Russell Pinch shares his top 10 design secrets

We've long admired the elegant aesthetic of furniture designer, Russell Pinch.

A protégé of Sir Terence Conran and the co-founder of Pinch design studio, which offers both thoughtful furniture and beautiful lighting, he has a refinement to his work that simply prompts you to stop and admire.

In order to learn more about his work, we've picked Russell's brains to discover just what inspires his design process. Here are 10 things that do just that...

See more: Get interior design advice and inspiration on our dedicated page

1. My design heroine

I have one ultimate design heroine – and she's Mother Nature. 

We can’t beat the extraordinary inspiring complexity of colour, form and material observed in the natural world. 

See more: Kit Kemp's interior design tips – the dos and don'ts masterclass

2. My ultimate design rule

The design rule I promote more than anything else is to understand the way simplicity involves complexity.

It takes time and refinement to create perfect simplicity, be it in furniture or an interior. 

3. My everyday design must-have

My small design luxury is Bose headphones (opens in new tab). 

Music while I work is absolutely essential. 

4. My favorite design shop

Jasper Morrison (opens in new tab)’s shop in London is one I love visiting for the selection of well-designed objects – homeware, tableware, furniture 
and design books I don’t see elsewhere. 

5. My favorite piece of furniture design

A piece of furniture I’m very attached to is 
a red aluminium chair by Charles and Ray Eames. 

My father bought it when I was 12, 
I ‘stole’ it for my bedroom, then my student room and it’s been with me ever since. 

6. My top design website

Niwaki (opens in new tab) is a website I often visit for its Japanese garden tools, beautifully designed and utterly functional.  

7. My favorite building design

A building I’ll never forget is Sarabhai House in India, designed by Le Corbusier.

I stayed in this house in my early 20s and was overwhelmed by its quiet, elegant and outrageous personality. 

8. My go-to garden for design inspiration

The garden at Endsleigh House (opens in new tab) in Devon, England, designed by Humphry Repton in 1814 captivates me for the enormity of his vision. 

9. My favorite design book

I bought a copy of Collections Typologie (opens in new tab)’s 
The Wine Bottle. 

Each of these iterations delves into the history of an everyday object of beauty, from the cork to the wooden crate. 

10. My top restaurant

My most memorable restaurant meal was in The River Cafe (opens in new tab) in London 17 years ago. The food was wonderful and it’s where I asked my wife Oona to marry me.

See more: Russell Pinch (opens in new tab)'s designs are available on his website.