By Soho House

Soho Home started because our members love the House interiors. And, after asking where they could get hold of their favourite Champagne coupe or bed sheets, we started a homeware brand just for them.

Fast forward six years and we continue to bring our members further into our world, with the launch of Soho Home Design. The interior design service gives us one-to-one time with our members and customers to help plan their space from start to finish, taking style cues from their favourite Houses.

Back in April 2021, property developer Jantiene Sobry was one of the first members to use the service as she embarked on a huge project: building a new home for her family in a two-storey, four-bedroom house in the Cotswolds. When Soho Home Design launched, we both said: 'Wow, this is exactly what we need,' says Sobry, a local White City House member- turned-Soho Farmhouse member. 'We wanted to work with Soho Home because our interior style is really inspired by the Houses and it would mean working with someone we trusted.'

Here's how the Soho Home Design process worked for Sobry, from start to finish.

Sobry and her husband worked with Soho Home's Interior Style Manager, Candy Murray, on two rooms: the master bedroom and grown-ups' lounge - a child-free zone for relaxing, Sobry had a succinct vision for her home, favouring rich, warm tones, cosy materials and a contemporary-classic style.

'If I had to describe the overall feeling that I wanted to create, it would be calming. Because we have two children, I felt that the space needed to feel open and serene to balance their mess and toys,' she says. 'This also related to the outdoors-indoors idea - focusing on natural textures and tones for a connection to nature, which I find grounding. So, while style and form is important, I wanted to keep harking back to elements of nature.'

In her first meeting with the couple, Murray was keen to understand their vision and ideas for how they wanted to create a family home that was right for them. 'To begin with, it's important to get to know the space, so I go through lots of questions on the types of walls, any interesting ceilings, standout features, the natural light, and we'll walk through the architect's plans together.'

Another big part of the brief for Murray was creating cosiness with textiles and lighting - something Sobry prioritised not only for her own comfort, but also to create an inviting environment to host friends and family. 'The Houses do that so well; they make you feel at home, and comfort is so important to me. Although the space does feel modern, I don't like sleek minimalism at all,' she explains.

As well as the building's structure and the client's interiors style being taken into account, our designers also get to understand the purpose, use and role that the home plays for those living there. After a thorough case study of the project is drawn up, it's time to work through different moods and colour palettes for inspiration.

Over the course of several meetings, Murray was able to help Sobry and her husband shape their two chosen rooms, as well as buy other pieces for around their home.

'I spoke to Jantiene about her inspirations and we looked through a presentation of different Soho Houses around the world, as well as our room sets that show our products styled in different environments,' says Murray. 'It's my job to get inside the client's head. What are they drawn to? What are the key themes they seem to like again and again? It can be something as simple as creating symmetry with furniture or making a feature of lighting.'

Murray then used the architectural plans from the initial consultation to create a to-scale floor plan of furniture suggestions, which she presented back to the couple three weeks later. 'It's great to open the dialogue about what the client does and doesn't like. Plus, as the service has grown, I can now advise on paint colours and art, too,' she says.

From this point, it was time to try out fabric samples, make final decisions and begin ordering. 'Candy was so helpful throughout the process,' says Sobry. 'She put together our quotes, chased up stock, looked at delivery times, and even assisted us with orders that we made ourselves for other parts of the home. Having someone to help manage that process is really beneficial.'

For the lounge area, Murray chose two Vivienne sofas sitting opposite each other in deep green velvet. 'When we were looking through inspiration images, Jantiene was drawn to symmetrical seating, especially either side of a fireplace. As this space is large and the family pass through it a lot, I wanted a style with interesting back detail that made a statement from every angle,' Murray explains.

'Fabric-wise, a light linen would have worked with the room and be in keeping with the natural theme, but while the kids wouldn't be in the space constantly, I knew that a pale neutral would probably get marked at some point,' she adds.

With their cocooning shape, a pair of Garret chairs offer more seating space for when Sobry is entertaining, and they fit the cosy brief. The Seed chandeliers draw the eye up and add an architectural edge, as well as being one of Sobry's picks from the inspiration images. Then, smaller Oxley and Fleet coffee tables at different heights bring character, with the different marble finishes helping to create a layered look.

In the bedroom, the Gerrard bed fills out the space and is a good match for the really high ceilings. 'The muted navy-blue linen brings the depth and richness that Jantiene was looking for but its desaturated hue looks effortless against the plaster-effect walls,' shares Murray. The Carlisle bedside tables and two Greyson lamps are also added to each side of the bed, creating the symmetry that's seen across all Soho House bedrooms and making the bed the centrepiece, all while playing with different tones of wood to create texture and interest.

Learn more about the Soho Home Design service and book a complimentary consultation with a member of the team here.

Consultations are available either virtually, or in our London, Oxfordshire and LA Studios.