6th June 2025 | IN EXPERT INSIGHT | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn The SBID UK Interior Design Icons were selected to recognise leading design practices throughout the UK who have consistently displayed exceptional standards within our esteemed industry network. This week’s instalment of the SBID Icon Insights series features These White Walls. From concept through to completion, the studio seamlessly blends bold elegance with uncompromising functionality, and a meticulous eye for detail. Their interiors become more than spaces to be lived in, they are a testament to the art of living beautifully. Can you share a project that best represents your design style? HIDE restaurant in Mayfair, London was the studio’s first project and it best captures and defines our essence. The project has a bold femininity and organic fluidity running through the design. There is a distinct spatial narrative defined by the building’s relationship to its locality. Everything is made bespoke and the level of craft is exceptional—from the finishes on the wall to the trolleys that move across the floors, we were meticulous on every detail. We created site-specific art installations throughout, and there are a multitude of hidden details that keep delighting guests and bringing them back—she really is our signature space. These White Walls These White Walls How does your team collaborate on major projects? Collaboration is fundamental to our approach; we understand that an aesthetic vision needs to be anchored in technical knowhow, and we value the expertise of a diverse range of shareholders on every single project who are essential to its success. We believe in creating a collaborative environment where partners feel empowered to contribute their unique expertise and work closely with the project managers to ensure workshops are facilitated both on site and remotely, to ensure that communication remains fluid and all parties fully informed. As an interior designer, you are often the connective tissue that binds multiple parts together on a big project. Creative collaborations are also key to our studio’s approach. We work closely with craftspeople, specialist finishers, makers, and with individual artists on all of our schemes to bring distinction to the interiors. Art is fundamental to our practice: we connect artists with the architecture of our spaces to create site specific commissions that are unique to the space. From bespoke botanical plaster murals to hand painted silk roomscapes, to funghi walls, and more recently working on a data-driven articulated sculpture, artistic collaborations are a key component in our work. These White Walls What steps do you take to stay at the forefront of the design industry? For us this begins by constantly challenging conventional thinking. Internally, I always encourage a culture of exploration and experimentation and am continually asking the team to question why they are making specific choices. For our conceptual ideation, we always reference realms outside of design because that brings a fresh energy to the work we create and we bring in-studio education to the team through our Talk Thursdays programme that introduces alternative approaches. We do of course actively engage with the design industry through the industry events and biennales, some of which we will be collaborating on next year. Also, given my social sciences background, I am equally interested to attend events that speak to more diverse interests. For example, new technologies or developments in the world of well-being that will eventually impact our industry, and this cross-pollination of ideas helps to encourage innovating thinking in the studio. These White Walls How do you incorporate sustainability into your designs? This is a really tough one for us as we work globally, so the very process of producing and being present across global sites is by definition unsustainable, but we actively take steps to make the process more sustainable from each location. We are very conscious of sourcing materials locally where possible, and to find local craftspeople for the construction of key elements in the scheme to lower the carbon footprint of their production. We also prioritise the creation of unique, high-quality, durable products that are designed for longevity and timeless appeal, to be treated as future heirlooms, rather than those with a built-in obsolescence. We have learned that creating designs that endure can be a more sustainable strategy than focusing on a lot of recycled or energy-consuming methods; there is a balance to be had. We are continuing to look at our sustainability practices, and this year hope to do a carbon-footprint audit on our projects to see if we can become more conscious of that imprint and where it is most significant so we can then work together with our clients to provide solutions that will reduce it every time. These White Walls What advice would you give to emerging designers? Always follow the map unfolding within you. Don’t be swayed by the ‘shoulds’ and conventions that get in the way of what continually ignites your passion and makes you feel alive when you create. I took an unconventional path to get here, studying Anthropology rather than design at UCL before forging an unplanned multidisciplinary career working across editorials, television and immersive live events, before I eventually decided to deepen into interior design. I thought at the time that my idiosyncratic story would hold me back when in fact I now recognise it as the reason our studio is so distinctive. I would encourage all emerging designers to follow their curiosity and see where it takes them. These White Walls What sets your work apart in the industry? We are committed to designing spaces that transcend trends, so our work is sometimes difficult to define. There is a bold feminine beauty that runs through all of our designs, grounded by a rational masculinity that creates a beautiful tension and lends our work a timeless quality that has an enduring integrity. There is something profoundly personal about our work and that seems to make it very memorable. These White Walls Are you involved in mentoring or education within the interior design industry? Very much so — the studio has supported United in Design since its inception, providing 1:1 mentoring and several extended placements to young women coming through the Career Pathway programme. We are also proud to say that we are the first studio to have offered a full-time job to one of the graduates of the scheme, and Jo is still part of the team today. We are also proud to be supporting the international charity, Empowering Young Women, to help improve the sanitation spaces at schools located in underdeveloped areas of rural Kenya. Currently, we are redesigning a sanitation project for a boys school outside of Nairobi and are leading workshops to help educate the students on how design can positively impact their everyday lives. About These White Walls These White Walls is a multi award-winning luxury interior design studio, based in London, working globally. The studio creates exquisitely crafted bespoke spaces that embody uniqueness, artistry, and timeless elegance. Operating across the realms of private residential and high-end hospitality, These White Walls serves discerning clients who seek distinction and unparalleled luxury. Guided by the vision of CEO/Founder Rose Murray, the studio imagines a world where beautiful built legacies inspire and endure. From concept through to completion, the studio seamlessly blends bold elegance with uncompromising functionality, and a meticulous eye for detail. Our interiors become more than spaces to be lived in, they are a testament to the art of living beautifully. Visit Profile If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.