The Story Behind Studio Archer: Specialising in High-End, Turnkey Interiors

Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most?

Sofia: Aside from the design process itself, it’s probably the happy tears of my clients that bring me the most joy, this is why residential was always something I preferred doing. Interiors have huge impact on our lives and making my clients dream a reality, is the best feeling. At Studio archer we provide deeply personal service, we don’t outsource any of our work- all designs, visuals, technical drawings, FF&E- all is done in house. This means we can adjust anything in a matter of few hours for our clients.

Chris: I find real joy in seeing the incredible designs Sofia creates and taking them from her head in to something tangible on the page. The process of understanding what is being designed, and why it is designed that way, to better resolve the details and issues without compromising intent. Then eventually seeing this physically come together in a way that satisfies the clients needs in ways they may not have properly realised is a joy.

What has been your most memorable career highlight from the past year?

Sofia: For the past 20 months or so we have been working on our biggest project to date, an 800sqm, multimillion-pound refurbishment full of bespoke joinery and details. One such item was a glass chandelier collection that had been designed and specified to the smallest detail by Studio Archer along with Kolektiv Atelier lighting. After months of waiting for it to be manufactured it finally went in and the first time the client saw this she choked up with emotion, which of course caused me to well up as well. An absolute career highlight I will never forget.

Chris: Recently I designed a geometrically complicated staircase that was quite risky to show to client before I had properly resolved the structure in 3D – but we did it anyway and they loved it. A long process developing this staircase, back and forth on how it could be done; but eventually the structure and then the boarding went up and once plastered it was such a huge relief that it all came together beautifully.

What are your favourite types of projects to work on and why?

Sofia: Details, anything that we can really get in to and make unique. We don’t have a specific style, and we do not have preference in style either, all we ask is for the opportunity to develop the client’s intent in a fresh and individual way. Of course, anything that allows us bespoke design pieces means we can really put something special together, something completely new.

Chris: Agreed, if we are allowed the freedom to design everything to the millimetre, Sofia’s eye for design and my obsession with detail often makes for some truly spectacular pieces. That said, I also enjoy the challenge of being inventive with materials and finishes to enable a beautiful design without necessarily exploding the budget with custom Joinery.

What are the most challenging aspects of working in interior design?

Sofia: The biggest challenge we have found on this project in particular is the unpredictability of some subcontractors. Due to the size of the project we had to take a gamble and go outside of our network to meet the deadlines and while some were fantastic hidden gems, some were extremely disruptive in terms of missing deadlines, not following details and general poor attention to detail. We, of course, fixed these issues but the time and effort of doing so was difficult.

Chris: Personally, I find it very challenging to be patient in the design stage. I’m always ready to dive in and detail from the start but the reality is that the big picture is often many conversations, tweaks and revisions away from a final design. Similarly, I also find it frustrating as you inevitably go down the wrong path and have to reset and sometimes you quite literally have to just wait until the right composition reveals itself. Luckily Sofia is far more patient at this stage as I’m itching to progress.

What do you wish you knew before working in the field?

Sofia: Probably how small a proportion of this job is about design and how much is organisation! The fun design stage is just the start, and although you do design throughout to a degree the remaining time is spent selecting, scheduling and managing the products. No matter how big the team grows the process is still primarily an organisational one, on the upside the end of the project where you again get to see your design but in reality, is entirely worthwhile.

Chris: I wish I knew how slow everything seems to move, even when it isn’t. This renovation we are currently on should realistically be a 2-year process start to finish; however it was squeezed to 18 months and STILL it feels like very long waits. Things like furniture on 12-week lead times, or complicated joinery design development, or even the time it takes to ship certain items from abroad. It feels like a long waiting game while you are in the midst of it, but then when it’s done you appreciate the scale of what you’ve achieved in a relatively short time.

If you could give one tip to aspiring designers, what would it be?

Sofia: Do not expect that this job is all about designing beautiful interiors and selecting pretty fabrics, unless you opt for a decorator’s job instead. Design accounts for about 15-20% of the whole job, the rest is technical drawings, accounting, multitude of excel sheets, chasing suppliers/manufacturers, managing people on site and dealing with delays, managing clients’ expectations and often having to have uncomfortable conversations to manage expectations.

Chris: I’d second that, it certainly isn’t all about the lovely designs and drawings you see on Instagram. That is a hugely important part of the process but in terms of day to day activities, it will end up being the least of what you spend time on. The worse news is that the further you develop in your career the less involved design you’ll find yourself doing, especially if you end up running a company.

What does being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer mean to you?

Sofia: As the interior design industry is largely unregulated in the UK this is a huge step in preserving the integrity of the profession. Indicating that we are trained, experienced and capable of handling projects in the millions as SBID have confirmed that we have in fact done this before.

Chris: It legitimises Studio Archer for what we are; a professional full-service interior design company that completes projects from the first thought in the clients head to the final handing over of the keys and beyond. Certifying Sofia’s degrees and experience as a premium designer for high end residential, and my own qualifications as a senior architectural technologist on some of the most elite hotels in London – SBID have verified this information to give our clients peace of mind.

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