Meet Our Next in Design Winners: Lucy Goldbart Interior Design

Lucy Goldbart's style is laid back and layered – ‘effortless California cool’ that balances a timeless minimalist aesthetic with a soft warmth

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A high-ceilinged, contemporary living room designed by Lucy Goldbart featuring a neutral color palette with wood accents. Two curved cream sofas and two teal scalloped armchairs surround organic-shaped wooden coffee tables on a large patterned rug. The focal point is a large abstract wall hanging flanked by symmetrical wooden shelving units and tall, slender floor lamps.
(Image credit: Portrait: Taran Wilkhu)

When our Next in Design 2025 winner, Lucy Goldbart, launched her eponymous studio in 2022, she was already equipped with a wealth of experience from two of London’s most respected firms. She began her career at Fiona Barratt Interiors, where she learned the value of pushing design boundaries and encouraging clients to be more adventurous.

Later, as a senior designer at Elicyon, she refined her skills in project management and process. ‘It’s such a well-oiled machine,’ she says of founder Charu Gandhi’s practice. ‘I learned so much about organization and how to manage large-scale projects.’

A side-by-side composition. On the left, a portrait of designer Lucy Goldbart standing in a stylish interior. On the right, a vertical view of a luxury living room featuring soaring ceilings with a woven texture, a large central art piece, and sculptural furniture in soft cream and bold teal tones.

(Image credit: Lucy Goldbart)

That preparation served her well when her first solo commission came through: a private island property in Antigua, its ongoing design inspired by the volcanic rock and limestone landscape. Since then, every project has come by word of mouth, from a dream apartment in Little Venice to a relaxed yet elevated family home in Miami.

Her aesthetic is what she calls ‘effortless California cool’ – a balance of warm, earthy minimalism and bold, sculptural statements. Natural materials are always at the heart of her designs, and she gravitates toward sunset hues – ochres, caramels, olive greens – to create homes that feel warm, welcoming, and just a little like being on vacation.

5 Key Design Rules from Lucy Goldbart Interior Design

1. Refine Your Color Palette
Layering natural, organic textures onto a warm, earthy base palette adds so much more depth and richness to a space. I love a home that makes me want to walk in and run my hands over every surface – and once it’s finished, feel comfortable kicking your shoes off and relaxing. It’s your home, not a museum, and patina adds character.

2. Lean In with Shapes and Forms
Oversized pieces add such a sense of cool, effortless drama to a space. Don’t be afraid to have fun.

3. Prioritize Wooden Accents
Prioritize wooden accents over metals where you can. We love to use carved wooden handles in our projects. Walnut feels like the cooler, younger sister of bronze. It adds so much warmth, but it’s a less formal accent than bronze. It’s refined yet relaxed.

4. Scrap Spotlights
Scrap spotlights in lieu of beautiful mood lighting. Gently illuminate your spaces with flush-mounted or directional lighting fixtures to add warmth and a sense of intentional moodiness to every corner of your home. This works very well with textured limewash or plastered walls because it accentuates their natural, cloudy, welcoming effect.

5. Collect Cherished Items
Curate and collect on your travels, and only buy pieces you truly love. If you love a piece, buy it – you won’t regret it, and you’ll find a way to integrate it into your space. I love collecting pieces on my travels – accessories and vintage furniture. Adding those into your home gives a much more authentic, natural personality and character to a space. Essentially, if you love it, it’s never out of place.

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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.