A festive visit to Beata Heuman's studio

Swedish buns and a first glimpse of the much-loved interior designer's new homeware launches

Earlier this week I finally visited interior designer Beata Heuman’s new studio and showroom space in West London. I’d been itching to get inside for a poke around since it opened but hadn’t had the chance until now.

Partially motivated by the promise of Swedish buns at a press breakfast and also because I’d seen glimpses of a very good Christmas tree on Instagram stories, I jumped on the tube to Hammersmith and my pal Caroline – Beata’s head of product design – gave me the grand tour. I think it was pretty obvious to everyone that I was feeling joyful and triumphant about being there.

Joyful because I love Beata Heuman’s work and triumphant because I got there after everyone else and there were still several Swedish buns left over, so I ate three. Reader, I didn’t even feel sick, or embarrassed.

Bows, clip-on candle lights and hanging brass motifs decorate the tree at 188. This was such a beautiful tree in real life – much nicer than my iPhone has made it look. I know bow mania is quite unrelenting at the moment but I thought these very uniform, pre-made bows with simple candle lights (they’re electric) had more of a nostalgic feel about them.

Beata had a local baker make traditional Swedish Lussebullar especially for her press breakfast on Wednesday. She was telling me that the baker made several iterations until they settled on a recipe and shape that was just right (I appreciate a woman of detail – especially where baked goods are concerned). They’re soft and sweet saffron buns studded with dried fruit and lightly glazed – pleasingly easy to eat one-handed and no annoying pastry flakes everywhere. So delicious! I wish these were easier to find in London, having tried one (then two, then a third for the walk back to the tube).

Lilies in the sunlight in Beata’s office, which is wallpapered with her own Willow Ink design. I’m really kicking myself for not taking my camera with me and for not taking more photos. I’d planned to post a few pics on Instagram stories but wasn’t expecting to do this post and now I want to show you everything!

I’ve never had my own office as I’ve never had a spare bedroom (or had enough space to carve out a workspace for myself) but a big pinboard is something I’ve always wanted. I’m such a visual person and I want to have references right in front of me, rather than just saved as screenshots on my phone, which I inevitably forget about or can’t find when I do want them.

Caroline was showing me this new bookcase/cabinet with a painted wooden grid over the front. I loved its clean simplicity and how it felt Scandinavian but also a bit Japanese. It’s designed to be modular, so you can add as many sections as you need.

See the traditional round Swedish fireplace on the left there? It’s not a fireplace at all, it swings open (on obscenely attractive brass hinges) and it’s actually a cupboard for extra storage. Very clever! The glossy trompe l'oeil ‘tiles’ are a handpainted effect.

The wave-back sofa with exaggerated tall legs is Beata’s own design and fabric. You can’t see them here as it’s so dark but the pillow-edge cushions are coming soon to the Shoppa collection.

Of course, the custom-made bows for the tree are made from Beata’s own plain parchment fabrics.

Hand-painted runner detail on the staircase, which leads up to the Beata Heuman team’s various office spaces and sample rooms. I can’t imagine getting over the novelty of coming here to work here every day. It feels more like a home than an office, which is much more conducive to relaxed creative thinking, in my opinion. A highlight for me, besides Beata’s beautiful office, was the specially made honeycomb-shaped central desk in the middle of one of the rooms. Such an effective design – it felt conversational to sit in a kind-of circle instead of in rows, but also quite private, as each person’s screen was at an angle to the next.

If you’re not already familiar with Kitten Grayson’s floristry, she’s known for her wild and theatrical arrangements. I first saw her spectacular floral installations at Heckfield Place hotel a few years ago and she did the staircase and fireplace at 188 this year. I didn’t notice at the time as I didn’t get close enough to see them, but I spotted on Instagram afterwards that artist Jess Wheeler has peppered the arrangements with her handmade brass leaves.

I’ve long fancied Beata’s Gurli flatweave rug for my own home, which is surprising as I generally don’t like florals at all (my interiors taste isn’t particularly feminine) but I think the colour of this gives it an edge. The rug displayed in the showroom is lighter than the actual colour available to buy as it’s an earlier sample, but there’s talk of introducing it as a third option since its versatility is so often complimented.

Caroline talked me through the many new products coming soon to Shoppa (the name for Beata’s range of homeware) and this large footstool/ottoman is one of them. The tapestry top has been woven especially for this piece and it’s based on a painting upstairs in the team’s office space.

The cabinet, the extending dining table, the pendant light and the striped frame mirror (note the lovely ‘rippled’ effect on the glass) are all from Beata’s own collection.

When I first met Beata around three years ago (I was assisting Caroline with styling when they were having a project in Notting Hill photographed), the team was still tiny and the majority of pieces in the project were bought or sourced from other brands, or they were vintage.

It’s been inspiring to see the incredible growth of Beata’s homeware brand since then. In 188; most of the furniture, lighting, wallcoverings and rugs throughout the building are either from the Shoppa range or they were made especially for this project and may become available to buy in the future. Even the brass plates and handles on the doors were custom-made, with Beata’s Florentine flower motif as the keyhole cover. Details like that are one of the reasons I love interiors and homeware. I work alone every day, either in a local coffee shop or in my living room in a flat I’ve long since mentally divorced myself from, and it’s easy to forget why I got into this job in the first place.

Spending an hour at Beata Heuman HQ was such a mood booster as it reminded me what it felt like to be excited about a room or building and the objects in it. My own work set-up means I don’t often get to feel that sheer happiness and enthusiasm and I want to change that!

It’s a shame that I didn’t foresee myself wanting to post about the showroom on Substack as there aren’t many photos and some of the details that I particularly loved, I didn’t capture. I’d only taken my phone with me (I was already lugging my laptop around, so my camera was too heavy) but hopefully I’ll be back soon.

P.S. I’m going to end this short and sweet instalment by doing you a solid. If you don’t know how to pronounce Beata’s name and have always wondered if you’re getting it right, it sounds like Bee-ah-ta Hey-man 😊.

I haven’t done this kind of post before but if you’d be interested in me visiting other designers or makers in their studios and taking a few pics, let me know below (and tell me who would be top of your wish list in London!)