Photography by Vigo Jansons
The Partnership Behind Covet Noir
EXPERTS
From a West London design studio to projects in Vienna and Riyadh, the founders of Covet Noir reflect on partnership, restraint, and the beauty of buying well.
Q: Take us back to the beginning, how did you meet, and at what point did that connection evolve into Covet Noir?
We first met over a decade ago while working at a West London design studio and there was an immediate connection. We naturally gravitated towards one another creatively and always found ourselves collaborating on projects. Over the years, we led the studio’s residential division together, working across projects in both London and New York, which really cemented our partnership and shared design language.
The idea of starting our own studio became a recurring conversation, usually over a glass of wine after work. We’d constantly discuss how we’d approach projects differently if it were our own brand: the kind of studio culture we wanted to create, the aesthetic direction, the client experience. We’re both incredibly entrepreneurial and ambitious by nature so I think there was always an inevitability to it.
The real catalyst came unexpectedly though. Maria received a call from an agent she’d previously worked with during her time in development. He was reaching out about a new residential scheme that needed staging and asked whether she knew anyone suitable for the project. The moment she got off the phone, she called me and said, “We have to do this ourselves!”
That entire weekend we were camped around Maria’s dining table, building a brand, creating a pitch deck, and essentially imagining Covet Noir into existence. Within a week, we’d won the project, officially established the business and secured our very first client.
In hindsight, it felt like the universe gave us the push we needed and it was without question the best decision we ever made.
Q: Covet Noir feels like a masterclass in restraint and quiet luxury, what was the original vision when you first started shaping the studio?
From the very beginning, our vision was to create timeless interiors. Spaces that feel enduring rather than trend-driven. So much of the design industry moves at an incredibly fast pace, with trends constantly evolving and this inevitably creates a huge amount of waste. We’ve always believed in a more considered approach. Our ethos is buy once & buy well.
For us, true luxury is about longevity. We want our interiors to feel impossible to date, spaces that could exist just as comfortably now as they could in ten or twenty years’ time. That comes from layering antique and contemporary pieces in a way that feels effortless and natural, as though the home has been thoughtfully collected and curated over time rather than designed all at once.
There’s always a sense of polish and refinement in our work, but it’s equally important that spaces feel warm, inviting and genuinely liveable. We never want an interior to feel overly styled or untouchable. The best spaces are the ones our clients can truly live in and grow with.
Q: Your Chelsea studio is such a beautiful expression of your world, at a time when so many are working remotely, what made you invest in a physical space? What do you want this environment to offer both your clients and your creative process?
Having a physical space and particularly a storefront studio, was always part of the vision for Covet Noir. For us it was important to create somewhere that not only inspires our team creatively but also acts as a physical manifestation of what we do and how we live aesthetically.
Renovating a home is an incredibly personal and significant investment, so establishing trust with clients from the outset is essential. A large part of that trust comes from being able to experience our work in person, not just through photography. Because most of our portfolio is private residential, it’s rare that we’re able to physically walk prospective clients through completed projects. In many ways, our studio became the answer to that, it's an immersive expression of our design language, skill and attention to detail.
Q: How would you describe the Covet Noir aesthetic to someone stepping into your world for the first time?
Neutral, but never boring. Our aesthetic is defined by its layering of materiality. The combination of warm veined marble, rich timbers, soft tonal palettes and our signature thread of ‘noir’ contrast woven subtly throughout each project. There’s a real art to creating neutral interiors that feel rich and inviting rather than flat or overly minimal.
The Covet Noir aesthetic is ultimately about creating spaces that feel timeless, layered and polished. Quietly luxurious, but always with warmth, character and a sense of ease. We want our interiors to feel calm and refined, while still feeling deeply liveable and personal.
Beyond that, interior design is an incredibly tactile and collaborative process. We thrive on being together as a team, exchanging ideas, solving problems in real time, developing concepts side by side. There’s an energy and fluidity to that creative process, that for us, is difficult to fully replicate in a completely remote environment.
Q: You’re known for blending antique and contemporary pieces so effortlessly, what’s your secret to making contrasts feel completely harmonious?
For us, balance is everything. Too much of either direction, overly contemporary or overly antique and a scheme can begin to feel one-dimensional. The magic really happens in the tension between the two.
We tend to use antiques as accents within a space, layering them thoughtfully throughout a design to add depth and character, but never to the point where an interior feels overly formal or museum-like. It’s about creating spaces that feel collected and evolved naturally over time.
A huge part of that harmony comes down to tone, materiality and finish. Even when introducing older pieces, they still need to sit comfortably within the overall palette and atmosphere of the scheme. There’s no point placing a heavy mahogany chest into a soft tonal white interior simply for the sake of including an antique. It has to feel intentional and visually connected to everything around it.
Ultimately we never add antiques just because we feel we should. The layering has to feel effortless and authentic. When it’s done well, the contrast between old and new creates a richness and warmth that makes a space feel truly timeless.
Q: Designing for how people live seems central to your process, what’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about clients once you really get under the surface?
Everyone claims they don’t watch television at the beginning of the design process and by the end of the project we’ve usually hidden multiple TVs throughout the house!
Jokes aside, one of the biggest things we’ve learned is that people often begin a project describing how they aspire to live, rather than how they actually live day-to-day. Part of our role is gently uncovering their real habits and routines so we can create spaces that are not only beautiful, but genuinely supportive of the way our clients use their homes.
The best interiors are never just aesthetic exercises.They need to function effortlessly around real life, whether that’s accommodating children, hosting friends, working from home or simply having somewhere comfortable to collapse at the end of the day. We spend a huge amount of time understanding those quieter details, because they’re ultimately what make a home feel personal and perfectly executed.
A lot of the time the most successful design decisions are the ones you barely notice, the hidden television, the discreet storage, the perfectly placed reading light. True luxury for us, is as much about ease as it is beauty.
Q: Running a studio together requires its own kind of chemistry, how do your individual design instincts differ, and where do they beautifully collide?
Aesthetically we’re incredibly aligned, which is probably why the partnership works so naturally. Even down to what we wear, we’re constantly turning up to meetings in accidental matching outfits. There’s a shared visual language between us that has always existed instinctively.
That said, our strengths within the design process are very different, and that balance is what makes the collaboration so dynamic. Maria is the queen of finishes and has an extraordinary eye for detail. I always say she has the most incredible imagination- she can visualise a room in microscopic detail from the very beginning of a project, which means she’s constantly thinking ten steps ahead on site. She also has an impeccable eye for antiques and must have been a florist in a previous life, almost every floral arrangement you see in our projects is her handiwork.
I gravitate more towards concept development and FF&E, mainly because I’m slightly less practical. I love building schemes, sourcing pieces and searching endlessly for the perfect object, fabrics or artwork for a space. Any opportunity to source art or style accessories is my idea of heaven. What I love most about the FF&E side is how personal it becomes and the challenge in that. Interpreting a client’s brief, encouraging them to be brave and ultimately creating something that feels truly individual and special.
Although we each lead projects independently with the support of our wonderful team, there’s a constant exchange between us creatively. When one of us hits a wall, the other steps in instinctively. That’s really the beauty of a partnership, we balance one another, fill in each other’s blindspots and ultimately bring out the best in one another creatively.
Q: Looking ahead, what does the next chapter of Covet Noir look like?
The next chapter for Covet Noir is incredibly exciting for us, particularly with the recent launch of the Covet Noir Boutique. It’s something that felt like a very natural evolution of the studio- a curated collection of antique furniture, art, textiles and objects that we’ve personally sourced from makers, artisans & markets across Europe.
Over the years, clients and followers have constantly asked where we source many of the pieces we use in our projects and within our own studio spaces, so creating a platform where people could access that world directly felt like the obvious next step.
The boutique really reflects the heart of our design philosophy - timeless pieces with character, craftsmanship and soul. We’re drawn to objects that tell a story and bring a sense of depth and individuality to a space and this allows us to share that perspective beyond our interiors work.
Alongside continuing to grow the studio internationally, with current projects underway in Vienna and Riyadh. The boutique gives us an opportunity to further grow the Covet Noir world.
