House style: Tatjana von Stein 

Founded in 2016, Tatjana von Stein’s London design studio creates intuitive interiors for its clients. Her work has included high-end residential projects, restaurants, members’ clubs and hotels in London, New York, Paris and Zurich. A subtle nod to the past is a common thread throughout her designs. In 2023, von Stein launched her first furniture collection, Mise en Scène, produced with a group of French artisans. 

Where do you live?
I live between Belsize Park and Hampstead Heath in London, in a collection of eight cottage studios known in the modernist era as a “nest of gentle artists”. It’s a place that’s close to my heart, because Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore and many other artists worked there. It doesn’t feel like London.

What’s the style of your home?
It’s an open studio space with a separate bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, and a four-metre-high window. There’s an original brick fireplace and the mezzanine has been transformed into another room. Previously it was where the sculptors would look down at their work. I’m renting the space, and that’s a big challenge – as a designer, it’s hard not to rip everything out and start again. So my home is a lot of curated items put together, rather than the result of a full design brief.

Do you have a signature design style – in your home and in your work?
I’m half French and half German, so broadly speaking my style is European. There are a lot of influences from the art deco era.

That was unconscious at the beginning of my career, but now I recognise that those principles are close to my design approach. When I look at the project we’ve just done at 60 Curzon, I would say that it represents me authentically, because it’s a mix of high design and collectible furniture in synergy with its surroundings. I love doing hospitality projects, too – they can be super-creative. 

What’s your design philosophy and how do you implement it?
I’m constantly thinking about how people feel in a space, how you move from one room to another – it’s an emotional journey for me. And I like a sense of theatre, of play, a bit of understated elegance and integrity in the craftsmanship and materiality. 

Do you have any pieces of furniture or art on your hit list?
I’d love some of the classics – a piece by art deco designer Jean Dunand, say. He’s a current obsession. But they change. Gae Aulenti is another. There are so many.

Any suppliers, furniture or textile designers you can recommend?
Our interiors are a combination of vintage items, bespoke pieces and the work of contemporary designers. So we use fabulous fabric houses such as Nobilis, Dedar, Loro Piana and Rubelli. For lighting, I love Apparatus. They’re good friends of mine – I believe in supporting each other. One of my best friends is a tapestry designer called Sussy Cazalet. And I work with a lot of antiques dealers – Spazio Leone is fantastic, and Twopoems in Hampstead. 

Do you have any original art in your home?
I’m collecting, slowly but surely. Toby Ziff at Twopoems recently acquired a drawing by John Skeaping – the first husband of Barbara Hepworth. We looked at the date and it was exactly the time they would have lived in the cottage studios. So I’ve basically taken it back home. I love the photographer Jack Daly. And I have some family heirlooms that have been passed down. 

Which one object would you save from a fire?
That’s so hard, because I love furniture, and I have this huge 1970s coffee table, but it would be too heavy. Then there are two little secrétaires that belonged to my grandmothers. Bureaus were such a thing back then. One thing that springs to mind is a sculpture I made about 15 years ago of a body, and somehow it turned out rather well. It’s a reminder that there are certain times in your life when your creativity really comes out. 

Is there one property you would love to get the chance to design?
We seem to be doing large-scale hotels right now, but boutique spaces are probably closer to who I am. I’d love to design the set for a piece of theatre, and I’d like to do a retirement village: it’s an opportunity to create something that means a lot. 

Which of your projects have you particularly loved working on?
I loved 60 Curzon, because the apartments are super-prime, but it has a real art deco essence. The minute you enter the building, you’re transported to 1920s New York. That gave us the opportunity to continue the feeling in the apartment – a sense of glamour and opulence. I’m working on a big hotel in Germany, which I’m excited about. The narrative in Munich is taken from the biggest design and music movements. It’s very playful. And I’m finding a lot of creative joy designing a family villa in Menorca that is anchored in local materials.

Can you name some key figures who have influenced you?
My mother – she’s an artist with a unique style. Her way of being is inspiring, and it meant I was around art from early on. Who else? All of the art deco modernists. At the moment, I’m reading the fantastic architectural historian Beatriz Colomina. I have so many beautiful books at home. 

And what’s the strangest request a client has made?
I wish I had more weird requests. Maybe the DJ booth in the loo? We designed a hotel in Zurich where the owner wanted the DJ to be in the bathrooms. On the opening night, there was a definite loo party.

tatjanavonstein.com