JEWEL IN THE CROWN

This dramatic duplex by interior designer Sophie Ashby is the icing on the cake of the blockbuster One Crown Place development that straddles the border between the City of London and Shoreditch

- Kara O'Reilly

'Start with the art' has become something of a mantra for interior designer Sophie Ashby. It's a signature feature of all her projects and often the jumping-off point for a scheme - whether by setting its mood or helping her evolve a colour story for a space. When you hear she studied for a degree in art history, before doing an interior design course at Parsons School of Design in New York, it makes perfect sense. 'Art plays a central role in our inspiration and process,' she says. 'I believe it has a vital place in every interior and no space feels complete without it.'

This luxe, yet liveable, duplex in the ambitious One Crown Place development, which straddles the meeting point between the big bucks City of London and more creative Shoreditch, is a prime example of how the use of art in a Studio Ashby design has so much impact. From the dramatic resin panels that define the dining area to the huge painting in the living space - cleverly hung on a sliding panel to disguise the TV- it's the tones and scale of these artworks that inform the ambience of the apartment.