At home with:
The language of layers with designer Tanya Selway

Interiors

06/05/2026

What exciting things are Stelly Selway working on at the moment?

We’re working on quite a few different projects at the moment. We have a restaurant in Los Angeles which we’ve been on for the last three years and that’s very exciting because it’s finally coming to fruition. We are on course to finish that next month and then we’ve got a couple of really lovely private clients’ residential projects that we’re working on in London

Your practice straddles London and Austin, Texas, and everything in between. Do you find that spatial and aesthetic tastes vary with geography, and what ethos unites your projects?

Each project demands a difference, and that’s ultimately led by the architecture of the space. In London I think we’re more constrained to the traditional nature of buildings, proportions and space. In the US and Austin they tend to have much more naturalistic way of living, so we’re always very careful to ensure that the architecture unites with the interiors and responds to their relationship with the exterior. Generally, our style and ethos is ‘collected and layered’. This is the uniting thread and language of our projects, wherever they are

Your west-London home has just launched for sale with Hemingway+K. What does your next project look like and what did you learn from the last?

It’s been brilliant doing my own home. I think having myself as the client was a very different experience and manner of working. Delving into my own personal response to materials and textures is enlightening. I also had to work with my partner’s tastes, likes and dislikes.

I’d like my next project to be another full renovation. I’ll begin with my emotional responses to materials and personal spaces within our current home, carrying some of the natural materials and elements through to the next. Then I’ll move to the excitement of the colour palette

Is there a film, song or painting that evokes, aligns with or defines your creativity?

A film that I love and I often refer back to is Great Expectations. But, the remake from 1998 with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. I adore the colour saturation and Miss Haversham’s house which I always reference for its decaying, delicate beauty. The film evokes a lot of emotion and memory from a time and space in my life when I was exploring my creativity. But, also visually. It’s elegant and graceful; the interiors, the wardrobe, the vibe. It’s inspiring

Can you think of a design trend that you used to dislike, but now love?

I’m a maximalist at heart. I used to really dislike minimalism, but we recently had a private client who loved minimalistic interiors and we lent into it. I discovered that, actually, I can be minimalist (in certain circumstances). I loved the challenge of the quieter plays between different materials and textures. I’m still a maximalist, but I don’t hate minimalism anymore!

Favourite place to visit if you are lacking inspiration?

London has such a plethora of inspiration; the museums, our galleries. I love Kew Gardens. Being in a natural environment. Observing natural colours cohabiting. It’s a reset. Palm House is also incredible, architecturally

What’s your favourite small object from home, why, and what does it mean to you?

I’m an incredibly sentimental person. Almost every object in my house has some sort of meaning or memory associated with it. That’s a hard question. My mum recently brought me back a Kokeshi doll from Japan. It’s poignant because she’s eighty and just had a hip replacement, and she’s still adventuring! It reminds and inspires me to maintain the adventurous spirit of life

Does childhood memory play any part in your approach to your work and if so, how?

A big role! I basically grew up on a building site where things were constantly evolving and changing and there was loads of experimentation. My dad was a painter. One morning I came down and he’d transformed a massive piece of chipboard into a garden mural and it was quite literally the most exciting thing I’d ever experienced. It was like the backdrop of a stage. And that has stayed with me forever.

That’s probably why I’ve painted murals in my kids’ rooms. Not having this sense of preciousness about perfection and uniformity. Just being able to really inhabit a space and enjoy it. I think that was the epiphone of my childhood. I’ve carried that through into my practice and how we live at home

Favourite flora?

I like plants that feel unusual or out of place. We just completed a London townhouse with tropical plants. Tree ferns, which I absolutely adore, for instance, can create an amazing juxtaposition. I’m also a big fan of tulips and I love wilty flowers. Mimosa are amazing when they’re on the turn. As they begin to droop, it takes me back to Miss Haversham’s house. The feeling of impermanence and fleeting fragility. Ranunculus too! All of them!

What’s the best creative mistake you’ve ever made?

I’d call them ‘happy accidents’! There have been a couple of occasions where we’ve designed and then got into the renovation, but have then realised there are structural elements; posts or walls that can’t be moved. Then you have to think on your feet. How can you make that barrier more of a focal point within the space, instead of trying to hide it?

During our hospitality project here was an unavoidable structural pillar that we ended up cladding in mirrored tile. It became a really beautiful focal point. It’s exciting to adapt

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