Who are they? Led by architect Tom Rutt and based in Blackfriars, east London, TR Studio is a design collective that undertakes everything from large building projects to residential and commercial interiors. As a child, Rutt was inspired by Frank Gehry’s design of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and subsequently studied architecture at Manchester University. He then worked for top architects Sir Norman Foster and Michaelis Boyd, and in a small Amsterdam practice that specialised in domestic interiors. These contrasting experiences gave him the diverse skill set that drives TR Studio today. ‘I’ve always been interested in the form and functionality of things –how they can make people’s lives better and make the ordinary more joyful,’ he says. His ninestrong team have varied backgrounds, but all ‘share passions for materiality, craftsmanship and sustainability’.
Rutt’s pared-down style is influenced by designers such as Vincent Van Duysen, Pierre Yovanovitch and David Chipperfield. ‘They have a crafted yet modern approach, always paired with a quality that elevates it from pure minimalism towards something playful and uplifting,’ he says. ‘That resonates with me and I try to bring it to my own work.’
Tom Rutt, founder of TR Studio Muted colours and natural materials in the kitchen of a Belsize Park homePICTURES: DAVID CLEVELAND, SIMON KENNEDY, ADAM LYNK, BILLY BOLTON A glass-topped double-height bookcase in TR Studio’s Kensington project; Abundant natural lig
