An Interior Designer’s Favourite Pieces
An Interior Designer’s Favourite Pieces
Image: New Day Design, Anna Stathaki
Life
/

An Interior Designer’s Favourite Pieces

Andrew Griffiths is the man behind London interior-design studio A New Day. A master creator of distinctive home spaces, here he’s sharing 15 classic pieces he turns to time and again in his work…
Image: New Day Design, Anna Stathaki

All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.

A great armchair is one of the most important pieces in any living space. This one from Soho Home has that members-club feel that makes a room feel relaxed and inviting. The moss leather has a richness that works particularly well against neutral palettes or darker woods. I often use chairs like this in pairs, either in a sitting room or at the end of a bedroom, where they create a small moment for reading or conversation. 

Scent is one of the most powerful ways to shape the atmosphere of a home. Lighting a candle in the evening immediately softens a room, especially when paired with layered lighting and a comfortable chair. The Figuier candle from Diptyque is a long-standing favourite of mine – fresh, green and evocative. 

Palefire Studio is a small design team based not far from our studio. I love supporting designers working at this scale. Their Cloche pendant has a fantastic sense of colour and form. Pendants like this are brilliant for zoning spaces, particularly above a dining table or kitchen island, where they create a focal point and help anchor the room. 

Portable lighting has become one of my favourite things to use in projects. These small rechargeable lamps give you incredible flexibility – they can sit on a shelf, a side table or the centre of a dining table, creating a lovely soft pool of light. Then in summer they can move outside onto a terrace or balcony. 

This image of Nicely’s Café in California has that slightly cinematic, nostalgic quality that draws you in. It suggests a story without spelling everything out. Pieces like this can subtly shift the mood of a room, almost like opening a small window to somewhere else. 

Max McClintock is one of the most interesting furniture designers currently working in London. His pieces have a beautiful sense of proportion and silhouette. This side table is a great example. It’s sculptural enough to hold its own in a room, but restrained enough to sit comfortably alongside other pieces. Tables like this elevate a corner of a room while still being practical for a book, a drink or a lamp. 

If you’re working from home regularly, upgrading your desk lighting can make a huge difference to how the space feels. Bert Frank produces some of the most beautiful and well-crafted lighting in the UK. The proportions are elegant, and the materials feel substantial without being showy. A desk lamp should feel enjoyable to use because it’s something you interact with daily. 

Shelving is one of the easiest places to inject personality into a home, and bookends are a surprisingly effective way to do it. Think of these Cubist pieces from Assouline less as purely functional pieces and more as small artworks in their own right. 

Rose Uniacke is known for her restrained approach to design. The form of this spotlight is incredibly simple but extremely refined, which is what gives it its elegance. Wall lights like this are brilliant beside a bed or along a hallway where you want focused light without introducing visual clutter. 

Nordic Knots is one of our go-to suppliers for rugs. Their designs are consistently strong, and the quality is excellent. Rugs are incredibly important for anchoring furniture arrangements and softening acoustics at the same time. I tend to favour pieces with subtle patterns and tonal variation, as they add depth without competing with the rest of the room. 

Every good armchair deserves a table within easy reach – somewhere to place a book, a coffee or, ideally, a negroni at the end of the day. This drinker's table from Galvin Brothers is small but incredibly useful. Handmade in Yorkshire, the craftsmanship is also exceptional, giving it an elegance that never feels overdesigned. 

Floor lamps are often overlooked, but they’re one of the best ways to introduce atmosphere into a room. We used this piece by Contain in a recent project as a reading light beside an armchair, and it worked beautifully. The double cone form feels bold and architectural. I particularly like how directional the light is. It creates a focused pool of illumination without flooding the entire space. Good lighting should feel intentional. 

Dining chairs need to strike a careful balance between comfort and elegance. These chairs from the Conran Shop manage both beautifully. The oak frame has a lovely lightness to it, while the upholstered seat makes them comfortable enough for long dinners around the table. Chairs are one of the pieces people interact with most in a home, so it’s worth investing in something that feels both well-designed and genuinely comfortable. The simplicity of this design means it works across a wide range of interiors. 

Overhead lighting needs to be treated with care. The main ceiling light in a room is rarely the one you use most, but when it’s right, it contributes enormously to the atmosphere. The Akari pendant by Isamu Noguchi is an absolute classic and one of my favourites. The paper construction creates a soft, warm glow that feels far more inviting than many contemporary fixtures. It’s also a wonderful shape, which helps fill a room visually without feeling heavy. 

Stainless steel might not be the first material people think of for shelving, but it can look incredibly chic when used well. These Rivet shelves by Frama have a beautiful, industrial simplicity that works particularly well in kitchens, studies or more contemporary interiors. 

Follow @ANewDay_InteriorDesign & visit ANewDayDesign.Studio

 

 

All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.

DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at [email protected].