In Conversation with Rachel Usher, of Usher & Co Interior Design
Which of your projects are you most proud of, and why?
Academy Gardens is probably the one for me at the moment. The clients were based internationally and wanted this really beautiful English feeling apartment in Kensington, they didn't want something which felt stiff or overly formal, but they did want unmistakably British. They wanted warmth, softness, character, and after a long haul flight, that feeling where you walk through the door and exhale a bit. A sense of 'I'm home'.
I think the projects I'm most proud of are the ones where the client really trusted us, the best outcomes are the ones where clients have let go a little and really allowed us to get on with it. Because good interiors are never just about making a room look nice in photographs. It's about how a home makes you feel when you're cooking in it, or you have friends over, how does movie night feel, and what about a dull rainy day, is it still a nice place to be.
At Academy Gardens there are so many little moments that make the whole thing feel considered. Lamps switched on in the evening instead of harsh downlights. Linen curtains moving slightly with the windows are open. Well selected books, dining chairs you can sit in for hours, and a blend of materials that look like they belong. The sort of place where you immediately want to kick your shoes off and stay a while.
That’s always the goal really. Homes that feel homely, rather than staged.
What do you look for when you're creating the dream bedroom for your client?
Honestly, I think bedrooms have become far too contrived.
For me, the best bedrooms are the ones that make your nervous system calm down a little. You know that feeling when you climb into bed against crisp white cotton sheets and instantly think “ohhh this feels good”? That’s the bit I care about.
I think about how the light enters the room in the morning. Whether the lighting beside the bed is soft enough at night to read without disturbing your partner. Whether the room feels cluttered or neat. Texture matters enormously. So does storage because untidiness chips away at you whether people realise it or not.
And bedding changes everything in terms of the personal expereince. People underestimate that massively. The bed is not just styling, it’s the experience itself. You physically feel the quality every single night.
I always want bedrooms to feel effortless. Not staged, and certainly not like nobody actually sleeps there.
What’s the incoming bedroom trend you're seeing?
Less hotel vibe, more collected.
I think people are becoming exhausted by homes that constantly demand plumping of cushions and 27 pillows on the bed, just to be thrown on the floor every night. We’ve had years of rooms designed almost entirely for social media and I think people are craving the opposite now.
I’m seeing clients wanting spaces that feel like theirs, and not like they've walked into a hotel, more natural textures, better quality materials, layered lighting, proper curtains again, and pieces that don't look like they were all brought together at the same time.
People are also investing more thoughtfully. Buying fewer things but better things. Things that age well and actually improve with time.
And thankfully, I think we’re moved away from trends, the world of interiors has become too fast fashion and I'm over it. The best bedrooms are not trendy, but they are full or personality.
In your opinion, how does London & Avalon bed linen enhance your projects?
Because it’s one of the few things in a bedroom you don’t just look at, you experience properly.
You can design the most beautiful bedroom in the world, but if the bedding feels flat, overly stiff or synthetic, the whole thing will be a disappointment to our clients. Clients might not always articulate why, but they absolutely feel it.
London & Avalon linen has that relaxed softness that immediately makes a bed feel inviting rather than overly formal. It’s the difference between a bedroom that looks nice and one you genuinely cannot wait to climb into at the end of the day.
And I think that matters. Homes should feel good to live in, not just good to photograph.
Rachel has chosen our Heritage Collection Bed Linen and our Signature Style Bath Linen for her clients.