Juliette Byrne is an award-winning luxury interior designer in Mayfair, working from the studio in the Chelsea Design Quarter on the King's Road, a short drive from Grosvenor Square. Founded in 1988, the studio has renovated and furnished penthouses, lateral apartments and Grade II listed townhouses across Mayfair, and two of those projects have won at the UK Property Awards: a penthouse with roof terraces over St James's, and a five-storey listed townhouse restored as a city base and private boutique hotel.

Juliette leads every project personally with a team of six designers, working alongside architects and contractors from the first drawings through to a turnkey installation, or joining a professional team the client has already appointed. The first consultation is complimentary and there is no minimum project size.

Penthouse, Mayfair

Boutique Hotel, Mayfair

Interior design for Mayfair homes

Most of Mayfair's period houses are Georgian townhouses on the streets around Grosvenor Square, Mount Street and South Audley Street, many of them listed and much of it on Grosvenor Estate land. Park Lane and the squares hold mansion blocks and large lateral apartments looking over Hyde Park and Green Park, and newer developments and conversions have added penthouses with roof terraces.

In an apartment or penthouse, the work is usually about making a plan-led contemporary space feel warm and settled, within the building's rules on working hours, lift bookings and noise. In a townhouse, the brief is nearly always to restore and extend the period detail rather than remove it, and much of the studio's central London work is in listed houses of this kind.

Listed buildings, the Grosvenor Estate and consents

Almost all of Mayfair sits within Westminster City Council's Mayfair conservation area, many of its houses are listed, and much of the land is owned by the Grosvenor Estate. Interior works therefore often need listed building consent, a licence to alter from the freeholder or head lessee, and party wall agreements, and in apartment buildings the managing agent's approval as well. The studio builds these approvals into the programme from the start, and can recommend architects and contractors experienced with listed Mayfair houses or join a team already in place.

The studio's Grade II listed townhouse in Mayfair, a five-storey building, was modernised to serve as both a city base and a private boutique hotel. Period features were restored and matched with new panelling and plasterwork in the same style, the first-floor drawing room was reinstated with its ornate cornicing, and a double-height atrium now links the lower ground floor to the reception level. The project won at the UK Property Awards.

A Mayfair penthouse, renovated and furnished end to end

The Mayfair penthouse was fully renovated over ten months to a classic contemporary scheme. Both roof terraces were redesigned around the views over St James's, with a stainless-steel sculpture, foliage walls and an enclosed dining area beside a mirrored gym with bespoke joinery. In the main reception, refinished parquet and tall high-gloss joinery with antique mirror detailing frame the fireplace.

The master suite was redesigned in a soft neutral palette with marble-clad ensuite bathrooms, and a third bedroom became a dressing room lined with veneered storage and handcrafted metal detailing. The project won at the UK Property Awards.

How the studio works

Every project runs through three phases. In the first, the studio produces the full design: plans, joinery drawings, finishes, lighting, furniture and soft furnishings, with every item priced and signed off by the client before anything is ordered, then collated into a tender package for the contractor. In the second, if there is building work, the studio acts as the client's consultant on site, making sure the design is built as drawn. In the third, it procures everything from curtains to lighting and furniture and installs it once the builders have left, so the client can move straight in.

How involved a client wishes to be is up to them, from regular design meetings to leaving the decisions to the studio. Aftercare continues after handover, with help sourcing artwork and accessories, and clients often ask the studio back years later to refresh a home as their needs change.

What a Mayfair interior design project costs

What a Mayfair project costs depends on the size and condition of the property, the level of specification, how much is bespoke, and whether structural work, listed building consent or a licence to alter is involved. Costs are discussed at the first consultation, and the studio then prepares a tailored fee proposal. Once you have reviewed the furniture and finishes, every item is costed and documented with complete transparency, and fees are only discussed once you wish to proceed.

The studio sets no minimum project size. A single room, a furnishing-only scheme or an apartment refresh is welcome.

How long an interior design project takes

Every project runs to its own programme, agreed at the outset, with consents and the lead times on bespoke joinery and furniture usually setting the pace. As examples, the studio's Mayfair penthouse was fully renovated in 10 months, and the five-storey Grade II listed townhouse that became a private boutique hotel took 12. With six designers in the studio, a new project can usually be started promptly.

Award-winning interior design in Mayfair

Juliette Byrne has won at the UK Property Awards four times, for the Penthouse, Mayfair, the Boutique Hotel, Mayfair, a Belgravia townhouse and a Chelsea townhouse. A new-build development in Chelsea was recognised at the International Property Awards, and a residence in Dresden won at design et al's International Design and Architecture Awards and Elite Awards. Projects have featured in national and international interiors press; see the Press page.

Frequently asked questions about interior design in Mayfair

Do you work on listed buildings in Mayfair?

Yes, and they make up much of the studio's central London work. A listing does not prevent a modern, comfortable interior; it changes what needs consent and how the work is sequenced. The studio's Grade II listed townhouse in Mayfair, restored and modernised as a city base and private boutique hotel, won at the UK Property Awards.

Do I need permission to renovate a flat in Mayfair?

Usually, yes. Most apartments in the area are leasehold, so internal alterations need a licence to alter from the freeholder, and listed buildings need listed building consent from Westminster City Council. The managing agent will also have rules on working hours and deliveries, and the studio builds these approvals into the programme.

How much does an interior designer cost in Mayfair?

There is no standard fee, because a furnishing-only scheme for an apartment and a full renovation of a listed townhouse are very different projects. The studio discusses costs at the first consultation, which is complimentary, then prepares a tailored fee proposal, so you know what is involved before committing to anything.

How long does a Mayfair renovation take?

It depends on the scope and on how quickly consents come through, so the studio agrees a programme for each project rather than quoting a standard figure. Furnishing-only schemes are much quicker than a full renovation. For a sense of scale, the studio's Grade II listed townhouse in Mayfair took 12 months.

Is Juliette personally involved in every project?

Yes. Juliette takes the brief, is lead designer on every project and attends the client meetings, while one of the studio's designers runs the day-to-day work.

Can you run the project if we live abroad?

Yes. Overseas clients often ask the studio to take on more of the day-to-day decisions within an agreed brief. The studio holds regular site meetings and video calls, and hands over a fully installed, turnkey home.

Do you design new-build apartments as well as period houses?

Yes. The studio fits out contemporary new-build apartments as well as period and listed houses, including a new-build development in Chelsea recognised at the International Property Awards.

Will you work with the architect and contractor we have already appointed?

Yes. The studio regularly joins a professional team already in place and works to its programme. Where a client is starting from scratch, it can recommend architects and contractors with experience of listed houses.

Is there a minimum project size?

No. The studio takes on single rooms and furnishing-only schemes, and would rather start the conversation than turn a smaller project away. Several of its larger projects began as one room and grew from there.

Where is the studio and how do we start?

The studio is in the Chelsea Design Quarter on the King's Road, a short drive from Mayfair. The first step is a complimentary consultation, at the property or at the studio, to discuss the brief, the property and what you would like to achieve. Use the Contact Us button below or email office@juliettebyrne.com.

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office@juliettebyrne.com
+44 (0)20 7352 1553

Interior Designer in Mayfair