UK Designer Laura Hammett Opts For Timelessness Over Trends

A star in the London design world, Laura Hammett leads a 31-person staff in her eponymous studio, alongside her husband, Aaron. Their work spans from the British countryside to projects around the globe. They've installed designs in skyscrapers, and in the actual sky—as in an 18-seat private jet.

As a designer who outlines her client briefs down to where they charge their phones at night, it’s clear Laura has an appreciation for the smallest detail. That appreciation carries into her wallcovering choices, which seem subtle at first, but look again, and they’ll show their lush texture, pattern, and colors.

In Conversation With Laura
In the latest Behind the Design conversation, Philip Bershad, President of Phillip Jeffries, talked with interior designer Laura Hammett about her pursuit of timeless aesthetics and eschewing trends. “I don't like anything that's not going to be here to stay.”

Project: Chic and Comfortable City Escape
In this formal living room of a home in Surrey, England, Laura wanted the feel to be fresh with contrasting fabrics. "The walls don’t shout in the photos, but up close, the texture of the wallcovering (Silky String in Moonshine, 3821) shines through with an almost shimmer-like detail and 'elevates the space,'" said Laura. "It felt so elegant and like it would feel fresh in ten or twenty years’ time.”

SHOP SILKY STRINGS II
The polished luster of silken rayon yarns, combined with a chic vertical texture, creates a sophisticated textile wallcovering for the walls.

Laura's Textile Wallcoverings Tip
For Laura's many clients who are younger families, she said, “often we will use [Phillip Jeffries] linen options, and it allows people to have something amazing, but usable. Nothing too precious.”

Project: Masculine and Moody Pied-à-Terre
Originally a “white box,” in a high rise along the London Embankment, this bedroom was completely transformed with dark and masculine tones and textures. With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the River Thames, Laura borrowed inspiration from the moody London skies. The wallcovering, Chevron Chic, done in New World Navy, 3297, almost resembles a men’s suit jacket draped behind the dark headboard with leather strap details. The versatile wallcovering is one of Laura's favorites. “It brings a rustic texture and industrial vibe” into the room.

SHOP CHEVRON CHIC
Handcrafted in Japan, two colors of paper are woven to create a chevron flame stitch pattern that makes this cool, graphic wallcovering.



Project: Serene Oasis
In another London highrise, Laura wanted to create a calming bedroom space perched high above the busy city. She opted for Phillip Jeffries Fade in Grey Whisper for the wallcovering behind a deep green velvet headboard. “It’s one of my favorite papers, we use it a lot in bedrooms because it is so calming,” she said. The horizontal brushstrokes in ombre give the room “quiet drama” that Laura seeks in her designs.

“We don't do a lot of bold colors and patterns," said Laura. "It's those quieter details that give the luxury and elegance without being brash.”

SHOP FADE
The essence of ombré seen through layers of horizontal brushstrokes in a multitude of colorations are digitally printed on natural wallcovering grounds.

Project: Drama in New Delhi
A world away from London and its skyline views, Laura designed a glamor-tinged dining room in a New Delhi penthouse – an interior space with no windows at all. “It was all about the drama,” said Laura, “with the circular coffered lighting, table and bespoke rug.”

To contrast all that roundness, Laura framed the wallcovering, Metallic Ombre in Pewter, 3163, in panels to serve beautifully as the only art in the room. Each roll is hand woven, with metallic leaf laid down one piece at a time.

“I love classic architecture and paneling," she said. "It adds so much elegance, but we often do it in a contemporary way.”

 
SHOP METALLIC OMBRE
With more shades of metallic added, this specialty wallcovering showcases the Japanese art of metallic leafing with aged-to-perfection appeal.

Watch IG LIVE here!
Watch the entire Behind the Design conversation here and learn which Phillip Jeffries wallcovering will be her new go-to for elegance that lasts.