Refined Elegance by Alexandra Jurkiewicz

​Alexandra Jurkiewicz graduated as an interior designer from the Academy of Fine Arts with a Masters in Interior Design and Art. She worked at Studio Reed and Rosalind Wilson Design specializing in luxury interior design for both UK and international private clients with a focus on enlisting British artisans as well as sourcing antiques. Since joining ​Helen Green Design in 2019, she has been the lead designer on a number of projects spanning interior architecture and design, including a townhouse in Mayfair, an apartment in St Katharine Docks and a villa in Barbados.

How did you first become involved in the world of design? Tell us your story.

I guess it all started when I first decorated my Lego house with “wallpaper” made of cut out strips from my old coloring book. On a more serious note, I showed interest in art and architecture from a very young age and combining the two seemed an obvious career path early on. I knew I wanted to explore both passions and decided to study Interior Design at Academy of Fine Arts following which I moved to London pursuing an internship in interior design studio which was the beginning of my ongoing career in top end London interior design.

How would you describe your personal style and what’s the personal signature that makes your projects unique?

The best way to describe my style would be timeless modern classic with touch of midcentury influences. I also like mixing feminine and masculine elements. I personally really like dark, tone on tone color schemes paired together with gentle lines of curved furniture and intricate detailing and soft furnishings. I believe we all have both masculine and feminine energies and would like the interiors we create in the studio to be universal.

Are there any specific trends that you’re currently blending in your practice?

We try to stay away from seasonal trends and fashions as we pride ourselves in creating timeless spaces and schemes which don’t date, however we reach inspirations from industry editorials, fashion and ever-changing world of social media. More than using popular colors or materials, which can date fast, we like to make sure we are always up to date and aware of the latest home tech, keep educating ourselves on sustainability as well as well us create healthy and progressive working environment.

Where do you draw inspiration for your projects?

Our main source of inspiration are our clients. Our job is to create homes for them and their families. Their tastes, personalities and lifestyle are our main source of inspiration. Every project is a unique journey which we are honoured to be invited to and to be assisting with every single time.

What’s the decorative piece you enjoy selecting for your clients and why?

I love specifying crockery. In my family we had many dinning and tea sets passed down for generations, many rescued and carefully kept through the war. They always felt very special to me and as a child my favorite task would be setting the table for a formal family meal. I like to think that the pieces we select will become very dear to our clients and their families the same way as mine have.

In a hyper-digital world, do you often turn to social media for inspiration?

As a studio as well as in personal life we follow many designers, artists and craftsmen on Instagram. It is a wonderful source of inspiration as well as a great tool for sourcing and connecting with new suppliers. It is also a useful platform to show and communicate support, respect and admiration to other studios and designers. We also find Pinterest very useful for collating our initial concepts for mood boards and sharing ideas within our team.

What is your favorite project you have worked on and why?

It would be unfair to select just one. All of them are pretty special and unique. The international projects are always exciting to work on as they usually allow us to do something a little bit different. We love using local suppliers and create interiors inspired by local architecture and culture. We had a lot of fun sourcing and scouting craftsmen in Barbados whilst furnishing a beautiful neo-colonial style villa there.

What would be your dream project to work on?

At the moment I find myself saving a lot of images of ski chalets and mountain cabins. It might be related to the limited holiday options in the past year or so but I think it would be a great challenge to successfully execute and translate our HGD aesthetic for this kind of interior setting.

What do you think it’s going to be the next big trend in interior design?

As it has been the case in the last decade, I think it will be the latest technology. AI and VR have been creeping into our lives and homes more and more, but I think the best is yet to come and surprise us.

Do you have an interior design master that you look up to?

I try to ensure I don’t just blindly follow one particular designer or group. I think having mentors and masters is very important for every designer but I like learning from as many sources as possible. Also in the last few years I have started listening and learning from the younger generations and designers, whether members of our team and design group, social media personalities, activists or amazing young entrepreneurs from all industries. I think as a sociality we still underestimate and underappreciate the power of young minds. I try to take time to listen to their voices and apply their wonderfully free and progressive way of thinking to business, design as well as my personal life.

What epoque inspires you the most in terms of aesthetic?

I have always found the ingenuity and uncompromised attention to detail of the Victorian era extremely fascinating and inspiring. All designs from this period, even the most prosaic objects or institutional buildings, were carefully thought through, adequately embellished and crafted with love.