“Waldo Works is recognised for its modern British design output and has worked with inspirational individuals and companies; changing derelict spaces into elegant apartments or translating a brand’s identity into an engaging physical environment. Waldo Works tries to connect its work to the heritage of a place while remaining tied to the present. We enjoy understanding a client’s needs and aspirations for their projects, so that we can fully customise our designs to these requirements. We are interested in providing environments that create a real resonance for the user, be it home or hotel.

We work internationally on projects large and small, commercial and private; and our in-house team of architects and designers deliver a fully integrated design and project management service”

The Studio’s work is featured consistently in leading publications, including World of Interiors, Elle Decoration, Wallpaper* and others; and is listed as one of the top 100 in House and Garden 2012’s list of Interior designers.

Separately to the studio, Tom consults for Yoo on large scale residential and hotel developments with budgets of gross development value of around $130 million. His experience covers working across territories including India, Russia, Turkey and the USA.

See also – TOP INTERIOR DESIGNERS | FERN SANTINI

Biography: the man before the myth

Tom set up Waldo Works in 2000. The EC1-based team of 15 comprises architects, interior designers and product designers, offering fully integrated design and project management for houses, retail spaces, restaurants and bars around the world.

Architect trained, Tom Bartlett continues to delight with his intelligent, playful and bold interiors, aided by his partners Sasha von Meister and Andrew Treverton. The team creates ‘spaces that are about character, people and their intricacies’.

Background & Realizations: the projects

Current commissions include: the architecture and interiors for a house in Highgate; The Laslett, a new 51-bedroom hotel in Notting Hill; and architectural joinery and interiors for a Victorian property in Notting Hill. Newly completed is the interior design for the penthouse at the Neo Bankside development in London.

Commercial projects:

SELFRIDGES INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

Architectural restoration and Interiors for Selfridges and Co. Selfridges, Oxford Street, London

Selfridges, Oxford Street, London 2015

A multi-million pound investment, and part of the architectural restoration of the Neo Classical building, the department tripled in size and now occupies 16,000 sq ft of prime retail space. Set above the main entrance to the store and the iconic Queen of Time clock, the space houses a series of halls, lounges, dedicated VIP areas, libraries, a theatre Desk, a Mac bar and Faith Room.

This demonstrates Selfridges’ exceptional commitment to their International Customers providing a luxurious and comfortable environment where they process their taxes. The studio looked to the golden age of travel in the early 1900s when Selfridges opened, and the fashionable Palm Court restaurant that previously existed on the site. This influenced the reinstatement of the historic Selfridges detailing and scale of the rooms, including huge areas of hand painted glass and striking marble floors.

See also – TOP ARCHITECTS | MASSIMILIANO AND DORIANA FUKSAS

FORTNUM & MASON BEAUTY FLOOR

Architectural reconfiguration and Interiors for Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, London

Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, London 2015

Covering almost the whole 2nd floor, the concept is based on the idea of the Georgian salon in which ladies selected on a one-to-one basis. The design approach also reflects the heritage of Fortnum & Mason, established in 1707, with an elegant deportment combined with moments of folly and whimsy. Emphasis was on creating an environment for consultation – a place to dwell, interact with staff and become educated about the products in these specialist sensorial departments.

The Floor, designed with carefully considered proportion, gives the experience of walking though a series of rooms in a fabulous women’s boudoir suite to discover a collection of precious gems rather like the finds of a women’s Grand Tour. Similar to a coveted jewelry box, it is furnished with rarefied materials and semi precious stones such pinky rose quartz, Amazonian malachite, through to fine veneers in figured sycamore and bird’s eye maple. Throughout, illustration is used, taking inspiration from Fortnum & Mason’s archives.

Partnerships

This year marks the 125th anniversary of Smythson of Bond Street, which was founded in 1887 and has catered to members of the Royal Family and celebrities.

Bartlett worked with the company’s board of directors, including Creative Consultant, Samantha Cameron, to give the store a new concept that encompassed all of the brand’s components, from diary and paper, to leather goods, and their bespoke department.

“What is wonderful is that it’s turned into a sort of department store,” said Bartlett. “It’s not just paper; what we wanted to do was open the store up, take it back to its original size and create mini-departments.”

Bartlett drew from the company’s rich history for the interiors of the store, but reinterpreted the 3,300 feet space with the contemporary consumer in mind.

“One of the first things we try to do when working with heritage materials is to bring that sense of heritage and oldness to a project while keeping it a real contemporary form,” explained Bartlett.

 Top Projects Gallery