Meet Our Next in Designer Winners: Sarah Southwell Design

Sarah Southwell designs with a mood as the focus, looking at how color and decor can affect well-being – ‘My goal is to create spaces that accommodate diverse needs and support people who experience differences'

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Left: Sarah Southwell stands in a light blue ruffled dress against a metallic bronze wall.Right: A wide shot of a bright dining area showcasing her signature use of bold color, pattern-clashing textiles, and classic wicker furniture.
(Image credit: Heidi Jones)

For our Next in Design 2025 winner, Sarah Southwell, design is about mood. She began her career in fashion, running her own handbag brand in Florence, before returning to London with a store on King’s Road. ‘My favorite part was designing the store,’ she says. ‘Creating a vibe – I realized that was my thing.’

Her approach to interiors focuses on how color and space can affect well-being. ‘My goal is to create spaces that accommodate diverse needs and support people who experience differences,’ Sarah says. This philosophy was evident in her widely discussed project for writer Bryony Gordon, where she developed the idea of ‘dopamine decor’. ‘Bryony wanted a home full of joy, color, and light, and we spent months working on how interiors can truly lift your mood.’

A sunlit dining room designed by Sarah Southwell, featuring a striking cornflower blue hutch and a bay window seat with red-and-white striped cushions. The room is styled with a vintage wicker peacock chair, a ruffled ottoman, and vibrant floral arrangements, creating a playful, English country aesthetic.

Sarah creates a buoyant mood in this bright and inviting space

(Image credit: Jonathan Bond)

Since then, Sarah has applied these principles to a range of designs, exploring the grounding power of green or how smart storage can reduce visual clutter and bring a sense of calm.

But it’s not just about bold statements. Sarah also has a knack for mixing old and new – what she calls ‘generational layering’. From sentimental keepsakes to flea market finds, she incorporates pieces that tell a client’s story. In every project, her philosophy remains clear: interiors should be uplifting.

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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.