Job Description: Middleweight FF&E Designer

Who are we?

Studio Ashby is a London-based interior design studio, founded by Sophie Ashby in 2014. We are a dynamic group of experienced designers, working across residential and commercial interior design and creative direction in the UK and Internationally. We pride ourselves on our positive, professional and personal approach in all that we do. We work efficiently and collaboratively to bring integrity and soul to interior life.

What do we do?

Our mission is to create habitable spaces with identity. Whether it’s a home, a restaurant, a hotel or a commercial development, we apply the same creative approach that starts with envisioning the lives of the people who will inhabit it. We question what inspires them, what moves them and how we can fulfil their desires and support their needs with our design. Art plays a central role in our inspiration and process. Stemming from Sophie’s own passion and training in art history, we believe art has a vital place in every interior and no space feels complete without it.

Together with interior design we also provide creative direction. This allows us to create immersive experiences in the environments we design, ensuring the character and style of our clients is felt in substance across all details and touch points. Our creative direction includes many aspects that affect how we experience our environments: from art consultancy and buying to bespoke collaborations, books to uniforms, planting to fragrance. With greater consideration to the many layers that make up our interior world, the deeper the connection we have to it in response.

Relationships are core to all that we do: relationships with our clients, our customers, our suppliers, manufacturers and the many craftspeople and ateliers we work closely with. Our work is a collaborative process involving many different people, and strong relationships are crucial for achieving good results. We believe design should be a positive experience and it’s important to have fun along the way.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Directors, Head of FF&E and Associates, you will provide FF&E, Accessories and Art schemes from conception through to installation, including scheming, sourcing, budgeting, procurement and styling.

What we’re looking for:

  • Someone who demonstrates, through every aspect of who they are, a passionate love of design, art and beauty.
  • Someone with experience in scheming and styling, with a good design eye and natural creative instinct for art and colour.
  • Someone who thrives both collaboratively and independently, delivering at the highest level across varied high-end residential, commercial, and hospitality FF&E projects.
  • A confident, loyal, trustworthy, dynamic, charming person who can hold their own with clients, suppliers and project teams.
  • Someone with a proactive nature, great instincts, open to feedback.
  • Someone unafraid to take responsibility and ensure Studio Ashby deliver a seamless service to our clients with exceptional communication throughout.

The ideal candidate must have:

  • A degree or equivalent in Interior Design/Creative Degree.
  • A minimum of 4 years’ post-graduate experience, including at least 3 years in the luxury residential sector—ideally with international exposure—and proven experience across high-end commercial and hospitality FF&E projects.
  • Broad knowledge of FF&E suppliers, product and trade costs. Financial understanding of project costs and budget awareness. A passion and knowledge of Art, Antiques, Furniture, Lighting, Textiles and Objects.
  • A flair for creative concept generation. An exceptional eye for scale and balance, detail and colour.
  • Impeccable and concise communication and presentation skills, verbal and written. They must be fluent in spoken and written English.
  • Full proficiency Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Suite and Vectorworks.
  • Experience using EstiMac, Programa, or similar procurement software.

The role broken down:

  • Liaising with the Creative Director, Head of FF&E and clients to define their vision and understand their preferences.
  • Developing and presenting design schemes, space plans, and compiling mood and material boards.
  • Preparing and developing detailed presentations, technical drawings, materials, and other documents related to the FF&E design.
  • Building and maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and contractors to ensure projects are delivered to studio standards.
  • Sourcing and procuring bespoke joinery and FF&E.
  • Demonstrating strong technical ability, including producing detailed drawings for bespoke furniture, upholstery and joinery, and reviewing/redlining technical drawings provided by external suppliers or contractors.
  • Managing the design and procurement process, liaising with manufacturers and suppliers from concept through to completion, ensuring client project deadlines are met.
  • Preparing FF&E procurement programmes. Managing FF&E, accessories, and art inventories and budgets.
  • Coordinating FF&E installation with specialist installation teams.

If you think that your skills, experience, and personality make you well suited to this role we’d love to hear from you. Please submit a CV, covering letter and portfolio in PDF format to careers@studioashby.com with the subject ‘Middleweight FF&E Designer’.