Our Designer of the Year Sophie Ashby on decorating her rented Georgian house | Design Notes

Just as the pandemic hit, Sophie Ashby and her husband, the fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, moved into an early 19th-century house in Spitalfields. It was a rental–an opportunity to enjoy more space than they had in their small flat in West London, and a stop-gap before buying a house of their own. Rather than being frustrating as an interior designer–indeed, House & Garden’s current Interior Designer of the Year–and restricted by the limitations of what you can do to rental property.

‘Actually, I found it really liberating’, she says. ‘I didn’t have to worry about any of the architectural framework of the building. It had already been made beautiful so I was able to come in and fill it up with beautiful things.’


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[MrMuddy]

Had to stop the video many times to bask in all the details

[angelaberni]

Far too many people are afraid of colour. Be daring, colour brings happiness into ones lives, especially if you live in a country that's cold and dreary. All the more reason to brighten things up ! Everything about this house is utterly scrumptious !!!

[edi]

This made me so happy I could cry right now. So many emotions combined in this space. One of the most beautiful homes ever. And all the art! Wow! Wow! Wow!

[maomozart]

Now THIS is a designer.
Love absolutely ALL her house and concepts.
Thanks for this amazing piece.

[juliehock]

“A backdrop for us to live our lives”. How beautifully expressed as that is what our homes are. Everything you have collected and so beautifully positioned has made my heart sing. I like that you encompass having children living in a gorgeous house, not being too precious about “things”. There’s an Australian artist called Margaret Olley who has the same perspective as Sophie Ashby, always paintings, vases of flowers, a home made for people.

[RosangelaMorais-gn]

So nice to hear people talk so eloquently. A good level of education will always be appreciated ❤

[KeanusRandom]

I’ve watched all the house and apartment tours on YouTube from hundreds of different channels and been watching for a very long time and this is MY FAVORITE EVERRRR wowww

[NicolesNaturals]

OMG I'm obsessed with these videos. I love the soft jazzy music, the beautiful eclectic art, the feeling of the homes...everything. LOVE

[janicerivera]

Not many interiors inspire my creativity these days. But THIS! Most definitely.

[paulajf]

Wow, sometimes eclectic style gets too over-the-top, but this is not that. It's pitch perfect. It's a combination of stunningly beautiful, wildly creative and wonderfully personable. The art work is everything, with influences from other cultures, especially Africa and Black artists, and I want to live in this bathroom.

[ginafriend]

I also like the white ceiling fixture in the banana yellow sofa room. Nice touch pulling out, Billie Holiday! 🙌

[selloane]

I'm recognizing so many fellow SA artists on the walls. Gorgeous home 😍😍😍

[Monique-rnlg]

Beautiful home. I love how personal it is. She didn't decorate it to show on Instagram, she decorated it for her and her family. I love it!

[makemepaper]

The most chic! Truly fabulous. Both bold and calm at the same time. Aspirational living.

[Rasheeda]

I’m in awe over this space, how beautifully put together it is. I love that it’s so full of color and pattern and art, and yet nothing clashes, it all fits seamlessly in the space. Sophie’s personal and decor style is just 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 Loved this so much. Will watch probably 5 more times to fully absorb!

[danielintheantipodes]

Stunning house. Sometimes I think house restructuring is over-rated. At the end of all that expense and trauma, would a restructured house be any better or lovelier to live in than this one? Possibly not! Thank you for the video!

[venuskaraitiana]

Gorgeous space! I'm trying to think of ways to bring my own culture into my home (I'm Maori, from New Zealand) and this has me so inspired. Thank you for sharing with us all!

[rneustel]

I’m so blown away by everything about this home and the family that inhabits it. There’s so many treasures to be seen, no video would be long enough!

[olenabi]

I'll probably watch it another 10 times to absorb all of this home's beauty and warmth.

[EricaNernie]

Agree with the other comments: stunning, pitch-perfect, not trendy or OTT, and very personal. Love it!