At Home With Simone Suss

HIGHLIGHT

Founded by Simone in 2010, the eponymous Studio Suss is an interior design studio with a clear and simple ethos: to create spaces that are relevant, contemporary and elegant.
You only need step inside the designer ‘s own home – a Georgian style six-bed in Hampstead Garden Suburb – to get the gist. Simone has lived here for five years and shares her four walls with her husband, three children and the family dog.

“When I first saw the property, there was already an existing house, but I focused on the plot itself’ she reveals . “What drew me to the land was that it offered space for a basement with natural light, so we demolished the existing property and rebuilt it from scratch.” Not one part of the original house’s structure was left intact by the time they ‘d finished. A bold move, you could say, but stepping inside the new family home it becomes clear

Simone’s no stranger to bold: bright contemporary furnishings sit unapologetically with the property’s period scale and grandeur. It’s a playful, pop art aesthetic that above all, exudes fun.”We incorporated traditional architectural features with modern details and styling, which has become my signature style”

Simone enthuses. “I love architectural features and character, but contemporary features can work too. I don’t think there’s any reason to distinguish between the two. It’s nice to marry them – there’s no need to decorate a Victorian property entirely in the Victorian Style.”

Simone’s bathroom is an elegant affair that oozes modern glamour. I discover its design was quite the labour of love, and one that speaks volumes about the designer’s keen attention to
detail: I really loved using book matched marble in the bathroom. I went to hundreds of marble yards whilst heavily pregnant with my third child looking for the perfect book matched marble for my home . It’s a bit of an obsession for me – I love natural textiles!”

An, too is an obsession, and the walls are adorned with fascinating contemporary works. But for Simone, the lines between art and furniture are blurred – her pink Yves Klein coffee Lab le being a very striking case in point.

“I am passionate about art and I have my favourite artists I love to work with. It’s always important to add an interesting pop of colour and texture . I love Lhe Livia Marin mural in the kitchen and the Charlie Billingham in the hallway. My other favourite pieces include the Prem Sahib basketball, the bespoke Kasper Sonne piece that was created for my daughter, as well as his burn painting in the dining room.”

I wonder who Simone’s furniture favourites are when it comes to putting a look together, either professionally, or in her own home. “Stuart Scott is a big favourite” she tells me. I work with him a Jot. He makes a lot of furniture pieces for my clients and I like his take on classic-contemporary.” She reels off the names of a few design classics, too: “The Knoll Saarinen marble tulip table is a great table. And I keep returning to Anglepoise lights.”

With the exception of a boutique hotel on the south coast, Simone’s current projects are keeping her firmly in London. Studio Suss is to deliver an intriguing sightseeing concept on Park Lane as well as a spa and swimming pool concept – a basement with an entire refurbishment – in Muswell Hill. But for the interior designer, there really is no place like home: “I love
walking the dog and the exploring the local area with the kids.

Kenwood, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead and Primrose Hill are all favourites of ours. I love spending time in the area itself, as well as its proximity to central London for running between projects. I studied in Manchester and Massachusetts before returning to live in North London, which has always been my home. London’s wealth of culture always provides me with inspiration for my designs.”