We regularly look deeper into our sources of inspiration for architecture and interior design by taking time out to speak to a few of our favourites. Just recently, we’ve unwrapped the journey of creativity and talked about trusting your senses with Jim and Chloe of Newgate. Well, this week we’re maintaining the British designer focus by catching up with Jordan and Russell of 2LG Studio – the London based interior design studio best known for its simplicity, elegance and signature use of colour.
As they both come from theatre design backgrounds, Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead ensure that every 2LG Studio design project retains a sense of spectacle in their bold and colourful interiors. Their Instagram feed - @2LGStudio – is well worth following, not only for its array of incredible interiors, but also for the personality of the pair that brightens up the page. Rather, than dedicating the page to their own work, the pair also use the platform to show the processes behind their designs, share some advice along the way and also share their favourite work from other studios.
So, to celebrate 2LG Studios’ first feature on the OPUMO Magazine, we caught up with both Jordan and Russell to ask a series of quick-fire design questions that all start with ‘the first…’ from the first time they realised they wanted to be an interior designer to the first place they go to for inspiration.
The first time you realised you wanted to be an interior designer…
This was a slow burn that took around 5 years to develop. It was not an overnight moment, as these things rarely are in reality. We have always been open to working on projects that we felt were the most creative. We have found that interior design is ever-changing and that keeps us excited.
The first time you met…
We met as actors, our first careers, at a friends birthday drinks. We had both trained as actors and were working in London, in both theatre - mainly west end musicals - and tv - mainly adverts. That was back in 2006. We both loved the fact that design, fashion and theatre design were massive passions for us and we each facilitated the other in that from the moment we met. We found time out around our acting careers to visit design fairs and craft markets. It slowly became something more and the more we worked together the more we realised we wanted to build a business together.
The first time you really tried your hand with interior design…
Our own flat. It was a small 2 bed garden flat in a mansion block. We loved designing it together and it got featured in the Guardian interior pages. It was definitely the start of it all.
The first piece of homeware that you ever bought…
A small porcelain horse by Royal Doulton. We found him in a local bric-a-brac shop on a birthday trip and he has been with us ever since. He has been broken many times over the years - especially at parties - but we have put him back together and love him all the more for his fragility.
The first time you considered yourself to be a bona fide interior designer…
We don't think on those terms. We want to keep creative and try to find happiness in our work as well as in our life. They are the same to us. What even is success? How do you measure it? We love the work we do, we have some level of stability and we love spending time in our house with our dog. We always try to learn and do better and we still have lots of dreams to fulfil so we will keep working hard.
The first worst design mistake you made…
There are no mistakes, there are only lessons. Design is complex and mastering it is a life's work. We try to see everything as an opportunity to learn and build knowledge. Sometimes a mistake can bring up a wonderful creative solution that you would never have thought of. It is easier said than done to always remember this, but we try to work and live this way.
The first design dream you realised…
Showing at London Design Festival. That was a big moment for us. To be part of a festival we had long admired.
The first time you were given complete free design reign…
Free reign is a tricky concept. All design has parameters. Creativity relies on some level of constraint and design is usually a solution to a problem. If you mean with a client, then that is not something we are chasing. We want to facilitate the best version of a space for the client to live their best life in. It is not about our free reign, it is about us understanding them and delivering something that makes their life better.
You could say that our own home, or our Design House project as we call it, has been an opportunity for free reign. But that came with its own constraints. Time, money, collaboration. However, it has been incredibly freeing for us as designers and we have loved exploring our own needs and desires with this project. It has allowed us to develop a greater understanding of ourselves.
The first time you celebrated being an interior designer…
We try to celebrate as often as possible. It is about taking time to be grateful and in the moment. To stop for a moment on the bench in our garden every once in a while and not always worry about the future or what has gone before, but to be happy for the small wins each day. This reminds us to take a moment this week as it is all too easy to get swept up in it all and just keep racing ahead.
The first designer you fell in love with…
Probably Alexander McQueen or Kelly Wearstler or Vivienne Westwood or Stanley Kubrick. All incredible designers in their own fields.
The first place you go to for inspiration is…
The Garden, or the National Theatre in London, or Milan Design Festival or Instagram.
The first time you felt like you made a difference…
That's a big one. Not sure we ever have. Hopefully we have made a difference in some way to the lives of our clients. We were also asked many years ago to take part in a video campaign for Stonewall called 'It Gets Better'. That meant a lot to us, having grown up in a time where schools were not allowed to talk openly about Homosexuality and with the new equality in Marriage coming in it meant a lot to us to be a role model for any young people who may be struggling to come to terms with who they are. To say simply "It Gets Better".
The first time interior design took you out of your comfort zone…
Everyday.
Keep up with all of 2LG Studios’ work by checking out the website and following them on Instagram, too.
Looking for more interior design inspiration? The you’ll want to read this: 5 Of The Best Coffee Tables To Add To Your Living Room.
