KANDO

KANDO Interior and architectural design studio in London.

We have access to more beautiful interiors than ever before.Pinterest, Instagram, magazines, inspiration is everywhere.B...
10/08/2026

We have access to more beautiful interiors than ever before.
Pinterest, Instagram, magazines, inspiration is everywhere.
But the more often we see the same materials, colours and rooms, the more familiar they become. And somewhere along the way, familiarity can start to feel like taste.

Do I actually love this? Or have I simply seen it enough times?
I’ve written a new piece for Kando Studio about the point where inspiration quietly becomes imitation, and why the most memorable homes are often the ones that couldn’t belong to anyone else.

When Inspiration Becomes Imitation
Read the full article at https://kandostudio.com/when-inspiration-becomes-imitation/

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07/08/2026

I had this store on my list while I was in Stockholm.

The space stopped me almost immediately.

Those huge marble columns felt original, and had to one of the many friendly staff.

“They are,” came the reply. “This used to be a bank.”

We ended up talking about the famous bank robbery in Stockholm that gave the world the term Stockholm syndrome, when, after several days, some of the hostages began to sympathise with their captors.

It’s funny how one conversation can completely change the way you experience a place.

What I loved most was how little the designers tried to compete with the building. The original architecture still has all the presence, while the new additions quietly support it.

It’s a good reminder that sometimes the most confident design decision is knowing what not to change.

There is a question that almost never appears in a retail brief, and it is often the one that determines whether a space...
05/06/2026

There is a question that almost never appears in a retail brief, and it is often the one that determines whether a space actually works.

Not the material palette. Not the lighting scheme. Not the fixtures.

A simpler question:

**What do we want the person inside the space to do?**

Where should they slow down? Where should they pause? What should they reach for?

A low table near a window, a ceiling that drops slightly at the entrance, a directional light placed at the right angle, these are not decorative decisions. They are design decisions that shape behaviour.

The retail spaces that hold people and encourage discovery are rarely the result of bigger budgets. More often, they are the result of asking the right question first.

Behaviour first. Fixtures second.

I've written about this in the latest article on the Kando Studio journal, exploring how threshold, circulation and light influence the way customers move through a space.

Read the article here: https://kandostudio.com/boutique-retail-interior-design-behaviour/

Most retail stores are designed for visibility. Aesop stores are designed for atmosphere.That distinction is worth sitti...
28/05/2026

Most retail stores are designed for visibility. Aesop stores are designed for atmosphere.

That distinction is worth sitting with. Across ten years of interior work, I've noticed it consistently. The spaces people return to are rarely the ones that show the most product. They're the ones that feel like somewhere worth being. Aesop inverts the standard retail interior design logic in almost every direction. No promotional signage. Windows that sometimes show no product at all. Materials - stone, brass, and concrete chosen because they communicate permanence rather than trend.

And always the sink. A structural commitment to a transaction that takes time, requires conversation, and treats a £30 hand wash as the considered decision it actually is.

The store is the argument. The space conveys quality and trust before the product is even touched, and for certain products, that spatial credibility is what the purchase is ultimately based on.

It's an expensive model. Not every retailer can or should replicate it. But the underlying question applies to any boutique commercial space: what is this environment communicating before the product is ever touched?

Does that communication earn the transaction?

Full article: kandostudio.com/why-aesop-retail-design-works

25/03/2026

There isn’t one right way to design a small kitchen. These are just four possible ways of thinking about it.

Small kitchens don’t need fixing.
They need intention.

Different homes.
Different lives.
Different answers.

Designing spaces for little imaginations is always the most fun. Loved bringing this vibrant kids’ corner to life. 🎨🧸
16/03/2026

Designing spaces for little imaginations is always the most fun. Loved bringing this vibrant kids’ corner to life. 🎨🧸

Compact bathroom, Richmond. When space is limited, every detail carries weight— the rhythm between black geometric tiles...
16/02/2026

Compact bathroom, Richmond. When space is limited, every detail carries weight— the rhythm between black geometric tiles and soft textured walls, wall-mounted fixtures to preserve floor space, natural light maximized. Designed for a Victorian terrace where the original layout created an awkward, dark space. The solution wasn’t about adding—it was about editing.

04/02/2026

Pinterest is great for inspiration, but it can’t capture your personality. I want to know what makes you you before we ever look at a colour palette.

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