Meet Our Next in Design Winners: Atelier Akuko

‘Good design should give you main character energy'

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Designer Judith Achumba-Wöllenstein in a pink vest and hat next to a dining area with a travertine table, green geometric chairs, and botanical wallpaper.
(Image credit: Timothy Achumba)

Energy is a huge focus for our Next in Design Winner Judith Achumba-Wöllenstein and the way her studio, Atelier Akuko, approaches work.

‘Good design should give you main character energy,’ she says. ‘And it can do this in two ways. It can function exactly as you need it to, allowing you to pour all your energy into your creative pursuits. And it can pull out the parts of your personality that you may otherwise keep hidden – the fun elements and adventurous sides that respond to big patterns and clever use of color. Great decor should make you feel like a star.’

A bright living room with a curved cream sofa, blue velvet chairs, and a marble coffee table on a floral rug, set against white shuttered bay windows.

Judith used large scale patterns as a way to balance the grand Victorian architecture here

(Image credit: Timothy Achumba)

It’s easy to see how a background in psychology has informed Judith’s work, giving her an understanding of how important your surroundings can be to how you think and feel. Her pivot to design began with decorating a home for refugees, where she saw first-hand the effect decor can have. ‘They were so touched, and it helped to make them feel like they belonged,’ she says.

The word Akuko means ‘stories’ in her husband’s native language of Igbo, and it’s these narratives about her clients she is intent on pulling out and explaining through design. Currently based in Brighton, having relocated from London, Judith’s work tends to center around large-scale prints used judiciously against plain elements, so they uplift rather than overwhelm. ‘I actually think of myself as somewhat of a minimalist,’ she says.

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Pip Rich
Pip Rich

Pip Rich is an interiors journalist and editor with 20 years' experience, having written for all of the UK's biggest titles. Most recently, he was the Global Editor in Chief of our sister brand, Livingetc, where he now continues in a consulting role as Executive Editor. Before that, he was acting editor of Homes & Gardens, and has held staff positions at Sunday Times Style, ELLE Decoration, Red and Grazia. He has written three books – his most recent, A New Leaf, looked at the homes of architects who had decorated with house plants. Over his career, he has interviewed pretty much every interior designer working today, soaking up their knowledge and wisdom so as to become an expert himself.