{"id":499746,"date":"2026-03-28T08:25:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/499746\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T08:25:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T08:25:16","slug":"at-home-with-the-design-guru-behind-wallpaper-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/499746\/","title":{"rendered":"At home with the design guru behind Wallpaper* magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re an interior designer with a penchant for bold colour and pattern, ringing the changes frequently is par for the course. The colour of Suzy Hoodless\u2019s front door changes so often, for example, that visiting friends are temporarily sent off course. But recently her west London terrace has undergone a more meaningful change, inspired, she says, by a desire for something \u201cmore elegant and sophisticated \u2014 schemes that chime with this time of my life\u201d.<\/p>\n

Hoodless, 51, is a big name in the world of interiors. She was part of the team that launched Wallpaper* in 1996. The iconic magazine, where she spent five years as interiors editor, quickly became a bible for the style set.<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928663\"The main bedroom features art by Tracey Emindarren chung<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928573\"In the kitchen, an Alvar Aalto Beehive pendant sits above an Another Country dining table, with J39 Mogensen chairsdarren chung<\/p>\n

Having made a name for herself, she opened her own studio in 2000. Projects have included the London private members\u2019 clubs AllBright in Mayfair and the Hospital in Covent Garden, plus the development of the former BBC Television Centre in White City into apartments.<\/p>\n

The designer, who is celebrating 25 years running a studio known for its fearless approach, was ready for a new chapter. She has shifted away from the \u201cfun, bright and colourful\u201d schemes that she installed in her home about 15 years ago in favour of something more reflective. \u201cOur home has always been a bit of a laboratory,\u201d she says. \u201cI think it\u2019s important to regularly ask yourselves as a family, \u2018Who are we now and how do we want to feel?\u2019 and tune into the response.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928479\"A lacquered cabinet by Josef Frank in the sitting roomdarren chung<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928533\"A vintage floorlamp, Gary Hume artwork and Another Country sideboard in the kitchendarren chung<\/p>\n

In this case, that desire was about feeling \u201ccocooned, grown up and protected\u201d. Hoodless, who shares her home with her husband, Erskine, and Misty, 15, Myla, 13, and Arki, 12, knew that the space needed to better reflect the children\u2019s growing independence as well as her own shifting tastes. \u201cI\u2019m not a follower of trends, but I like to strike a balance between modernity and longevity,\u201d she says. \u201cOur home has always been fun, flexible and robust, but I wanted it to chime with the times a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n

She had already reworked the bones of the house first time round, digging down at the rear to extend the ceiling height; stripping back retrospectively fitted storage upstairs; opening up the ground floor; and, in the kitchen, installing black limestone herringbone flooring, which she describes as \u201cbulletproof\u201d. The new works were about subtly shifting the mood of the house, as well as tweaking bedroom schemes upstairs to accommodate the children\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928175\"The library with a mid-century shearling chair, Chinese rug and Seventies aluminium pendantdarren chung<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928360\"The sitting room with Talisman chairs and a Japanese butterfly stool by Vitradarren chung<\/p>\n

In the kitchen, previously cobalt-blue cabinets and window frames were switched up for a daring aubergine, which Hoodless describes as dark enough to function as a modern neutral. \u201cThere are no doors downstairs, so as one room leads to another I wanted a colour story that felt individual yet cohesive,\u201d she says. \u201cThe library \u2014 that often tricky middle room \u2014 now features burgundy shelves instead of pale blue, moving into rich browns at the front of the house.\u201d The sunshine yellow architrave, beloved by the family for its perennial zing, survived the redecoration.<\/p>\n

The desire to be cocooned is most evident in the living room, wrapped in a striking forestscape designed in collaboration with Adam Ellis Studio and inspired by the Monterey pines that surround the family\u2019s retreat on the Cornish coast. \u201cIt captures the warmth and spirit of that landscape in rich, earthy tones, which is ideal because the room gets bathed in evening light,\u201d Hoodless explains. \u201cEach mural is bespoke and scaled to the room, bringing depth and character to the space. What I love is that the design is dramatic, but its tobacco and chocolate tones feel deeply serene.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928270\"A blue velvet sofa by George Smith in the sitting roomdarren chung<\/p>\n

\"NINTCHDBPICT001068928808\"A reading nook in the kitchen with a print by Gerald Laing and white leather swivel chair by Joe Colombodarren chung<\/p>\n

Furniture, collected over many years, is a mixture of bold mid and late-century pieces, such as the vintage white leather chair by Joe Colombo in the kitchen, contemporary designs and much loved inherited furniture. \u201cSchemes are design-led but never precious,\u201d Hoodless says. \u201cMixing pieces is key when it comes to avoiding a museum-like or overly static look.\u201d She also wanted the living areas to feel relaxed, somewhere her family could gather informally yet flexible enough to seat visiting friends.<\/p>\n

Upstairs, a decorative rethink enabled the children to switch around. Misty moved to the eaves, transformed by clever joinery to incorporate both a built-in single and double bed, linked by a desk in the middle. It\u2019s a space that hosts \u201cendless sleepovers\u201d. Arki moved from his room to what was once the study, reworked to incorporate a shower and steam room. \u201cMaking those changes wasn\u2019t as daunting as you\u2019d think because I never subscribed to the idea of children\u2019s furniture,\u201d Hoodless explains. \u201cThe kids have always had regular pieces that can grow with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The designer acknowledges the recent shift in perception when it comes to interiors<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s no longer about regularly pulling out schemes and starting afresh but about decorating around good bones,\u201d she reflects. \u201cWe rework houses with an eye on the next half-century.\u201d Her own home, whose foundations haven\u2019t changed since she first tweaked them, is testament to that. But with its bold new neutrals, thoughtful textures and sophisticated patterns, the space has evolved \u2014 just like Hoodless herself. <\/p>\n

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