Russell Pinch shares his top 10 design secrets
The design guru breaks down what inspires his elegant style


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...
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1. My design heroine
Photography/Howard Walker
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.
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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.
Music while I work is absolutely essential.
4. My favorite design shop
Jasper Morrison’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 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 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’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 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's designs are available on his website.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens, bringing years of interiors experience across the US and UK. She has worked with leading publications, blending expertise in PR, marketing, social media, commercial strategy, and e-commerce. Jennifer has covered every corner of the home – curating projects from top interior designers, sourcing celebrity properties, reviewing appliances, and delivering timely news. Now, she channels her digital skills into shaping the world’s leading interiors website.