Interviewing WOOLF's founder on designing houses and hotels

We catch up with Verity Woolf, the award-winning studios’ founder to ask her what we all want to know about designing houses and hotels.

Verity Woolf founded WOOLF Interior Design and Interior Architecture in 2009. The multidisciplinary practice combines the skill of interior design and interior architecture in their Bath and London studios. The team creates interior schemes for private houses and hotel brands, tailoring their designs to individual briefs, with their clients captivated by WOOLF’s discrete and engaging attitude.

Each project is site-sensitive and has a curated feel, mixing tradition with imagination for contemporary and historic interiors. Keenly focused on sustainability, WOOLF imbues all their projects with a renewable approach, from private homes and boutique hotels across the UK, to luxurious hotels around the world. 

We sit down and ask Verity about the ins and outs of running the successful practice.

I know WOOLF designs both contemporary and historic interiors for houses and hotels. Why do you cover these aspects of design, rather than sticking to one niche? 

“We pride ourselves on not having a ‘signature house-style’, and see the design process as being a collaborative journey. We could not possibly roll out the same design for each project! We would lose what makes us want to design, which is our creative enquiry. WOOLF does not look to trends for inspiration, rather we tailor our design to the building. For hotels, we provide a unique visual narrative for the hotel for years to come. For private houses, we look to the personalities of our clients, and their lifestyle. It’s too limiting to apply one style of design to so many wonderfully different projects.”

Known for sensitively enhancing the inherent beauty of Victorian, Regency and Georgian interiors, how does WOOLF bring elegance and freshness to traditional or period houses and hotels?

“We love historic buildings and the majority of our projects are in some way historic. A building’s history is fascinating and we get to re-imagine these amazing assets for future generations. We have designed the interiors of many Grade I and Grade II listed buildings so that they complement contemporary requirements and lifestyles. As members of the Historic Houses Association, it was great to see their recent annual meeting focusing on low carbon and renewable concerns for listed buildings: something we’re passionate about.”

You're interested in sustainability, what are a few switches that make modern and historic interiors more sustainable, while still retaining beauty and luxury?

“When it comes to making either a historic or modern property more sustainable, there are a number of differences we can make and the options are growing all the time. For an interior refurbishment, we often use toxin-free paint, natural pesticide-free materials, carpets made of renewable materials like bamboo and wool, recycled acrylic or glass for furniture.
Older properties are often filled with draughty single glazed windows and gas-guzzling energy systems. We aim to ensure that these properties can continue to thrive in a more environmental way. Depending on budget, installing heat pumps, central heat recovery systems and double glazing are all good options. Adding hidden insulation and blocking up unused fireplace flues, or replacing with bio-ethanol fuel, are all efficient heat retention approaches that help to ensure a property functions in the most efficient way, while remaining a beautiful and luxurious space.”

Where do you source such unique pieces of furniture for your projects? 

“We often turn to sources such as 1stDibs or Vinterior for unique vintage pieces. To lower the carbon footprint of the project and save import duties, we prefer pieces that originate in the UK. Sourcing vintage pieces is the perfect way to ensure we include rare or unique items and is of course a very renewable option. We also always look at what furniture the hotel or client already has, and how we can reimagine it. We source new pieces for hotels or homes, but we often design bespoke-made furniture, too. We like to work with the very best craftspeople to make furniture that is beautiful and timeless, has longevity and is fit for purpose. We enjoy personalising every detail by creating schemes that are underpinned by investment, and can be passed down the generations.”

What was your most interesting hotel project to work on so far? 

“It has to be for the ‘The Maybourne Hotel Group’. They boast some of the most famous luxury hotels in the world, including Claridges, for which we were brought in as a consultant. As a listed building in Mayfair, it is beloved for its splendour, charm and impeccable service. The hotel's original Art Deco interiors have been sensitively interwoven with modern flourishes. We gained first-hand insight into how an internationally renowned luxury hotel maintains its history, whilst staying constantly relevant to its guests since the 1800s. It’s quite a track record!”

Tell us about your client journey, and what clients can expect when working with WOOLF? 

“Whether we are working on a hotel design that breathes its brand narrative, or we are designing a residential home renovation, we always take the time to fully understand the needs and aspirations of the client, and consider the building itself.

After the initial appraisal of a project, WOOLF provides a complimentary design proposal outlining the suggested spatial planning, detailed fee structure, scope of services, projected costs,  estimated timescale. We always provide our ‘Green Approach’ feasibility, which explores environmental options that we can switch to. 

Our passionate teams use their specialist skills to deliver detailed design, procurement and project management. Essentially, we take care of all the parts that you may find stressful or too technical, so you can enjoy the process, assured that the best people genuinely care about your project.”