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Porta Romana

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Founded in 1988 by Andrew and Sarah Hills, Porta Romana has continuously grown and evolved. From humble beginnings in a small UK workshop, to creating a lighting installation for the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The brand has been involved in high profile hospitality projects around the world including Rosewood, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and many more — creating unique products that are ‘destined for the world’s most beautiful interiors’.

blue urchin light design by Porta Romana

Image credit: Porta Romana

“Including Porta Romana in a project is like adding a piece of jewellery to the room.” – Tim Young, Senior Designer, Rocco Forte Hotels.

Inspired by beauty in the natural world, the team at Porta Romana transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Striving to create a unique design language that pushes boundaries through its use of innovative techniques and materials, while using only the finest craftspeople and production methods to shape every detail.

At Porta Romana, every piece is handcrafted and unique. Whether a client selects from one of the existing designs, or customises their own, every product is made to order. This means that every detail can be tailored to work perfectly with a project — from finishes and fabrics, to creating something completely bespoke.

floral handmade sconce wall light by Porta Romana

Image credit: Porta Romana

Craftspeople are at the heart of the brand and the company is fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists and makers from across the British Isles. Every glassblower, ceramicist, metalworker or sculptor it collaborates with, bring their expert knowledge and craft to the fabrication of the designs, imprinting each one with a unique character.

In nurturing relationships with both established and emerging British artisans, the team at Porta Romana work tirelessly to retain local production wherever possible. This is an important part of the brand ethos and ensures these skilled traditions are nurtured and upheld for future generations.

bureau with mirror and lamp

Image credit: Porta Romana

In a world where products are rarely made to last, the company prides itself on creating objects to be loved for a lifetime and more. Refurbishment is an important aspect of hospitality design and adopting sustainable practices is more important than ever.

Porta Romana is proud to support this approach with its Upcycling Club, which allows clients to update or part-exchange existing pieces, avoiding unnecessary waste. Whether rewiring, touching up a tired piece, updating the finish of a lamp or changing a lampshade, the Upcycling Club is the perfect opportunity to breathe new life into any piece from the Porta Romana collection.

four poster bed with porcelain bird light fitting

Image credit: Porta Romana

Since first starting 35 years ago, the Painting Studio has been central to the design process. It is here that over three decades have been spent, building on the craft of hand-painted finishes, developing a library that is unique to the brand. Each patination takes weeks to develop by the skilled team. Sampling layer upon layer of colour in search of the perfect Porta Romana finish.

The Porta Romana lampshades are made in-house, allowing the client to make the perfect choice. From the shape and fabric, to the lining and trim, lampshades can be built to suit a project requirements. The studio is adept at working with different textiles and can produce lampshades in a customer’s own material if something outside of the Porta Romana fabric range is specified. The made-to-order lampshade service is available on a one-week lead time.

www.portaromana.com

+44 (0) 1420 23005

contractsales@portaromana.com

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Author

Hamish Kilburn

All stories by: Hamish Kilburn

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.