Meet Our Next in Design Winners: Janaye

A split-screen image. On the left, interior designer Bee Janaye poses in a textured swivel chair between a marble fireplace and deep burgundy built-ins. On the right, the detailed shot of the leather headboard and bedroom interior is repeated — (Image credit: Yolande De Vries/Vigo Jansons)

Scientific studies are rarely cited as key inspirations by interior designers, but for our Next in Design winner, Bee Janaye, founder of JANAYE, research into neuroaesthetics has been the driving force behind her work.

‘Originally, scientists were looking at sculptures and artwork and how their look and feel could influence people and shape their minds – and I can see how decor can do that as well,’ Bee says. ‘What our homes feel like, how we engage with them, and how interactive they are can truly make a difference in how we feel about ourselves.’

A sophisticated bedroom corner featuring a curved brown leather headboard with brass studding, a walnut nightstand, and a pleated fabric sconce. Through the doorway, a glimpse of a second room reveals a patterned sofa and bold, graphic wall art — Bee’s designs blend warmth, nostalgia and storytelling

This interest grew out of Bee’s work with neurodivergent clients, but it’s now a theory she applies to every project, creating homes tailored to the brains of the people who live in them.

Her projects have taken place all over London, and a recent completion was one she named Deja Vu House. ‘I wanted something that felt really familiar yet also brand new – an accumulation of memories and references that spoke to the client’s experiences of travel and life.’

The result was a palette of dusty pinks and a hazy quality created by the chalkiness of encaustic tiles. ‘I take a special interest in each client’s journey and build my narrative around theirs,’ Bee says. ‘I want to shape spaces so that they feel like a person’s next memory.’

5 Key Design Rules with Janaye

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1. No Boring Bathrooms
I always find that the bathroom is a perfect opportunity to disrupt a space. I feel like we generally don’t use enough tile in our interiors, so the bathroom is a great way to introduce this feature. We have options in different shapes and sizes – we can use natural stone and so many different textures – that the bathroom is a missed opportunity if it isn’t interesting enough.

2. Be Ambitious
Your home is a perfect opportunity to make a statement about who you are and what matters to you.

3. Be Brave
I’m constantly telling my clients that if everybody likes everything in your home, then you haven’t been brave enough – we need to go back to the drawing board. This could be a piece of artwork, or it could be a reference that has deep cultural meaning for you and gives you the opportunity to tell a story or share some knowledge.

I think including a controversial piece or two in your home is something everybody should consider doing. It really makes sure that your home is specifically built for you and for nobody else. We want to make sure you feel comfortable and that you feel at home.

4. Design for Memories
A lot of the time, while we are designing for ourselves in our homes, we forget that we’re also creating a space for moments and memories with the people we love most. To do that, we want them to feel comfortable, loved, and cared for. Our home is the perfect opportunity to do that, so make sure you are incorporating a lot of personal references, photographs, imagery, and things that make you feel comfortable and at home.

5. Use Pinterest Effectively
I’m going to teach you how to use Pinterest. We don’t want to use Pinterest to copy spaces that other people have designed – we want to use it to train our own design eye. The only way you can do that is to learn how to put language to the things you love. Learn how to articulate what you love about a space, and then you’ll be able to organically weave some of those concepts into your own home without copy and paste.

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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.