Ilse Crawford

Ilse Crawford is a British designer and the founder of Studioilse, with homeware collaborations at Georg Jensen and Ikea that have shaped the contemporary idea of considered, human-led design. Her Heal's range covers the Georg Jensen Alfredo collection and a selection of sculptural vases, serveware and accessories that sit between craft and contemporary minimalism.

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    Crawford is a British designer, the founder of Studioilse in London, and the first head of Design Academy Eindhoven's 'Man and Well-being' department. Her approach centres on human experience over visual statement, and her work spans hospitality interiors, furniture and homeware.

    Alfredo is Crawford's ongoing collaboration with Georg Jensen, a range of hand-finished silver-plated vases, bowls and candleholders designed around sculptural proportion rather than decorative detail. The pieces read as quiet objects rather than traditional silverware.

    Her pieces layer well with mid-century, contemporary minimalist and softer classical schemes, because the focus is on material and proportion rather than era. A single Crawford vessel on a shelf often does more than a curated group of other accessories.

    Wipe with a soft dry cloth; a specialist silver cloth refreshes the surface if tarnishing develops. The Alfredo range uses a robust plating that resists everyday handling, and the pieces are designed for practical use rather than display alone.

    • Styling Tips For A Mindful Bedroom
      Styling
      Styling Tips For A Mindful Bedroom
      Creating a bedroom that encourages good sleep and mindful practices is a great way to start every day right. Instead of hitting the snooze button over and over again, a well-styled bedroom will help feel ready for the day. It’s surprisingly easy to transform your bedroom into a more mindful space. So, here are some of our top tips. Natural textures One of the best things you can do to create a calming, mindful bedroom is to invest in natural bed linen. So, that means choosing materials like cotton and linen instead of synthetic fabrics. That’s because materials like polyester and acrylic can be scratchy, unbreathable and lead to poor sleep. Plenty of bed linen is made using these synthetic fabrics, so always check the label before buying. In contrast, natural materials like linen and cotton can seriously enhance your slumber. They’re both breathable, sumptuously soft and better for the planet. Bringing more of these natural materials into your bedroom will help create a mindful ambience. Plus, they look as good as they feel. At winter, we suggest layering up with a toasty quilted bedspread layered on top of your cotton bed linen. And you needn’t stop at your bedding either. Use natural textures and materials in your rugs, curtains and upholstery for a truly comforting bedroom. Calming colours The right colour can make or break a bedroom, you’ll want it to feel calm, revitalising and atmospheric. When choosing colours for your mindful bedroom we suggest sticking to muted, warm tones and avoiding bright hues like red or gloomy dark greys and browns. Our personal favourite bedroom colour is blue, and there’s serious science behind why it’s a great choice. In fact, the brain can recognise more shades of blue than any other colour. Plus, when the brain senses blue, it isn’t stimulated by it, encouraging it to create more sleepy hormones. Bring shades of blue into your room through the curtains, accent chairs, rugs and bed linen. Toned-down shades of green and yellow also make brilliant calming bedroom colours. However, if bright colours are your thing and you feel comfortable nodding off surrounded by them, then keep it bold. If it works, it works. A natural flourish Bring the outdoors in by adding some specially chosen house plants to your bedroom. In the same way that forest bathing helps to calm and reenergise the mind, adding plants to your bedroom will help create a mindful, calming ambience. Plus, plants look great and will add an extra design flourish to your bedroom. One of the biggest benefits of having plants in your bedroom is that they help to purify the air. That means they pull toxins from the air, trap them and release oxygen, helping you to have a mindful rest. But remember, not all plants are known for air purifying, so choose carefully. Warm lighting The right lighting will do wonders for creating a mindful bedroom. After all, the last thing you need before nodding off is a harsh white light in your eyes. Atmospheric, warming lighting will help create a relaxing, inviting bedroom. Luckily this is an easy fix. Light bulbs come in warm and white hues. So, simply switch your white bulbs out for warm ones and your bedroom will feel more relaxing instantly. Or, if you’re currently redesigning your home, now might be the right time to ask the electrician for dimmer switches. Dimmer switches mean you can control the ambience of the room without changing bulbs. So, they’re perfect for all occasions. If you’re looking for a grander solution than new light bulbs but something easier than dimmer switches, then new lighting may be in order. When choosing your lighting, opt for shades made using frosted glass. These will diffuse the light and create a more subtle glow, perfect for bedtime. No mobiles before bed If you’re investing in warm lighting and comfortable bedding, then you’re on track to create a truly mindful bedroom. However, an hour spent scrolling on your phone in bed could undo all your good work. Not only will their bright blue light trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime, but the constant stimulation will keep you wide awake. We recommend turning your bedroom into a no phone zone. This could mean the whole room, or it could mean leaving your phone on the opposite side of the bedroom to avoid temptation. Avoiding television in the run up to bedtime will also help to improve your sleep and help you drift off faster. Avoid clutter Looking to sleep better and wake up feeling mindful? Then a tidy, clutter-free room should set you on the right path. In fact, studies have shown that it takes people with messier bedrooms longer to fall asleep. This means tiredness the following day and less energy to tidy up too. So, ditch the chair that’s piled high with clothes, pick your socks off the floor and neaten up that bedside table. A great way to achieve a tidy bedroom this is through hidden storage. Whether that’s an ottoman bed with storage space underneath, shelves with opaque doors or cleverly designed wardrobes. Together, these innovative storage solutions will help you create a clutter-free, mindful bedroom. Want to create your own mindful bedroom? Check out our Bedroom edit.
    • Interior Planning Service: Using Calming Neutrals To Create A Tranquil And Inviting Bedroom
      Influencer Edits
      Interior Planning Service: Using Calming Neutrals To Create A Tranquil And Inviting Bedroom
      Cartmel bed and Kendal bedside table From bees in the walls to a birds nest in the ceiling, renovating a home can be full of surprises. At least that’s what Courtney and Lanre (@milliennialspad) found in their master bedroom when they began renovating their home. It can be difficult at times to see how everything will piece together in amongst the dust and destruction when you’re in the thick of a renovation project, but when you start to see your vision come to life, well, there’s no better feeling. Courtney and Lanre collaborated with designer Nicola Smith from the Heal’s Interior Planning Service, to bring their tranquil and inviting bedroom to life. We caught up with Nicola and Courtney to find out all about the design process, the key pieces and how to get the look of this calm yet captivating set up. So, let’s start at the very beginning. Nicola, what are the first steps when it comes to designing a space? We’d love to get some insight into how you approach a full room design. N: We start with the shape, size and layout of the room. We look at how the space could work and then how it can work based on the customer’s needs and requirements. Firstly, we consider the main pieces to the room, so for this it was easy- it was the bed. Naturally the room layout then lends itself around this. We wanted to make sure the bed was in the best position to take full advantage of the already built-in features in the room- the fireplace, the wardrobes and the bay window. Courtney, tell us about your renovation story. When did it start and how have you found the process so far? C: It all started back in November 2019 before we knew the country was going to go into lockdown a couple of months later. We put our offer in on a house that needed A LOT of work. We finally moved in August 2020, the longest wait of our lives and that's when the fun began! We decided that we would focus on one room at a time so that we wouldn't feel like we were living in a full renovation. The main bedroom had to be tackled first as it had a hole in the ceiling with a bird's nest living in it and would leak every time it rained! So, the roof was the first job on our list to get repaired, however, as everyone knows tradesmen are not as reliable as you would hope, so it was a waiting game for at least a month. From the moment the roof was fixed we used every little spare time we had taking the room back to brick so our builder (my Dad) could rebuild the walls again and we could get on to making it feel like a bedroom. I don’t remember the exact time frame it took to complete the main bedroom, but it was not quick at all, as we were doing a lot of work ourselves. The floor sanding, the building of the wardrobes and restoring the fireplace. So far, we are still enjoying renovating, we love looking back on pictures and seeing how far we've come, and have picked up a lot of new skills, each room gets easier and easier as we now know what to do and in what sequence we should do things in. We may get the renovation itch as soon as this house is finished, who knows! How would you describe your style? Do you both have the same taste? If not, how have you found the balance between your styles? Were there moments where you didn’t agree on the style or aesthetic during the design process? C: I don’t know how I would describe my style, I just know what I like and what I don’t like. I LOVE wood, I feel myself gravitate to anything that is made of wood when scrolling through Pinterest, maybe I fit in the mid-century modern style category if I had to choose. Lanre on the other hand likes the modern luxury style he will be happy with an all black and white room with gold details. The more we looked at rooms on Pinterest the more he warmed to wood pieces, so when we created a mood board just after we moved in it was a room we would both be very happy with. During the design process the only thing we did not agree on was the colour of the Elgin chair; Lanre wanted a dark green colour with black legs and I wanted beige and gold legs, after seeing the fabric and the room put together on a mood board I was won over and we decided to go with Lanre’s choice. Fine Edge Arch Floor Mirror Nicola, did you find that Courtney and Lanre had different styles? If so, how did you find the balance between the two different styles? N: I wouldn’t say they had different styles-more different views. Both of them liked the same pieces but it took a little warming up on both sides to hit a happy medium and compromise on what everyone liked. This is the best part of any interior when its more than one person living in it. Interiors should reflect personality and individual taste, it’s what gives them life and character otherwise they can be flat. I think we nailed it with all the pieces for them both. Were there any key pieces that stood out to you that you knew would be perfect for the space? N: The Cartmel bed and the Kendal range. The Cartmel bed offers a beautiful, simple organic look and feel to it with its shape and soft edges. Due to the shape of this room, it was important we added pieces that complimented it and wasn’t too boxy or square. Courtney and Lanre where very open with what they liked but equally open to suggestions of pieces they may not have looked twice at initially. For the bedsides and the chest of drawers it was evident that the Kendal range was the one. The groove detailing in these pieces reflected the built-in wardrobes that they had built. It’s like they were made specifically for this space. Courtney, how did you and Lanre find working with our IPS team? Is there anything in particular that you found helpful when designing your space? Were there pieces in the scheme that weren’t something you thought you’d have chosen but ended up loving? C: We loved every second of it! Nicola was very attentive, she listened to what we liked and came up with the most amazing ideas, she also knows the products very well, so was able to give us alternatives when needed. We found going into the showroom and seeing the items in person a huge help. For example, you don't get to see the full beauty of the Cartmel bed online, so seeing it in person made us both fall in love with it. The Heat pendant light for me is the piece I would have never thought I would have in my bedroom, but I do. It’s the first thing people comment on when they see our bedroom; it’s such a statement piece on its own. Nicola, how would you describe the finished space? N: A calming and understated piece of heaven that oozes a mix of modern and scandi influences throughout. Kendal bedside table and Joule table lamp And Courtney, how would you and Lanre describe the finished space? C: Zen. Calm. Tranquillity! A space we thought we could only see in a show room or on TV, we couldn't have imagined anything better. You can't walk into the room and not be happy or wake up in the room and not start your day with a spring in your step. There are little touches that complete the room like the pictures on the wall and the lamps. Everything we could have hoped for and more! Okay, we know no one likes playing favourites, but if you were to choose what are yours and Lanre’s favourite pieces? C: If I HAD to choose, it would have to be the Heat pendant light or the Cartmel bed. It's a toss between the two. Lanre is 1 million percent the bed; he absolutely loves it. Finally, Nicola, what advice would you have for someone who is looking to get the look of Courtney and Lanre’s bedroom? N: Keep to light finishes such as oak or veneer, don’t overthink or complicate the space and keep the textures heavy with layers and organic shapes and colours adding lots of greenery. This will give a sense of calm throughout. Add some brush brass to give a luxurious feel but keep it limited alongside strong accents of black in key areas, such as door handles and furniture feet/legs for example. Need a helping hand with designing your space? Our IPS team is here to help! Click here to follow along with Courtney and Lanre’s renovation journey.