Fran Hickman’s innate understanding of how space works is born of her own childhood. One of six siblings growing up in an old-fashioned Kensington townhouse – a house packed with noise, people and things – she understood from a young age the importance of well-made personal space. Prior to founding her own studio, she worked as part of the Soho House Group design team, then for Waldo Works, where she cut her teeth on heavy duty f&b design as well as retail projects for a number of luxury clients. She has lived and worked in both London and New York and today calls Notting Hill home.
Fran’s love of art and architecture runs far and wide. As a consequence, her design vocabulary is extensive. She prefers to create atmosphere and mood from materials rather than objects, confessing to feeling ‘the weight of stuff’ as distraction, not enhancement. In an extraordinarily short space of time, her studio has been critically celebrated for the energy, spirit and elegance of its portfolio. Fran passionately believes in the potential of good design to be a positive force in the world; and that the best design is always both serious and playful.
Pavilion of Art and Design (PAD) jury member 2017-2023, House & Garden Top 100 Interior Designer 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2023, Country & Townhouse Top 50 Interior Designer 2019 and Elle Decoration British Interior Designer of the Year 2019.
