Could you begin by introducing yourself and telling us about your background?

I’m officially an interior architect – that was my degree subject – but I’m more of an interior designer. I grew up in Devon and moved to London to study at Middlesex University. It’s where I met my husband, who is an architect. We both now have our own companies, but we often work on projects together.

I’ve now been designing for over twenty years. My first job was with an architecture practice; it was possibly better training than my degree! I then worked in bar and restaurant design, and experiential design for a PR and events company – I was designing small events and pop-ups, which was great fun.

I went freelance after having kids in order to juggle work with motherhood, and set up Studio Milne when I had my second daughter. I began doing residential work; it helped that my husband worked in that field – it gave me the confidence to do it. I still do the occasional commercial project, too, which works well.

How would you describe your style?

For me, when you’re designing for anyone, it’s not just how it looks – it’s about how clients will live, work and play in the space. Because of that, many of my projects are pretty simple in terms of design and finishes.

I think because I have architectural training, a lot of my projects are about me resolving spatial layouts. I like function; it’s all about being practical and relatively simple. I like my projects to feel fresh and not to date, so I don’t follow trends; I think I design more practically.

Who would you cite as your design heroes?

I look to many different people for inspiration and don’t just look at interiors. I love looking at Dezeen (an online architecture, interiors and design magazine). I’m still in touch with a few of the people that I either studied or worked with. It’s vital for me to meet up with fellow designers and go to trade shows to see things in the flesh; otherwise, I think I would stop designing to my best.

What’s your approach to colour and materials?

My style is relatively minimal. There’s a bit of a nod to nature in all of my projects, in my layering of textures and materials. It’s one of the reasons I love using HØLTE’s kitchens; there’s such a huge variety of timber veneers to choose from. I always like to bring an element of nature inside the home, to create an inside/outside effect. I prefer using textures and colours that come from natural materials rather than use bold colours or big prints. If someone has seen my Instagram, they would unlikely approach me to do a crazy colourful palace!

What would you describe as your studio’s highlights to date? Any favourite projects?

I think I’m the proudest of the bigger projects I’ve done, where I’ve architecturally configured the space to make it work for the client in terms of the space, the flow and the function.

The Clarendon road project kitchen (see images above) was a nice project to do. My husband Matt did the planning and building regs drawings, and then I took over and did the interior configuration. We worked well as a team on that one. The clients were delighted at the end; it is a great space.

How did you come to work with HØLTE?

I heard about HØLTE through one of my clients who wanted to use their fronts, and that ended up being my first project with them. I got to understand what they did and liked the fact that they could either do a fully bespoke kitchen or an IKEA kitchen with fronts. Client budgets are always different, but HØLTE fit into so many different scenarios. We’ve done quite a few kitchens together now.

What does the design process look like working with HØLTE?

I usually meet my client at the showroom and have a meeting with Dan, and we’ll go through what I’ve done so far – the designs and finishes I’ve selected. We’ll look at everything together, and HØLTE can then advise, and we firm up the materials from there. It’s great for the client – they get to see a real HØLTE kitchen. It’s somewhere really friendly to go, and the client can also more clearly visualise what they will have at the end of the process.

What are your future plans and projects for the studio?

I’ve got a few more projects in the pipeline with HØLTE, and they’re all quite different. One design I’m doing at the moment might have an island on castors so that it can be moved out of the way. It’s totally new to me and really fun; I didn’t realise that HØLTE can do metalwork too! I’m also now looking at how I can push my boundaries and change things up in terms of design, so it’s pretty exciting to be looking at the different ways you can create a kitchen.

Thanks, Ruth; nice to meet you!

All images courtesy Studio Milne & Alex Hall Photography:

Alex Hall Photography

Interiors|Architecture|Portraiture|Editorial

www.a-h.photography

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