Designed in Britain
Louisa Keating Talks About Her Company And How They Can Help Make Your New House Into A Stylish Home
Moving home can be very emotional even at the best of times, but especially so if you are moving to a new country. We are all familiar with the excitement, expectation and anticipation we bring with us and the various challenges this unique experience holds. One important factor in making the transition successful is creating a place in your new country that you can call home.
Once you have pinpointed an area where you want to live, chosen a neighbourhood, decided whether to rent or buy, your thoughts will more than likely turn to creating a home where you feel comfortable, that is personal and reflects who you are. This can be a hugely daunting task not knowing how to go about doing this in unfamiliar surroundings, or where to start and the best way to find the things you need. Even when you have lived somewhere for a while these things can still be difficult to tackle. What you need is an expert, someone who not only speaks your language and understands what you want, but also has extensive knowledge of local resources and the best insider secrets at their fingertips, be it boutique art galleries in Notting Hill to specialist upholstery workshops in Chelsea. Enter Atlantic Interior Design.
Atlantic Interior Design was founded fifteen years ago by Louisa Keating, who herself moved to London from the US over 20 years ago. Originally from Michigan, Louisa attended Smith College in Massachusetts studying languages and arts. Her love of languages translated into frequent trips to Europe where she fell in love with the elegant interiors and mix of design styles in London. A year abroad working in commodities in the City of London was soon surpassed by a growing obsession for interiors and a love of London’s vibrant and diverse design scene.
Louisa studied interior design in Chelsea, with particular interest in fine detailing, and has never looked back. Louisa heads a talented and enthusiastic design team based from their interiors studio in Notting Hill. The design team’s commissions come almost exclusively through recommendation from existing clients, but Louisa is keen to stress there is no formula. “Comfort and luxury are key factors for all our clients, but each design is individually tailored.” One minute the designers may be helping a client move in by positioning their existing furniture and art brought from abroad, another shopping with a client for art and accessories, or delivering a complete furnishings scheme for an unfurnished home, to standing in wellie boots and a hardhat in mud on a construction site discussing architectural plans.
Atlantic was selected by The Sunday Times as one of Britain’s top 30 interiors designers in 2013 and it is not hard to see why. The company’s designs lean towards being more contemporary, but importantly respect the heritage and architectural detailing of British homes, mixing classic elements such as beautiful antiques and vintage pieces with more streamlined and elegant furniture. “We create a very simple palette for walls, floors and curtains, and then layer in beautiful upholstery and stunning furniture finished with texture and subtle colour in soft furnishings, art and accessories.” Projects in the last year included furnishing a couple’s townhouse in Kensington, designs for a mews house in Chelsea, a complete re-design of a busy family home in Hampstead and adding finishing touches to a house in Surrey.
One key to the company’s success is Louisa’s enviable team of suppliers who she has carefully assembled over the last 15 years. The designs the team create are supported by skilled British craftsmen and women who represent the best in their trades: curtain makers, upholsterers, quilters, fine furniture makers, carpenters, and lighting specialists. “There is a real pedigree of fine craftsmanship in Britain that we want to support. Their attention to detail at every level and quality of finish are important in making our designs stand out and giving clients something truly unique.”
Being from the US herself, Louisa is well versed in helping expat clients create the same comfort and convenience they are accustomed to at home here in the UK. Living in Britain may not differ as much as other places in the world, but it still has its cultural differences and eccentricities all the same. “Bathrooms without electrical sockets are still one of our clients’ biggest adjustments!” Louisa sees it as the team’s main objective to make the design process an enjoyable one for their clients, a voyage of discovering Britain while helping clients translate their ideas and wishes. The homes Atlantic create are distinctly elegant and luxurious, but also importantly practical and comfortable where no detail is too small or overlooked. “It is our clients that make what we do the most interesting and rewarding. Our most successful interiors are those where the client takes that leap of faith – the extra step to do something unique and new, and invariably they are thrilled with the results.”
Atlantic Interior Design Limited - Member BIID (British Institute of Interior Design)
www.atlanticinteriordesign.com
design@atlanticinteriordesign.com
T: +44 (0)20 7243 6364