extended Canada Day long weekend – I know we will all appreciate the gentle gift of a pause. Small, deliberate breaks offer space for reflection — a chance to breathe, to reset, and to reconnect with our loved ones and ourselves and the sources of inspiration that fuel both life and work.

Reba’s daybed — affectionately known around here as her throne — will sit empty for an extra long weekend. And just like her, we’re stepping away from our usual rhythm to recharge. These moments of stillness are, I’ve come to realise (the joy and power that comes from being older!), as necessary to creativity as the bustle of project installations or the thrill of a newly delivered custom piece.

We’ll be back in the studio on July 2nd, rested and ready for what’s ahead — with new stories to share, new homes taking shape, and the same love of thoughtful, intentional design.

The Power of Slower Living

Slower living doesn’t mean doing less — it means doing things with presence, purpose, and care. It’s about noticing what matters, and allowing space around the things we welcome into our lives.

As designers, we often talk about beauty, but beauty alone isn’t enough. True design lives in the in-between — in the daily rituals, the light that changes throughout the day, the quiet joy of a space that simply works. Slower living invites us to ask: How do I want to feel in this space? What supports me? What brings calm?

It’s something I return to again and again — not just in my work, but in my own home. Swapping out winter throws for linen ones, seeing where the light lands as the seasons shift, giving a tired room a gentle re-edit. It’s not about reinventing everything — it’s about deepening our connection to what’s already here.

Even the smallest design decision, when made thoughtfully, can shift how we move through our day. That’s where the magic lies. Not in more, but in better. In breathing room. In beauty with meaning. And in homes that don’t just look good — they feel like you.

In both design and life, I think often about how things feel. How does a room meet you when you walk into it? Does it support you, soothe you, energise you — or does it ask too much of you?

It’s the same as fashion, really. We’ve all worn something that looked beautiful on the hanger but didn’t feel quite right when we put it on. The best pieces — the ones we reach for again and again — don’t wear us. They fit, they flatter, and they quietly support how we want to move through the world.

I believe rooms should do the same. They shouldn’t shout. They should hold you. They should fit your life like your favourite summer dress — comforting, considered, and easy to move in.

That’s the essence of slower living. Not a minimalist aesthetic, necessarily, but a mindset — one where we make choices with care. Where we live with things that have meaning. Where design becomes a gentle, grounding presence in the background of a life well lived.

Even the smallest shift — a new lampshade, a rearranged shelf, a freshly edited corner — can bring more ease. And that, to me, is where true luxury lives: in the feeling that your home is holding space for you.

What I’m Shifting

Lately, I’ve been making a few quiet edits for our own home — the kind that don’t demand attention but gently improve how a room feels in my humble opinion. 

1.

For our Guest Bedroom I recently found a lovely pale pink vintage Wedgewood bone china lamp base that I am going to pair with a patterned lamp shade. 

I’m very much into patterned lamp shades – it can be sometimes a hard thing to convey to a client but once they have their first non plain white or ivory lamp shade they rarely look back! 

2.

I’m currently sourcing new curtains for our bedroom, a double layer of knitted sheers which will diffuse the strong afternoon sunlight as well as blackout lined curtains that will promise a solid nights sleep. Our bedrooms should do all that they can to promote and support our sleep and in addition to the right mattress and pillows, curtains play a huge role. 

3.

I’m also on the hunt for a vintage credenza for Dean’s den. I’ve been looking for over a year and I feel like Goldilocks – they’ve been too big, too small and I need one that is just right to house is record player, audio equipment and all that fun stuff. I know the ideal piece is out there.

These aren’t dramatic changes, but they’re meaningful ones. They allow the spaces to evolve alongside us, just as it should.

Moving Forward

As summer settles in, we have a mix of projects completing and new ones beginning. So is the ebb and flow of our world. 

Several of these projects will be getting photographed so we are looking forward to seeing these through the camera lens. I’m often so in the thick of things that I sometimes only get to properly ‘’see” the spaces we have created when we pop back for a visit or a shoot. Right up until handover, its hard to see the forest for the trees. 

Photo shoots sound all glam unless you’ve experienced one first hand, its like move in day all over again and you hope that the home is a supermodel when shot. I’ve had gorgeous spaces that simply don’t shoot well, maybe they are compact or sometimes its just that the whole room needs to be seen to give all context. Its a fine balance. Ultimately, the most important thing is how it looks and functions in real life and hopefully that translates in print! 

I look forward to connecting with you on our socials, in person or in the journal next month, thank you, as always, for reading.

Warmly, Gillian

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images all sourced from Pinterest – the enfilade lined with sheer draperies is from Gardenista, the roasted strawberry and basil ice-cream is from Adventures in Foodieland  and the swing bag and lien shift is from a Hermes campaign. Images 4 – 6 are from our projects and more of these homes can be found on our portfolio page on our website. Our images are photographed by Virginia Macdonald and styled by Me & Mo.  Image 7 of the lampshades are from Urban Electric. Image 8 is from Mark Alexander and Image 9 is a vintage credenza from 1st Dibs. 

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