Our exclusive interview with London-based interior designer Clare Weeks.

Clare Weeks set up the Notting Hill-based interior design agency My-Studio in 2012, and has established a reputation for creating striking, contemporary spaces – from farmhouses to city penthouses to restaurants. We spoke to Clare about her approach to design, her inspirations and why lighting is ‘the soul of an interior’…

How did you get started in interior design?

I was working as a client manager at a branding agency. I picked up a copy of Elle Decoration, read it, fell in love with interior design and was hooked. I had experience of delivering interiors projects in a corporate environment, but I decided to get formally trained. I had brilliant teachers at The Interior Design School London who really opened my eyes to the world of design.

Then I was fortunate to learn from the best, including Suzy Hoodless. The first job I bagged out of design school was running Suzy’s Ladbroke Grove studio working on some of the most exciting and prestigious interiors projects in the UK – from Baccarat events to contemporary London townhouses and country estates.