Lifestyle Residences development, Churcham House
High-quality design is at the heart of every Lifestyle Residences development
“As a team at Lifestyle Residences, we put a great deal of thought into the homes we create for people, and I think having someone who is always there to champion and safeguard good design is an important part of the success of our developments.”
Our lead on interiors is Claudia Riga de Spinoza. We asked her to explain a little about what she does, and why good design is so important when we’re creating beautiful places to live.
What role does design play in a Lifestyle Residences development?
I’m very privileged to be a part of Lifestyle Residences, which is a family business and somewhere that my twenty-plus years of experience in design is really valued. At Lifestyle, we create considered, thoughtful, flexible spaces. There is a high quality to the design which is above what you would usually expect to see in a mainstream development.
What is your design philosophy?
Very early on in my design career I was exposed to the philosophy that it is possible to marry functionality with good design, even in situations where there are considerable constraints, for example of budget or space. That notion has shaped my approach ever since. Design can easily be neglected – but if, for example, you have to select tiles for a build, and someone takes the time to choose the very best tile possible for the price, you have delivered what you needed to, and created a better environment for people to live in. That’s what I’ve always enjoyed about design.
My career path has taken me in many different directions. Over the years I’ve designed for a lot of very high-end residential and hotel developments, which have their own particular parameters and considerations. That type of work has given me a good appreciation of how important it is to take time over creating exactly the right palette of materials for every project, and just how crucial good lighting can be.
What’s your day-to-day focus at Lifestyle Residences?
Design has a part of play at every stage of a project, and I’m lucky that my career has allowed me to develop an understanding of how it fits in at the macro and micro scale. At Lifestyle I’m involved in everything, from the large space planning right through to the tiniest details.
As a team at Lifestyle Residences, we put a great deal of thought into the homes we create for people, and I think having someone who is always there to champion and safeguard good design is an important part of the success of our developments.
What are you working on right now?
With our latest development, Mulberry Court, we’re creating 34 one and two-bedroom Independent Living apartments in the heart of Hampton Wick, close to the banks of the Thames. We’re inviting buyers to ‘downsize to their dream lifestyle’. Really, it’s a village within a village, with shared gardens, club rooms, exercise studio and salon where home owners can enjoy the freedom of the new chapter of life that comes with retirement. We’re really excited to see it taking shape, so watch this space for more details.