Philia
Magazine

Rachel Usher is a multi-award-winning interior designer and the founder and Creative Director of her eponymous design studio, established in 2012. Fully accredited by the SBID (Society of British and International Interior Design), she is recognised for a thoughtful and emotionally driven approach to interiors that extends beyond aesthetics, focusing on how spaces can enhance the way people live and feel within them.

Together with her studio team, Rachel places great importance on understanding each client’s personality and lifestyle, believing that meaningful interior design begins with human connection. Her work is guided by the idea that the spaces we inhabit have a profound impact on emotional wellbeing and everyday life.

Alongside her studio practice, Rachel is also the founder of The Business of Interiors and host of the podcast If These Walls Could Talk, where she explores the realities and nuances of working within the design industry.

Interior Fox was founded by Mariana Ugarte and Jenna Choate, a creative duo known for crafting bold yet highly livable interiors tailored to each client’s lifestyle and personality. Combining Mariana’s background in furniture design with Jenna’s expertise in styling and interiors, the studio has developed a distinctive approach that balances functionality, warmth, and contemporary character.

Known for their refined use of colour, texture, and spatial layering, Interior Fox has built a reputation for delivering thoughtful, client-focused interiors with a fresh and modern sensibility. Their work has been featured in publications including Elle Decoration, Livingetc, The Guardian, Tatler, and Forbes, and they have collaborated with international brands such as H&M.

Sharon Lillywhite is the Founding Partner and Creative Director of Oliver Burns Studio, an internationally recognized interior design practice known for its refined approach to contemporary luxury. Over the past two decades, she has established herself as a trusted advisor to private clients, developers, and luxury brands, leading projects across the UK and internationally with a combined value exceeding £1 billion.

Recognized as one of Walpole’s “Power 50” most influential figures in British luxury and a recommended advisor on the Spears 500 Index, Lillywhite is known for her highly personal and detail-driven approach. Central to her vision is the concept of “Thoughtful Luxury” — creating elegant, quietly luxurious spaces that go beyond aesthetics and are shaped through craftsmanship, collaboration, and narrative.

Working closely with world-renowned artisans and makers, Sharon personally oversees the studio’s bespoke commissions, ensuring each project reflects a timeless sensibility and exceptional level of care.

Holloway Li is a London-based interior architecture and design studio founded by creative duo Alex Holloway and Na Li. Known for a highly conceptual yet refined approach, the studio works across hospitality, retail, workplace, and residential projects, creating spaces that balance strong architectural identity with warmth and functionality.

Their portfolio includes a diverse range of projects, from the reimagining of Mother London’s Shoreditch headquarters to hospitality projects such as WunderLocke Munich, Bermonds Locke, and a rooftop extension for The Hoxton. The studio has also developed retail and showroom concepts, including a new flagship experience for bathroom brand Coalbrook.

In addition to their interior architecture practice, Holloway Li launched their first furniture collection in collaboration with Uma. The studio continues to expand internationally, with upcoming projects including a large-scale modular apartment hotel in Canary Wharf as well as new hospitality developments across China, Tokyo, New York, and London.

Millie Turner is the founder of Millie Turner Designs, a boutique full-service design studio based in London, working on projects across the UK. What began as a freelance career evolved into a fully-fledged studio in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Since then, Millie has grown the business to a team of six, delivering a diverse range of projects. Her design approach blends timeless and contemporary elements, crafting homes that feel warm, personal, and effortlessly lived-in. With a love for layering textures, natural materials, and playful pops of colour, she creates spaces that are both functional and inviting—never cold or staged, always full of life and personality. At Millie Turner Designs, it’s not just about interiors—it’s about creating spaces that tell a story.

Freya Reed is the Head of Design at Vesta Interiors, known for pushing creative boundaries through eclectic and highly individual design schemes. Drawing inspiration from evolving trends, fashion, travel, and cultures from around the world, her interiors are layered, expressive, and deeply personal.

With a strong focus on storytelling, Reed approaches each project as a reflection of her clients’ personalities and lifestyles, carefully balancing bold ideas with sophistication and cohesion. Her work is recognized for its distinctive mix of textures, colors, and curated details, resulting in spaces that feel both dynamic and timeless.