Peter undertook an introductory interior design course at Chelsea College of Arts over 10 years ago, with his bold career change emerging from his love of design and the way design attributes to the way you can feel in different environments. Here, Inex talks to Peter Staunton about his successful career change and how he has built-up the luxury family business, gaining the trust of his clients.
What inspired you to become an interior designer?
It is inspiring to know that your design can bring various emotions out in people through the space and aesthetics of the environment. It is also inspiring how design can bring out the best in people and create positivity.
Who has been your biggest influence throughout your career?
Lenny Kravitz, a strange one maybe but, with his growing interior design firm, Kravitz Design, and his general rock ‘n’ roll personal style – which carries over to every part of his life – I love that he obviously lives and breathes what he loves.
Do you have a signature style?
I feel my style has a rock ‘n’ roll edge to it. That’s not to say every project is in any way the same or similar, or trying to create a ‘mock’ rock ‘n’ roll palace. It’s just to bring my clients an ‘edgier’ feel that is different from other designers, and bring them a bit of what I personally believe in.
Where do you gain inspiration from for your designs?
Everywhere. However, travelling is primarily where I find most inspiration as it is the best way to broaden your mind and horizons. I always find it fascinating how different cultures throughout the world can have such different designs and aesthetics. This continually proves that there are many ways to create amazing interiors, which is great for continually pushing our minds and design boundaries.
How would you describe your design style?
As mentioned, luxury rock ‘n’ roll chic is how I would sum up my style in a few words. This covers both classic and contemporary designs, as I love working on all periods and styles of properties. I have been brought up and raised around period properties, and with an Architect as a father and an Interior Designer as a mother, I have been exposed to various styles, ranging from classic period English to more contemporary designs. I lean more towards the contemporary side of things, but you can’t forget about the past, as that is what has brought us to now. Mixing can be a great aesthetic, but for me it’s about giving something an edgier look and finish.
What materials do you prefer to use in your designs?
I like to use a mix of raw and refined materials as I believe life is about the juxtaposition of these two materials. I also believe these allow for longevity of design, as great design always transcends time. To achieve this, you need a good mix of the right materials to ensure the design is interesting enough to last. For example, this can be an antique mirror with smooth, soft velvet, aged wood with satin silk, or raw stone with soft supple leather or polished metals with concrete, finished with a mix of velvet and hair hide rugs.
What do you enjoy most about designing country homes?
The space it usually offers to work with. Although working with small spaces can be great fun and challenging to work with, larger open spaces offer the opportunity to create something more breathtaking. It is also challenging to ensure the space does not feel empty or hollow. For some rooms it needs to feel cosy, but not cluttered. Like all design, it’s all about proportions, flow and space and the right mix of materials to suit the client’s needs.
Can you please describe the brief that you received for Harbury Country House?
The brief was to deliver a design that would reference various classic style periods such as Art Deco, to give the house a contemporary update and twist, but also allowing for everyday family life. The client (like myself) loves various styles and period designs, and the test was to introduce and work with as many as possible, without them fighting against each other. For example, one of the rooms was geographically themed, another was music based and another was Hollywood – including the client’s Marilyn Monroe artwork – and Art Deco.
Evidently, a different pallet was chosen for each room to give each space its own distinctive style. Ranging from the silvers and blacks in the Art Deco-inspired dining room, to the dark hues of the Japanese/Asian-inspired TV room, through to the off-white John Lennon-inspired music garden room. Each pallet was chosen for each specific room, rather than trying to directly flow from one to the next. We did of course create some links between the rooms with background colours and flooring, but each room is very distinctive.
What advice would you offer other interior designers designing a country house?
Firstly, always listen carefully to the client and their brief as it is their money you are investing. You need to ensure you can deliver what is required and that you are both on the same page. Secondly, always look to bring your own style into the project as much as possible, as that should be why they are working with you. I personally think there are a lot of designers out there who just do as the client asks, but if you believe in what you do, then you should be influencing them in what needs to be done. Sometimes it may involve walking away from work, which can be really difficult to do, but surely it’s better than working on something that is not a reflection of you, or what you believe in. Specifically for country homes, anything goes, depending on what the brief is and what the client is open to.
Can you please explain the brief you received for Lapworth Country Estate?
To give the home a complete makeover to suit how the client lives. They had lived in the home for around five years, and although they had completed a number of tweaks in that time, they felt it was time to make serious changes to suit their current lifestyle. The couple spent most of their time with family, so utilising their home for various family social occasions was a big part of the brief. For example, they have four lounge areas, not for being extravagant, as the clients are actually far from that, but because they are privileged enough to have the space, they use each lounge space very differently. However, they took out their formal dining room, as that is not how they live, and changed that into a dedicated TV room. That is what I love about helping clients design their perfect home; it doesn’t have to follow suit or trends, it just needs to work for them. Although the project is still ongoing, the brief has been fulfilled for the client, fully utilising each of the spaces to their requirements. As we have been working on this for nearly two years, the client has gone from initially providing a brief for each room, to allowing me total creative freedom. It’s great to know they have total trust in me, which is a key part of any designer.
How did you fulfil the brief for Leamington Town House?
The brief was to bring an eclectic mix of styles to suit the couple’s personalities, lifelong travels, artwork and love of music. This is seen in the various mix of furniture styles, from shabby chic, to sleek Italian, Moroccan and Asian influenced designs, but mainly through a mix of great colours and textures. The bedroom furnishings were designed around a Moroccan chandelier the client bought whilst on their travels. For this, we created large velvet curtains with heavily curved pelmets and beautiful metallic braid trims around the curved edges, which complements the chandelier. One of the guest bedrooms doubles as a music room, which is wrapped in Black Skull Flock Barbara Hulanicki wallpaper with red velvet furnishings applied with small black discs to represent vinyl.
We also framed all of their original record artwork posters in black gloss to set the scene. It is a period property, so being sympathetic to this was also paramount. The house was gutted and started from scratch, it is very easy to scrap all of the original features rather than preserve – it’s great to keep the history of these buildings alive. The clients travel a lot with homes in London and Majorca and work long hours, so creating a comfortable haven was paramount.
Can you please describe the brief that you received for the Stoneleigh Country House?
The client wanted a very grown-up aesthetic, with a sophisticated glamour, yet a comfortable setting. Although they entertain a lot, they also want to feel relaxed and comfortable day-to-day as they spend a lot of time at home when they are not travelling – they have had the luxury to retire early. They are not fond of bold colours, but wanted to create bold statements with bold artwork, sculptures and strong masculine materials, but to flow from one zone to the other. They also wanted something that would stand the test of time, but allow them to add features further down the line. I think the photography of the house speaks for itself. Although I love colour, every time I see the pictures I think it looks as good today as it did when it was installed, and will never date.
What can we expect to see from Peter Staunton Interior Design this year?
I am currently working on a furniture line that I am hoping to bring to the market. Although I design and produce various bespoke pieces of furniture for my clients, I intend to have a branded line of furniture that can be delivered worldwide. I am also planning on having a second office in London, as I feel London is the world hub for design right now.