Interior Designer

For interior designer Georgie Stogdon, creating a space is less about decoration and more about the composition. The secret is a careful balance of material, proportion and quiet character bringing together antiques, found objects and considered design to create interiors that feel layered, lived-in and deeply personal.

With a background shaped by a lifelong immersion in antiques, her approach feels instinctive yet deeply informed. Growing up surrounded by objects with history, and later honing her eye alongside leading designers like Rose Uniacke and Steven Rodel, she has developed a practice that is both intuitive and rigorous.

In this conversation, she reflects on the role of instinct in her work, the importance of materiality and patina, and the objects that shape the spaces we inhabit.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started in interiors?

The interest has always been there. My mum used to dabble buying and selling antiques when I was younger so we were always in and out of auction houses and our 17th C  cottage was always (and still is) full to the brim with interesting furniture that’s always being moved around. 

I didn’t train formally, nor did I go straight into interiors after university. I worked in the charity sector, which I loved but I found myself really wanting to be in a more creative space. My mum eventually became so exasperated with my daily phone calls of complaint that she started googling jobs for me and came across a role assisting Rose Uniacke. I was her PA for three years before moving to a studio led by Steven Rodel (now creative director of Guy Goodfellow)

My first solo project came via an Instagram message from client in New York who’d seen photos of my flat on TAT London's website and got in touch wanting to bring a touch of ‘English sensibility’ to her apartment so I shipped over a container of antiques and it all started from there!

How has your early exposure to antiques shaped your eye and decision-making today?

I think it’s now quite instinctive and it has made me very aware of materiality and how things are made.

It’s also given me a feel for how furniture from different periods can sit together naturally - there is always a level of consideration in how they relate to one another - but it’s about understanding proportion, tone and material so that pieces from completely different eras can complement each other without feeling forced. 

I try to layer carefully and with restraint so everything feels natural yet lived in - with  personality!

Where do you go for inspiration?

I’m not sure I consciously seek it out. I think it’s more about being open to it day-to-day. I find myself scanning spaces all the time, noticing materials, finishes and how things are put together - from the way surfaces are treated to the small details and junctions.

And it can be anywhere - from really ordinary municipal spaces, waiting for the tube and admiring the tiling, through to national trust houses and museums. I think that once you start noticing those things then it becomes second nature.

When I’m at concept stage of a project, I am always scanning AD pro, old WOI’s and design books I’ve got for peanuts from World of Books or Ebay.

What are your favourite tips to create a space that is both calm and deeply characterful?

A calm palette is a good starting point but character comes from what you are layering into it - objects that have meaning to you are so important as are age or a sense of story.

Warmth and patina from timbers and furniture that can be really simple but has a delicacy and form. 

Comfort is also hugely important. If a space feels physically comfortable - deep, generous upholstery and soft textures make it naturally feel calmer. It’s about creating somewhere you genuinely want to spend time rather than just pass through.

What makes an object feel ‘right’ to you, whether for a project or for your business?

Craftsmanship is important, but it’s also quite instinctive. I think something either resonates or it doesn’t. I’m drawn to pieces with a bit of personality - not necessarily perfect but interesting or slightly unexpected.

There’s often a sentimental element too. My mum and I have always had a running joke about seahorses and on a recent trip to Paul Bert in Paris I found a really imposing 1970s seahorse sculpture. It’s objectively NOT the most beautiful thing, but I knew immediately I had to have it and it reminds me of being there with her which makes it invaluable.

If your style was represented by an artwork, which one would it be?

I have always been drawn to work by William Nichoslon - his alphabet woodcuts work in every setting and they’re so fun. But the ‘vale of health, Hampstead’ which is an oil that was recently on show at Pallant House is probably my favourite of his work. There's such a beautiful stillness to it and as I am a north londonder I love it even more because of that. 

What’s one object you own that you would never part with?

A pair of paintings of horses backed on silk that I found in a charity shop in Pimlico for £4. I’ve always loved horses but mostly I think I'm just pretty smug at finding such a bargain!

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georgiestogdon.com | @georgie.stogdon