In our latest instalment of Curated By, we sit with Sarah Peake, founder of London-based design studio Studio Peake.
Founded in 2019, Studio Peake specialises in innovative and highly tailored interiors for private residential and boutique commercial projects. Sarah’s overriding aesthetic is the interweaving of tradition and imagination; her motto for making a house a home is ensuring the interiors absorb and reflect the personality of its residents. Bringing spaces to life with a playful blending of opposites and an interplay between old and new, Sarah adds a dash of unexpected colour or detailing for that element of surprise.
We chat to Sarah about her inspirations, how travel influences her design, and her favourite places to source interiors.
Now that I look back, it’s become increasingly clear to me that my interest in design is pretty deep-rooted – we moved house a lot while growing up because of my father’s job; quite often my mother would have just finished doing up one place before it was time to move on to the next! I was always surrounded by things like curtain fabric samples and floor plans. I’ve long been obsessed with fabric – I’m a trained pattern cutter – and at my first job, working with Alidad, one of my main responsibilities was to look after his vast fabric library. This obsession runs through my approach to design – it’s all about fabrics and materials, and how the texture of a room brings the design to life. After a few wonderful years post-Alidad at Todhunter Earle, I wanted my own studio where I could pursue my own aesthetic and approach to design. The Workshop – unique pieces for the home – was a natural next step; I was working with amazing craftspeople to design beautiful bespoke pieces for projects, and I knew there could be a broader life for them. It’s been an entirely organic process.
Who or what is one of your biggest design inspirations?
This is an impossible question! There are so many… I am definitely drawn to Georgian architecture – meandering through London streets in Canonbury or Bloomsbury is always an inspiring lesson in proportion for me. I also love the pattern designs of Charles Voysey and I find the career of William Morris astounding – I have had to get to know both very well while working on arts and crafts houses recently. I also love 20th century Nordic design and am a huge fan of furniture, lighting and textiles from the greats including Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, Paavo Tynell, Josef Frank and Marta Maas Fjetterstrom. I draw inspiration from everywhere except Instagram! It’s so important to get out and about.
What is your design philosophy?
My design philosophy is pretty simple: don’t be boring. I like to use an interplay of colour, texture and pattern to create inventive interiors that lift the spirit and draw the eye. But ultimately clients lie at the heart – I don’t think it’s right to impose an aesthetic or style on projects. I want to design a home that embodies and reflects the personality and taste of the people who live there. We take great care to try and understand how they will live in the space – we don’t prioritise form over function; the two are equally important.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
I don’t have a fixed aesthetic but there are certain ways I approach design. For me, it’s all about the interplay between tradition and the more imaginative or playful elements. Tactility is central. I love to layer patterns and materials to create definition and depth, drawing you into the room. I use textiles, wood, metal, ceramic, stone and other materials to evoke a mood that I want people to feel when they’re in a particular room. Flow is also very important to me so I am always thinking about how it feels as you walk through one room to the next.
Some of your favourite projects to date?
We have worked on so many wonderful projects over the years and I love them all. One that is particularly close to my heart is a tiny Georgian cottage in Vauxhall which was my first official project. It was a very small house and the budget was to match, but the client gave me a huge amount of creative freedom and I was able to really stretch my legs as a designer.
How does travelling influence your designs and tastes? Any particular destination that inspires you from a design perspective?
I think travelling is so important to take you out of your design comfort zone – every place has its own particular mishmash of stories and styles. I often find myself pottering around, just taking it all in. It takes me hours to get anywhere – much to the despair of whoever I’m with – as I’m forever stopping to take a photo of an interesting lantern, doorbell or architrave. I was in Venice recently and spent most of the holiday looking down at the patterned stone floors. Every turn of a corner can spark a new idea.
Which hotels do exquisite interior design?
To me, Heckfield Place is perfect in every possible way. I love the emphasis on natural materials. They use lots of brass, wood and leather alongside cooler tones and stones which creates such a lovely calm environment. The upholstery is also extremely comfortable, you feel like you must immediately curl up and recharge. There is nothing more dispiriting than a hotel with uncomfortable furniture. I was also very impressed with the attention to detail, like the little leather pouches for a number of different teaspoons in the minibar. Great design is all in the detail.
Some of your favourite places to source interiors…
To name a few…. Vanderhurd for rugs, fabrics and cushions. Naomi Paul for pendant lights, Max Rollitt for antiques, Balineum for tiles, Trunk for timber floors, Cassina for something contemporary, and Willer for beautiful tableware.
What pieces will bring a touch of Studio Peake into your home?
What one piece of advice do you give to your clients?
If you love everything for what it is in its own right, and not just because it works in a scheme or fits in a space, then you can’t go wrong.
What exciting projects do you have coming up?
They are all exciting! Close to home, we are working on a wonderful arts and crafts project in Surrey and a farmhouse in North Berwick – I also have a lot of projects abroad at the moment, in Stockholm, Geneva and Boston. They’re all so different and all for such lovely clients.
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Any Questions or Tips to add?