Introducing the top 25 Brit List Interior Designers of 2023

Yet again, The Brit List Awards 2023 delivered this month in bringing together the hotel design community to celebrate the people, projects and products that have set new standards across the hotel design and hospitality landscape.

As tradition, and true to form, in extensive campaign to find the true influencers, the team at Hotel Designs, with the help of the judging panel, whittled down more than 200 entries to select the top 25 interior designers, top 25 architects and top 25 hoteliers in Britain. The profiles of these individuals are published in The Brit List 2023.

Over the course of the next few weeks, our editorial team will publish, in alphabetical order, the 75 individual profiles that together make up The Brit List 2022. And where better place to start than with this year’s leading interior designers.

The Brit List Interior Designers of 2023 are…

Alex Holloway, Co-Founder, Holloway Li

Image credit: Holloway Li

Alex Holloway is the Co-Founder of Holloway Li. Together with Na Li, he is responsible for the overall creative output and design direction of the company and manages the studio’s London 

projects, working with brands such as Hoxton, Locke Living as well as independent hotels and residential clients to establish meaning through design solutions. 

Last year, the studio completed Wunderlocke, a 306-key serviced apartments building in Munich’s buzzing Obersendling district. 

Holloway Li has recently completed its first co-living project – a 300-apartment building in London’s Wembley. Its design seeks to develop a fledgling building typology by balancing characteristics of both the domestic and the hospitality experience in nature. 

Alexandra Jurkiewicz, Creative Lead, Helen Green Design 

Image credit: Helen Green Design

Alexandra Jurkiewicz has a long-standing career with extensive experience within the luxury interior design scene. Her knowledge of interior design, architecture, project management and delivery are inherent to her experience of working on projects within super-prime residential and mixed-use sectors. 

In 2019, Jurkiewicz joined Helen Green Design as a Lead Designer, where she has since took a role of the Creative Lead. In this role, she runs the studio and oversees all aspects of design, from conceptualisation to execution, as well as is responsible for maintaining the studio’s high standards of quality and creativity. 

Jurkiewicz’s design philosophy is centred around creating spaces that are both functional and beautiful, with an emphasis on clean lines, sustainable materials, and luxurious finishes that feel equally comfortable. 

With Jurkiewicz’s leadership and vision, Helen Green Design continues to be a top choice for discerning clients who value quality, elegance, and sophistication in their homes. 

Andreas Christodoulou, Founder & Creative Director, House of Dré
Winner: Public Area of the Year 2023 with Ember Locke Kensington

Image credit: House of Dré

House of Dré was Established in 2020 by Andreas Christodoulou, who brings his architectural background into a diverse range of disciplines, from interior design and sculpture to furniture and industrial design. 

The studio completed the interiors inside Ember Locke Kensington, in collaboration with Atelier Ochre. The aim was to design a conceptual slice through the last 100 years of Kensington, arguably the ‘golden age for art and culture’ for the London borough. The hotel design is therefore anchored around the atmosphere of the late Kensington roof gardens, and the laissez-faire flamboyance demonstrated by the iconic mid-century fashion brand Biba, which was born in the neighbourhood’s bohemian fashion scene in the 1960s. A whole host of local, up-and-coming artists adorn the walls, with eclectic artwork and sculptures that both compliment and clash with the palette in equal measure. 

Angus Buchanan, Creative Director, Buchanan Studio 

Image credit: Buchanan Studio

Husband-and-wife duo Charlotte and Angus Buchanan, the Founders of Buchanan Studio, are currently working on a multi-property development in Ibiza, a palazzo in Venice and a hotel in London. 

Buchanan, Creative Director of the studio, has extensive experience working with luxury global brands, including 

Burberry, Versace and Dolce & Gabanna. His career includes working with Mario Testino and being the art director for the legendary production designer Michael Howells. 

The studio conceptualises and creates dynamic spaces and identities. It does this through collaboration between producers, brands, visionaries, entrepreneurs and individuals to realise exceptional projects across interiors, lifestyle, fashion and events.

Anthony Rudolph, Creative & Brand Director, Nicolas James Interiors

Image credit: Nicolas James Interiors

Nicolas James Interiors recently created the interior design scheme inside THE NICI, a new 88-key destination resort in Bournemouth (the former Savoy hotel). 

Rather than opting for a familiar British seaside design narrative, Anthony Rudolph, Brand & Creative Director of in-house design team Nicolas James Interiors, wanted to create an aesthetic suited to the local environment, yet draws the best from a global deign palette. “The way the sun shimmers on the ocean here, and with the lofty eucalyptus trees in the property grounds, it feels reminiscent of Miami,” Rudolph said. “We looked to capture that eternal spirit and evoke an uplifting sense of overseas holiday escapism as soon as guests step through the door.”

Charlie North, VP of Interior Design, Ennismore / AIME Studio
Highly Commended: Interior Designer of the Year 2023

Image credit: Ennismore / AIME Studio

Charlie North is a strong arts and design professional, with a passion of interior design and its application to hotels. Put simply, he has shaped the interior design function at Ennismore over seven years. 

In 2023, after announcing the launch of AIME Studios, an award- winning team of interior and graphic designers, Ennismore pledged to open 30 new properties. Among these were Maison Delano Paris, Mondrian Cannes, Rixos Abu Dhabi Marina, Hyde Ibiza and the hotly anticipated arrival of The Hoxton brand in Brussels. 

The 198-key hotel that is The Hoxton, Brussels is occupied in a brutalist-style tower building – the former EU HQ of IBM. The hotel, which opened to rave reviews earlier this year, has a lofty double-height lobby, bar and restaurant, as well as a rooftop terrace. 

Clara Ewart, Head of Design, Kitesgrove 

Image credit: Kitesgrove

Kitesgrove’s design team, headed up by Clara Ewart, recently completed the interiors of a new suite inside Casa La Siesta, a boutique hotel in Andalusia Spain. 

The collaboration between the design studio and Lee Thornley of tile brand Bert & May showcases both brands’ inherent passion for craftsmanship, colour and natural materials. 

Casa La Siesta was originally created from reclaimed finds. Kitesgrove’s contemporary scheme offsets this in a subtle yet impactful way. The studio developed an earthy palette of neutral tones with rich accents of terracotta and oxblood, providing a comforting atmosphere while adding dramatic touches like bold horizontal lines. Its use of raw, organic and characterful finishes against a soft pink backdrop of natural plaster walls creates layers of texture and shade. 

Clare McDonald, Founder & Creative Director, Design Command

Image credit: Design Command

Design Command is a London and Hertfordshire-based interior architecture studio, which was founded in 2013 by Clare McDonald. The team’s experience in hospitality design stems from the development of the Wildwood restaurant brand, leading to a partnership on more than 40 restaurants. 

Now in its 10th year – and opening two Mercure Hotel’s with more in the pipeline – Design Command has quickly grown over the years, with its designers working on bars, restaurants and hotels across the United Kingdom and Europe. No matter the scale of the project, McDonald and her team are committed to bring their experience and flair to realise new design ambitions. 

Craig Mckie, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Bell & Swift

Image credit: Bell & Swift

As Co-Founder and Creative Director of Bell & Swift, Craig Mckie is a key driver of the studio’s creative output. 

As well as his limitless creative mindset, Mckie has a unique commercial understanding and is now well-regarded for his original, award-winning designs. He has worked on projects across the globe, in Ottawa, Geneva and Nice. In each case has created a unique aesthetic that provokes emotion, whilst still remaining commercially sound for the client. 

With more than 10 years’ experience in hotel and hospitality projects, Mckie has designed for some of the sector’s most successful conglomerates, including Hilton, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Accor Hotels and Marriott International.

Eirini Karamolegkou, Associate Director, Hopkins Architects 

Image credit: Hopkins Architects

Eirini Karamolegkou joined Hopkins in 2007 and became an Associate Director in 2020. She is a key part of the firm’s interiors team with expertise in hospitality, office, healthcare and education interiors and a passion for colour, materiality and bespoke FF&E selections. 

During her time at the practice, Karamolegkou has worked on the space planning and interior fit-out for Nottingham Trent University, Macmillan Cancer Centre at UCLH as well as the design and delivery of the interiors for the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and British Council for Offices award-winning Brent Civic Centre. 

The designer also led a team, supporting Peter Marino’s overall interior vision of the hotel, delivering the hotel guestrooms for the recently opened five-star Peninsula London hotel in Central London, as well as working on the interiors and bespoke FF&E selection for the School of Data Science for the University of Virginia. 

Geraldine Dohogne, Founder, Geraldine Dohogne Design

Image credit: Geraldine Dohogne Design

As soon as Geraldine Dohogne discovers a new plot of land or an existing building, she fully immerses herself in the culture and history of the place – it’s the natural, first step of a design process when seeking to give a true soul and identity to the future project. 

The designer, who is currently working on the completion of Cap Au Vert, as well as hotels in Ghent, Belgium and Mexico, believes in timeless design. Fuelled by a mix of passion, instinct and emotions, the outcome of a project is guaranteed to unlock memories and discoveries at every corner; each space tells its own story. 

Dohogne prides herself to hand-pick every single object and source local craftsmen whom themselves form an integral part of the place in question. As a result, every project represents a marathon across flea markets and meeting with local artisans and artists. 

Hannah Lohan, Creative Director, New Heritage Design 

Image credit: New Heritage Design

Hannah Lohan, Creative Director and Lead Designer at New Heritage Design, specialises in designing boutique hotels and F&B spaces. 

Her background is as unconventional as her approach. After working as a TV producer working on interiors programmes, 

she graduated into event production and styling as director of her own company. This diverse career, coupled with Lohan’s wide-ranging exposure to the global hotel scene, has given her an informed yet original perspective on design in the hospitality sector. 

Lohan initially finds inspiration in turning a client’s brief into a script. This approach gives her designs a strong narrative with unique character, as seen in her recently completed work at ‘The Collective at Woolsery,’ North Devon – a village renovation project where the designer and her team have, to date, transformed The Farmers Arms pub, several holiday cottages and suites.

Jeremy Grove, Managing Director & Head of Design, Sibley Grove 

Image credit: Sibley Grove

In early 2023, Sibley Grove completed the third phase of the Fox & Goose in Ealing, adding 43 rooms to the site, originally completed by the studio in 2018. More recently the practice converted the second floor at The Counting House for Fuller, Smith and Turner – a 15-key boutique, by Bank Station. 

The cornerstone of Sibley Grove’s creative process is ‘design for disassembly’, which means considering how a product goes together and how it comes apart. The benefits are threefold. Firstly, it enables materials to be separated and reused in the future, supporting the circular approach to design. Secondly, it simplifies repairs. 

For example, in a hotel setting, demountable components can rapidly reduce repair times, saving money. Finally, creating furniture in this way makes it easier to reuse and refurbish spaces in the future, which reduces carbon on a typical refurbishment by 70 per cent and cost by up to 60 per cent.

Jessica Morrison, Senior Associate, G.A Group
WINNER: Interior Designer of the Year 2023

Image credit: G.A Group

Jessica Morrison has worked at G.A Group, London for 11 years. Since joining the studio, Morrison has worked as Project Manager on numerous luxury projects, both internationally and in the UK. These include Belmond Cadogan on Sloane Street, Park Hyatt St Kitts Christophe Harbour and the recently opened 1 Hotel, Mayfair. 

For 1 Hotel Mayfair, the team, led by Morrison, were tasked with creating a compelling design narrative in response to the creative challenge of fusing sustainability and luxury, a concept currently unexplored within Mayfair’s landscape. Collaborating closely with 

skilled artisans and creators, the aspiration was to craft an environment that’s comfortable and tranquil, while presenting a refined, paired-back aesthetic. 

At the heart of the design philosophy lies authenticity, reflected in both craft and materiality used to bring the vision to life.

Maria Oliva, Founder, Maria Oliva Interiors

Image credit: Maria Olivia Interiors

Maria Oliva embarked on her interior design career when she began her life in London more than a decade ago. 

After relocating to the UK at a relatively young age, shortly after earning her architecture degree in Milan, she found herself captivated by the design landscape of the British capital and its vibrant creative community. 

Throughout the past decade, she wholeheartedly embraced British culture, absorbing the unparalleled energy of the London design scene. She not only became a part of this dynamic world but also established herself as a local citizen, eventually founding her own design practice. 

Oliva’s specialism is in designing spaces that work on both an architectural and a design level.

Mark Bithrey, Founder & Director, B3 Designers

Image credit: B3 Designers

Mark Bithrey leads B3 Designers to deliver strategic, branding and interior design projects worldwide. 

This year, the studio transformed a Golf Club and Country Club at The Woolfox into a luxury members-only destination. 

B3 Designers also completed The Cross, which features six floors of hospitality spaces. The space, which was formally an iconic nightclub, now comprises of a lobby, ground-floor bar, first-floor restaurant, second-floor restaurant, The Red Room cocktail bar, a nightclub and it also has terraces with views across King’s Cross. 

In addition, Nouvelle Garde has also recently opened Brasserie Des Pres in the Latin Quarter in Paris, following previous brasseries the studio has designed for them. 

Martin Goddard, Co-Founder & Director, Goddard Littlefair

Image credit: Goddard Littlefair

Together with Jo Littlefair, Martin Goddard leads the global team at Goddard Littlefair, which has studios in both London and Porto. 

Goddard Littlefair has created interior design narratives for The Mayfair Townhouse, Hilton Vienna Park and Villa Copenhagen, among many others. When designing a building, the studio’s approach is to always work from the inside out. Its core creative offer encompasses both architecture and interior design. 

2023 has been ‘all go’ for the design studio. While currently working on Mandarin Oriental Vienna, Four Seasons Amaala, Vienna Riding School and Corus Hyde Park, the studio has just completed the interior scheme of the five-floor spa inside The OWO (Raffles London), as well as completing projects inside Four Seasons Sultanahmet, The Astor at 9 Millbank and Le Parchamp. 

Martin Hulbert, Founder, Martin Hulbert Design 

Image credit: MHD

With more than 25 years design experience, Martin Hulbert, the Founder of Martin Hulbert Design (MHD), has completed a wide variety of residential and hotel projects around the world. He is the award-winning designer of The Grove Hotel, Coworth Park for the Dorchester Collection, the Dorchester Spa, the Treehouse Suites at Chewton Glen, Barnsley House and Cliveden Terrace Dining Room & Spring Cottage. 

Recently, with Jay Grierson, who has worked with Hulbert since 2005, the designer completed the design of Woven by Adam Smith, inside Coworth Park and the Mansion Suites at The Grove. Both hotels required Hulbert and his team to create visually stimulating spaces that answered effortlessly to their locations. While The Grove used art, texture and colour to harmonise the design with nature, Woven by Adam Smith was inspired largely by the autumn season. 

Nicholas Hickson, Director & Founder, THDP

Image credit: THDP

Nicholas Hickson, Co-Founder of THDP, is a British furniture, lighting and interior designer – with more than 34 years’ experience. 

He has worked with high-end interior residential and commercial projects for international clients and developers in exclusive areas of London and the rest of the world. 

Hickson, who with his team recently completed the interiors inside Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars, has extensive experience with hotel interior architecture, schematic planning, FF&E selection & custom design and procurement strategies. 

The designer has a contemporary approach to traditional manufacturing and, combined with his meticulous attention to detail, Hickson delivers inspirational, award-winning interior design projects and furnishings. 

Pauline Dellemotte, Co-Founder, Atelier Ochre
WINNER: Public Area of the Year 2023

Image credit: Atelier Ochre

Atelier Ochre is a collaborative and experimental design studio based in Paris and London. Founded by Pauline Dellemotte and Daryl Fitzgerald, the studio builds relationships with ideas, people and spaces to create sensitive architecture and interiors. 

Dellemotte has delivered high-end residential homes, hotels, bars and restaurants across the UK and Europe, collaboratively 

working with brands alike to utilise sustainable design, modern construction methods and working with natural materials for calm and intuitive spaces. 

This year, in collaboration with House of Dré, the studio completed the interiors inside Ember Locke Kensington, both bringing their architectural background into a diverse range of disciplines, from interior design, artwork curation and both graphic and industrial design. 

Sasha Stupar, Associate Director, EPR Architects

Image credit: EPR Architects

Sasha Stupar from EPR Architects has more than 20 years of experience in the hotel design arena. Whilst she initially trained as an architect, she decided to focus on hotel interiors after helping the team to deliver Marriott hotels in Leicester and London Heathrow. 

Stupar, who particularly values the opportunity to work collaboratively, oversees the creative design direction and supports a talented young team of 10 interior designers; empowering them to grow professionally and gain valuable experience in all areas of the design process – and considers this a central part of her role. She consistently finds ways to mentor her co-workers and junior designers in the studio’s London and Manchester hubs, setting an example and inspiring her colleagues to deliver the most exciting projects, enabling them to grow and develop professionally. 

Scott Torrance, Director & Head of Interiors, 3DReid

Image credit: 3DReid

Scott Torrance leads the interiors team at 3DReid, and works on a diverse range of interior projects and sectors designing three-, four- and five-star hotels, bars and restaurants, F&B operations, hospitality lounges and residential including student residences. 

Scott has extensive experience, particularly within the hospitality sector working collaboratively with clients throughout the UK and abroad. He is responsible for all aspects of projects from managing initial concept design to project delivery on site and has a particular interest in historic buildings, specifically their change of use and reinvention into hotels. 

Following the completion of the likes of Hotel Indigo Manchester Victoria Station and Marriott V&A Hotel, also in Manchester, Torrance is currently working on The Address Hotel (Glasgow), AC Hotel Glasgow and My Locanda (Glasgow).

Tara Bernerd, Founder and Head of Design, Tara Bernerd & Partners 

Image credit: Tara Bernerd & Partners

Since founding Tara Bernerd & Partners 21 years ago, Tara Bernerd has earned a reputation as one of the world’s foremost interior architectural designers. The studio’s in-house team have an innate understanding of luxury, with projects ranging from hotels, restaurants and spas, to commercial residential developments, yachts and the occasional private residence. 

Since 2022, when the studio unveiled the interiors of Conrad Los Angeles and Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, this year Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, nestled between 200 acres of dense tropical jungle and the white sands of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, opened following an extensive renovation and redesign by Bernerd and her team. Meanwhile, Rosewood Munich opened in September, with interiors imagined by the studio, as the brand’s first property in Germany. 

Tina Norden, Partner, Conran & Partners 

Image credit: Conran & Partners

At the close of 2022, Conran & Partners announced it was entering into a new chapter after the completion of a management buy-out, which saw its Principals; Tina Norden, Simon Kincaid, Sebastian Conran, Katy Clarke and Tim Bowder-Ridger taking over ownership of and now sharing the practice. 

Norden, who was crowned Interior Designer of the Year at The Brit List Awards 2021, has a diverse portfolio stretching across many contexts and continents, from hotel and restaurant design to high-end residential and boutique retail projects. 

This year, the studio completed the interior design scheme inside Park Hyatt Jakarta, which was inspired by the natural beauty and traditional craft of Indonesia, combined with the contemporary and diverse culture of Jakarta. 

Tom Thorogood, Co-Head of Interiors, Studio Moren

Image credit: Studio Moren

Since joining Studio Moren, Tom Thorogood’s unique footprint on projects has been unmistakable. Whether it’s the opulent Welcombe Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, the chic Hyde Paradox Hotel in London City, a luxurious five-star Luxury Resort in Portugal or a luxury hotel in Nigeria, his influence has left an enduring mark on each space. 

Recently, Thorogood led the interior design team in the renovation of the 100-key Mornington Kensington Hotel. The interior design drew inspiration from the local area’s Victorian heritage, resulting in the creation of a four-star, lifestyle hotel with an intimate, residential feel. 

Beyond these achievements, Thorogood is also fronting a lighting collaboration to create a manufacturer’s first sustainable range, which is due to launch early 2024. 

Following this editorial series, the Brit List architects of 2023 will be unveiled next. The Brit List 2023 has been published, and references the top 75 interior designers, architects and hoteliers in Britain. Entries will open for The Brit List Awards 2024 in the summer of 2024.

Main image credit: The Brit List 2023