Katharine Pooley

Trustee

Katharine Pooley is one of the most sought-after interior designers working internationally today.

Recently named ‘British Interior Designer of the Decade’, ‘International Designer in Asia of the Year’ and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ her design ethos is both highly respected and uniquely far-reaching.

Her eponymous Knightsbridge design studio was established more than 15 years ago and continues to create unmatched luxury interior designs for the most discerning clients.

Overseeing her team of 47 interior designers and architects Katharine’s highly personal approach – she immerses herself in every detail of her client’s complex projects – ensures a loyal international fan base for her impressive designs.

Katharine’s aesthetic is very much client driven and she prides herself on being a complete design chameleon. The projects her studio takes on range in style and scale; recently including a very modern, sleek and precision engineered 5 star hotel with its own private racing track in Shaoxing, China, beach houses in Capetown, Dubai and the South of France, traditional houses and castles in Scotland and England, Palaces in Kuwait and Qatar and elegant city dwellings in Singapore, Washington and London.

Katharine continues to win commissions and awards for landmark commercial and residential projects in London and worldwide.

An innate sense of adventure has defined Katharine’s life and shaped her design philosophy. Katharine is an intrepid traveller and has visited more than 150 countries. However, what may come as a surprise is that she has summited many of the world’s highest mountains, driven a team of dogs on a sled to the north pole, and crossed the Sahara on horseback, so one begins to form a picture of a tenacious and gutsy businesswoman and a truly original and adventurous interior designer.

Having spent a number of years working in finance in Hong Kong and Singapore, Katharine is a shrewd businesswoman and under her leadership Katharine Pooley Ltd has grown enormously each year from a UK firm undertaking predominantly domestic projects to an internationally well-respected brand and design studio encompassing architectural design, interior design, project management, product design and property development.

Alongside her successful design studio, Katharine has a standalone boutique in South Kensington, and her website , www.katharinepooley.com, showcasing a range of curated accessories sourced from all over the globe.

In 2017, and in partnership with Assouline, Katharine released Journey by Design. The book explores the creative processes and diverse inspirations behind 19 of her inimitable projects.

Recently included in Country & Town House’s 50 Best Interior Designers in the UK and Andrew Martin’s Top 100 international interior designers, Katharine Pooley’s upcoming projects include a large coastal villa, a private country estate in Oxfordshire, a palatial family home in Kuwait, private offices in Hong Kong and many private residential and Hotel projects worldwide.

Katharine works tirelessly in her philanthropic pursuits. Katharine Pooley Ltd have partnered with the charity Childhood Trust to launch the ‘Decorate A Child’s Life’ programme, which renovates the dilapidated and squalid bedrooms of children living in poverty across Greater London. This programme is entirely volunteer-led, the designers work with the charity to support children who live in the squalid conditions.

Aside from Childhood Trust, Katharine also sits on the Trustee Board for Military Forces and is an Ambassador for Lady Garden – a national women’s health charity, raising awareness and funding for research into gynaecological cancers.