Rose Uniacke – Style In Spades

Jo Malone headquarters

British interior designer Rose Uniacke has a knack for mixing the old and new, creating a look that is both classic and contemporary. She has a restraint for simplicity but an obvious love for gorgeous antiques. The pairing of the two makes for some of the most elegant yet comfortable rooms I’ve seen. Her discerning eye is carried over to her personal style wearing pieces that are not specific to any designer or season, but have a sophistication that is timeless. Clean lines, solid dreamy colors, luxurious finishes, and one of a kind finds are terms that could be applied to both her work as an interior designer and her approach to dressing. I’ve had pictures of her saved on one of my inspiration boards for a few years and they always look fresh and absolutely stunning.

Above is the Jo Malone London headquarters. ‘Many of the decorative elements refer back to nature or the making of scent. For example, I used raw wood throughout, and the design of the bespoke, painted-tin chandelier is made up of intertwining oak leaves. All the art on display includes floral or plant motifs.’

Uniacke’s signature evening looks appear to center around fluid fabrics, particularly dresses that perfectly pool to the floor,  with one of a kind jewelry and a simple clutch. She began her career as a furniture restorer and antiques dealer which explains her skill in mastering subtleties in paint tones and rich, plaster finishes.

The black accents act as punctuation and ground the soft palette in the luxurious master bedroom in her home in London.

A page from Vogue UK, Uniacke selects some of her favorite pieces of the season which not surprisingly include the clean lines of Valentino, Lemaire and Céline. Pairing simple silhouettes with unique jewelry pieces is a winning formula.

A cantilevered staircase and George V gilded mirror look equally appropriate with the modern art at the top of the stairs. ‘Rose lets a few beautifully considered pieces and old rustic floors do the work to create a calm, comfortable interior,’ says lighting designer Sally Storey.

Another beautiful column dress in a warm brown that is stunning in its simplicity. It’s not easy to master the natural, undone look when you’re over 50 – specifically with minimal make up and a relaxed, hairstyle – but Uniacke has it down to perfection. The entrance hall to the 14,000 square foot Georgian Revival Pimlico home she shares with husband David Heyman and their children reflects a similar elegance and warmth.

A minimalist designed meeting room at the Jo Malone Headquarters in London.

Uniacke in the conservatory in her London home she describes as an Italian palazzo meets a monastery.

“I have a visual sense of what I am trying to achieve, but it is never formulaic,” she says. “I don’t like spaces to be too perfect – an element of the unfinished or the casual is a reminder that we are human.”  –  Rose Uniacke

For a closer look and tour of the Uniacke/Heyman residence in Pimlico, I highly recommend this beautiful video from Nowness narrated by Uniacke.  You get a much better perspective of the tranquility and scale of the home that is hard to capture in a photo.

photos: © Rose Uniacke; T Magazine; Sothebys; Standard UK; Pinterest

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