By Ana Farr-Jones
Inside Story: Working with Lara Et Al on a Holland Park Residence
An elegant approach to family living, long-term thinking, and what it really means to design a home that lasts
At Somerset Estates, we take pride in supporting exceptional homes long after the last contractor has left. A key part of that process is working closely with interior designers who not only create beautiful spaces but also consider how they will be lived in for years to come.
Our ongoing collaboration with Lara Et Al began at a prime residence in Holland Park, a family home defined by quiet elegance, thoughtful materiality, and a genuine sense of comfort. As property managers, it’s a joy to maintain a space so intuitively designed, where every detail has been considered not just for now, but for what comes next.
In this relaxed Q&A, Lara shares her design vision for the Holland Park project, her approach to luxury interiors in London, and why a trusted management team makes all the difference in preserving that vision long after installation.
This property was a dream to work on as it oozed charm and elegance as you walk up the front steps, so we wanted that to continue as you walk inside. Our idea behind the interior was to create something luxurious and elegant, yet understated and homely. As a prime residence in Holland Park, the earthy yet experimental mix of materials makes it so special and comfortable to spend time in, and helped us achieve a sense of truly personalised luxury design.
In the early stages, we work hard to establish the key client expectation levels and then inform the immediate team to prioritise these as the most valuable areas of focus. We then ensure that we stay up-to-date with the best and most current materials, suppliers, and wider teams, so we can continue to deliver the highest standards that our clients consistently expect. By working in the relatively small super prime central London network, where everyone knows our client’s discretion is critical, we can ensure we all work in the same considerate way.
The Holland Park shoot really captured the elegance of your interiors. How do you translate a client’s lifestyle into the look and feel of a home?
We always begin a project with an interview and discovery discussion about how our clients like to live, work, entertain, and relax. We want to get to know all the intricacies and nuances of our clients’ lives, what makes them tick and what makes them shudder in despair! This allows us to build the narrative around their lives and their home, which we can add layers of design language, materials and colour to. We can identify the most important aspects of their lifestyle and focus on them in the design. For a prime property in London, such as this one, warm, earthy-coloured marble is used to create a sense of warmth, stability, and sanctuary for the owners, a signature of luxury interiors that feel deeply personal.
How vital is aftercare in these types of homes? Do you find clients increasingly expect their designers and managers to remain involved beyond completion?
Yes, we are regularly in touch with our clients and/or the property management team, often Somerset Estates, over the years after handover. Whether this be as their family grows and changes, and they require updates, or they purchase secondary homes here or abroad. Trust is the key factor here, and once you have been involved in their homes and lives and consistently looked after a client’s best interests, they will want you to remain integral to their family setup. Bespoke property care doesn’t end at installation; it’s an ongoing relationship.
Looking ahead, what trends are you seeing in luxury interiors that developers and property managers should be aware of?
We are noticing how keeping homes well-insulated and cooled is of high importance as we see the mercury continue to rise. We are also seeing an increasing understanding and request for natural over man-made materials as key in luxury. Along these lines, I think we’ll see a demand for more wonderful, statement stones (or that might just be me, given all our projects 😊). As lives become busier, I also believe that home is truly a sanctuary and needs to be designed with this in mind. Luxury interiors are evolving to reflect not just aesthetics but functionality, something both developers and property managers should be increasingly aware of, particularly when working on prime property in London.
What advice would you give to interior designers or property owners undertaking large-scale renovations in London?
I suggest that you introduce a luxury property management company like Somerset Estates at as early a stage as possible! It will save a lot of time and anxiety further down the line when you are trying to work out how to reprogram a lighting system or who to talk to about the air conditioning. Once you have a management team in place, they can take care of the O&M manuals and be best placed to know how to deal with any potential issues and/or maintain in a way that avoids them. Early post-construction support is absolutely key in these types of properties.
And finally, what does ‘home’ mean to your clients, and how do you help bring that feeling to life?
As I touched on earlier, in the midst of their very busy lives, our clients need a home to be a sanctuary. For us, as their team, we need to ensure that, from the moment the car pulls onto the drive to when they drop into their plump pillows at night, they feel calm, happy, at ease, and looked after. Intuitive technology, lighting that sets a calm mood, spaces that are easy to navigate and materials that feel luxurious to touch are part of that overall picture. When designing luxury homes, especially a prime residence,we always aim to create bespoke interiors that feel restorative, familiar and beautifully functional.
To explore more of Lara Et Al’s work, please visit www.laraetal.com.