Based in a converted warehouse in Chelsea overlooking the Thames, Studio Indigo is a multi-disciplinary practice encompassing architecture, interior design and building management. Since being founded by creative director Mike Fisher 15 years ago, it has become known, not just for its expertise in prime residential properties (which often leads to record breaking sales) but luxury yachts, planes, hotels, restaurants and offices, too. What unites this diverse portfolio is an ambition to create unique, expressive spaces through integrating the architecture with the interiors – in other words, thinking from the outside in and inside out. With a team that consists of 40 architects, technicians and designers from around the world, the studio has the flexibility to work on every stage of a project, from concept to design, planning to construction and styling.
Inspiration can come from various sources: a piece of furniture, art, fashion, fabrics, nature or iconic architects such as Charles Cameron and Norman Foster
The majority of the studio’s work involves thinking up imaginative, bespoke solutions that fit a client’s requirements – whether it’s an 18m cantilevered staircase sheathed in travertine with striking bronze balustrades as a contemporary homage to Italian architect Carlo Scarpa for a private residence or the timelessly sleek interior of 36m yacht, Brigadoon, which resulted in winning a prestigious World Superyacht Award in 2019. Mike makes a point of working with only the top craftsmen and artisans in the industry, such as wallcovering firm de Gournay, antique lighting specialists Jamb and furniture designer Simon Orrell. One example of this was Ven House, an historic grade I-listed estate in Somerset, where the studio orchestrated a wonderful collaboration between a range of antique dealers, conservation specialists and artisans (it was so successful that it was highly commended by the Georgian Group Awards for restoration of a Georgian country house).
Inspiration can come from various sources: for instance, a piece of furniture, art, fashion, fabrics, nature or iconic architects such as Charles Cameron and Norman Foster (Mike especially loves British artist Diarmuid Kelley for his contemporary take on 17th-century portraits). Ultimately, though, the biggest cue for a project is the client themselves. ‘Getting to know our clients and how they live plays an important role in understanding their aesthetic which we interpret through beauty, proportion and balance,’ explains Mike. ‘We don’t aspire to shock or be strident, but to create warmth and comfort with a sense that the space can adapt as the client grows with it.’
Other completed projects include designing the London showrooms for two world-renowned fabric houses – Rubelli and Chelsea Textiles – and the interior of the Clockspire restaurant in Sherborne, which is set in a 19th-century school; currently the studio is working on a new Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hanover Square, several new yachts, a large residential complex near Moscow, a ski chalet and various houses and apartments in London and the countryside. All of which demonstrates the studio’s capacity to offer high quality service and design, tapping into the holistic relationship between architecture and interiors – whatever the nature of the space.
