INSPIRED BY…

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Q&A with Interior Design Duo BradyWilliams

JESSICA HALL

When Emily Williams and Shayne Brady met on a hotel design project, they knew they had to combine their talents. Before co-founding BradyWilliams Studio, the now internationally renowned bespoke interior design firm in 2013, Shayne was a senior designer at David Collins Studio where he worked on some of the world’s leading hospitality interior projects, and Emily fine-tuned luxury residential properties for a decade. Now with a hawk eye for quality and detail, they create awe-inspiring bespoke interiors of both commercial and residential projects. BradyWilliams is known for its timeless interiors, with an emphasis on fine craftsmanship, laser sharp detailing, and a love for combining materials inspired by nature and art. Bringing all of this together has landed them an array of luxury clientele from property owners in London’s highly sought-after Covent Garden’s Floral Court Collection to the iconic Café Wolsey.

From restaurants and bars to high-end retail shops to exquisite penthouses, Emily Williams and Shayne Brady know their way around luxury interiors. We catch up with the designers and founders of BradyWilliams Studio, to ask about their inspiration.

Right now, I’m inspired by…

Emily: Heritage Colours.

Shayne: French artists living in London in the 1930s.

My idea of luxury is…

Both: Time uninterrupted by technology / technological detoxing.

For fresh ideas, I turn to…

S: Travel and time out. An upcoming impromptu trip to Mexico is my next moment to relax and take on new inspiration.

E: There are so many exhibitions in London from fashion to design that there is always something new to see. I am particularly looking forward to the Dior exhibition.

The best interiors always seem to have….

E: Good architectural bones.

S: A sense of integrity in both vision and execution.

Trends I see happening at the moment include…

Both: Maximalism and Biophilic Design.

I don’t like it when…

E: When there is tarragon in my salad. Jeremy King take note!

S: Dinner guests spending the entire evening on their phone.

My dream project would be…

E: A Georgian country estate.

S: Broadway stage set design.

My design idol is…

E: I’ve always admired the photographer Slim Aarons. His images are so evocative and such beautiful colour combinations.

S: Too many to name but I’ve always been inspired by the breath-taking work of Jay Defeo and her awe-inspiring painting, The Rose, which I was lucky enough to see in person.

The best decade for design was…

E: A decade isn’t long enough! The 1800s left so many beautiful building and amazing antiques.

S: The 30s between the wars when there was an influx of style ideas and innovation.

When it comes to interior design, I wish more people would realize…

E: How much goes on behind the scenes to make something look effortless.

S: It’s far more technical than it seems.