Episode 22: what makes British design special? (Sue Timney)

Episode 22 of DESIGN POD, sponsored by Minotti London, was all about understanding the DNA of contemporary British design and architecture. British design icon Sue Timney was this week’s special guest, and for good reason. Listen to the full episode of the podcast below…

Sue Timney main DESIGN POD

With The Brit List Awards 2022 well underway – the shortlisted finalists have just been unveiled – there is no better time to explore the make-up of British design and architecture. On the podcast this week, therefore, we welcomed British interior design icon Sue Timney, who has been the mastermind of many extraordinary spaces, including (and not limited to) houses for the McCartney family and even featuring on Grand Designs’ 100th programme that was nominated for a BAFTA in 2013 with the project, The Water Tower in Kennington, that involved transforming a water tower into a modern-luxury abode.

Timney joined Editor Hamish Kilburn, host of DESIGN POD, remotely from her riverside home in London for the podcast episode – listen below.

Her work is not limited to residential design, though. Timney, who recently became a judge for The Brit List Awards 2022, has also journeyed into the design and fashion arena. Following commissions from retail giants such as Marks & Spenser and House of Fraser, Kilburn wanted to understand what had to evolve in her creative process to design commercial items on a mass scale over the private and personal spaces she was accustomed to.

Sue Timney’s interior design studio, more than 30 years in perfecting, specialises in creating one-off interiors within unique architecture settings – an element that leading British designers and architects have always enjoyed most. This work combines residential and commercial projects that sensitively reference aspects of historical and contemporary design, resulting in uniquely accessible spaces. The Water Tower in Kennington was a huge restoration that is a prime example of this creatively mentality.

Today, the the designer is working on several diverse commissions, including a group of boutique hotels and new residential developments in England and New York. 

Main image credit: Hotel Designs/DESIGN POD