Philippa Thorp, Thorp Design

A self-declared rebellious teenager, Philippa Thorp channeled her energy and creativity through art. Having discovered – three years into a four-year degree course in fashion and textiles – that it wasn’t for her, she dropped out and took a secretarial course before joining Citibank as a temp. The bank’s chairman saw something in her and at 21 she found herself in marketing – designing the brochures for Marks and Spencer’s financial services.

Fortunately, her creative instinct took over – this time she was going to follow her dream.

When a friend told her she was going to launch a design business, Philippa, who knew nothing about the subject at the time, decided to sell the gold her mother-in-law had given her as a wedding present and invested it in the new firm.

That was 40 years ago, and she’s never looked back.

Since then, Thorp has built a design legacy spanning continents and disciplines. From a villa in Cap Ferrat and summer home in the Hamptons, a set of temperature-controlled London garages, a private jet, and Wentworth Golf Club, she’s earned a reputation for excellence. She was named Interior Designer of the Year in 2003 by BIDA, and her work on KX Gym in South Kensington, earned Best Contemporary Commercial Project at the D&D Awards that same year.

1.What are you working on now?

A very large project in America. By English standards it would be called an estate. We worked with these clients over 20 years ago, designing their London house. They love everything about England, Europe and culture, but due to the UK’s non-dom policy have relocated. So, this has become their ‘going home’ project.

It’s in Connecticut, in a setting that feels like Scotland, with long views across a lake. It’s beautiful. We offered them two design schemes: one modern, and one traditional – it was the latter that they loved. We’ve architecturally designed the house to follow the shape of the lake. It’s very nuanced and looks as though it has been in situ for years and naturally evolved over time. We are doing the overall landscaping, guest house, jetties and boathouse too. It’s a remarkable project and we feel very privileged to be leading both architectural and interior design.

We are also working on a very exciting three-bedroom apartment project in New York for another long-standing client. It’s a very different vibe – a bit Art Deco, with black floors. It’s fun! Both projects have a timelessness about their design, which is an important part of our approach.

2. You bring expertise in both the fields of architecture and design to projects. How do they differ and complement each other?

Architects tend to focus on structure, form and function – things like where the plumbing should go. They don’t tend to ask how you really want to live in the house. That’s the interior designer’s job. An interior designer will focus on where you would want to sit to have a cocktail, for instance. I’m proud of our studio for blending both disciplines so well – it means we can offer a complete 360° package, always looking at the full picture. It allows us to find the best solutions and often bring something to life that the client hadn’t even imagined was possible. I still love that moment when we present a concept and the client says, “I never would’ve thought of that.” That’s when you know you’ve done your job well.

3. You are also involved in Art Curation and have collaborated with Dale Chihuly. How does that differ from your other design work?

It is very much an extension of what we do. When we are designing a house for someone, it’s never complete until the art is in. What creates the home is the beautiful pieces you put into it. I help people build collections. We also commission pieces from artists. All these artisans – whether it is painting, sculpture, crafted joinery – they need supporting and encouraging. It is something I am passionate about, ensuring their skills, often passed down through generations, continue to carry the history and emotion. They add to the story. (Philippa is a collector herself, with works by Grayson Perry, Ceri Richards and Nic Fiddian-Green among others.)

4. What is the most unusual project you have worked on?

One of the most bonkers was designing Boris Berezovky’s private jet. I went on a 10-hour test flight with his pilot who took me to see the Northern Lights. It was an eye opener. The test involved an almost vertical take-off and other hair-raising manoeuvres. Not your typical day at the office.

5. What makes your business different?

My mantra is ‘Build Well Once’. I always put myself in the mindset of the client – what would I want if I was them? In meetings, I’ll even sit on the same side of the table as the client and challenge my own team when necessary. I’m brutally honest. I think our clients value that. They know I’ve got their best interests at heart.

With that in mind, I can’t stand the term ‘value engineering’. It suggests that you can get the same result for less. But that usually means compromising on quality. Recently, we were working on a project that was coming in over budget. We agreed with the client that the best way to resolve it was to build less but maintain the quality of the design. That’s the right way to approach it – never at the expense of excellence.

6. Tell us something unusual/unexpected about yourself

I love classic cars! My dearest friend, a no-nonsense Northerner with a wicked sense of humour, asked me if I wanted to join her in 2008 for a car rally in Lake Tahoe. I love driving and, as my story as my story of how I got into design shows, I’m a bit of a risk taker, so I said yes immediately. We turned up in a 1936 Alfa Romeo 8C. It had no roof, and this was the middle of winter! Tahoe is very high up, and it was searingly cold, so we dressed in ski outfits. This was with the pedals the wrong way around – the brake is on the right and you have to double declutch most gear changes! When I was driving, I told her to shout “brake right!” for the first 15 minutes so that I wouldn’t hit the incorrect pedal! It was mad, exhilarating and sparked a real passion for me.

Philippa Thorp is a judge in the 2025 Berkeley Square Fair LAPADA Excellence Awards.

St Mark’s Church – a conversion project we completed in Chelsea.