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Katharine Pooley

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Katharine Pooley
Born
London, England
Occupation(s)Interior designer, Philanthropist, furniture designer, business owner
Websitewww.katharinepooley.com

Katharine Pooley is a British interior designer,[1] and businesswoman,[2][3] known for her design projects.[4] [5] She owns a homewares boutique[1] and runs an interior design and architecture studio with 50 staff in Chelsea, London.[6] Pooley has designed private homes, castles, villas, hotels, chalets and yachts.[7]

She has won numerous awards including British Designer of the Decade,[6] House and Garden's 'Design for Positive Change' award,[3] Asia's Most Influential Designer[8] and Great British Brand's Community Award.[9]

Early life and education

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Forter Castle, the Pooley residence in the Scottish Highlands

Pooley was born and raised in Herefordshire with her five siblings. She was educated first in England at St Mary's School[10] and then studied at the INSA University in Lyon.[11] Her father, Robert Pooley MBE LVO, founded Pooleys Flight Equipment[12] on leaving the RAF in 1957, and in 2005 founded Pooley Sword[13] the leading Cutlers of swords, dirks and lances to the British Armed Forces. He bought Forter Castle in Perthshire around 1990, which the family still owns.[1] Her mother Yvonne Trueman MBE moved to Bahrain[14] where Katharine spent most of her childhood.[15] Her mother was the Arabian Section Governor of the International Women's Flying Organisation for ten years.[15]

Pooley's parents would often take their children on flights in a small Cessna aircraft.[16] These experiences have had a influence on Pooley's work and her love for travel.[17]

Having lived in Asia for 16 years, working for Morgan Stanley,[2] among others, she relocated back to London in 2004. Not long after she opened her luxury Home Accessories boutique at 160 Walton Street in Chelsea. In 2013 she opened a showroom in Doha Qatar.

Career

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Pooley opened a luxury home accessories store in 2004 on Walton Street in Chelsea, London, a design studio the following year, and a showroom in Doha in 2012.[18][19] She has said she was inspired to start a luxury home accessories boutique featuring art and unusual objects found on her travels in Asia.[2] This soon evolved into a flourishing design studio which employs designers hailing from over 20 nations.[6] KPL has been at the forefront of the design industry as one of Britain's most sought-after studios[2] with elite clients from all over the world including [20] European[21] and Middle Eastern royal families as well as big names from both the business and celebrity worlds.[4]

Her design philosophy is characterised by a blend of traditional elegance and contemporary sophistication.[22] Although motivated by travel, architecture, fashion, literature and art, she has attributed Mother Nature as her greatest inspiration,[23] citing the beauty and diversity of our environment as a constant solace with her appreciation for the natural world is the seed of every design[23] and as a result, sustainability has become a central pillar of the studio's design process.[23]

Pooley is renowned for her meticulous attention to detail,[24] exquisite craftsmanship, and ability to create spaces that seamlessly marry form and function.[25][20] Large-scale residential projects in her books include a five-star hotel with a private racing track in Shaoxing, China;[16] beach houses in South Africa, Dubai, country estates and castles in the UK; palaces in Kuwait and Qatar;[26] and city dwellings in Singapore, Washington and London, as well as the Château de la Croix des Gardes - the largest remaining estate on the Cote D'Azur in France.[6] Her more recent works completed include an Alpine Ski Chalet[27] and 'The Gainsborough,' a Grade-II heritage-listed apartment in the historic 9 Millbank development.[28] She is also responsible for the redesign of the Royal Suite in Terminal 5 at London Heathrow and the VVIP Private Jet Lounge for XJet at London Stansted.[29]

Notable projects and charity work

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Pooley is involved in several charities[3] including Lady Garden, which raises awareness and funding for women's health, and United in Design,[30] which promotes diversity in the design industry. Since 2006 Pooley has sat on the board of trustees for Kings College Hospital,[31] one of London's teaching hospitals.

In 2021, Pooley became a trustee of the British Forces Foundation.[32] The Foundation works to boost and maintain the morale of the men and women of the Armed Forces.

Awards and recognition

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Katharine Pooley has been named a leading ‘tastemaker' by The Times,[8] and is one of the UK's most sought-after interior designers.[33] Pooley is one of the Lux Deco Top 100 Interior Designers[34] Homes and Garden's Top British 100 Interior Designers, The Times[35] Top 50 Interior Designers and has been named one of the Top 50 Finest Interior Designers by Country & Town House Magazine.[36]

Personal life

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While Pooley is known for her public presence in the design world,[37] she prefers to maintain a private personal life.[38] It is known that her home garden is 'one of her happy places,'[17] as well as the family's 'bolthole' in the Lake District, Little Nut Cottage.[39][40] Her family motto is 'Try and you will succeed.'[41]

Pooley has travelled to 195 countries and summited some of the world's highest mountains.[42]

Poole met her husband, Daniel a professional tennis player and property developer in 2006.[1] They have two sons[38][1] and live in the English Countryside in a Georgian-era Coach House[43] with their three dogs, cat, guinea pig, 11 ducks, 5 chickens and bees.[43]

Publications

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In 2017, Pooley published her second book, Journey By Design[41] with the publishing house Assouline.[44] It includes a forward from American singer-songwriter and actress Janet Jackson.[5] Her first publication was a cookbook called A Taste of My World, with proceeds from sales dedicated to the work of three different charities.[45]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Stockley, Philippa (18 March 2016). "At home with Katharine Pooley: interior designer to the super-rich". Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Ross (14 April 2023). "In Conversation With Katharine Pooley - The Luxury Editor". Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "All the award winners at the House & Garden Awards 2023". House & Garden. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Wells, Emma (23 August 2023). "Inside Forter Castle, which was razed to the ground and rebuilt from a centuries old ruin". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b Newspaper, The Peninsula (12 November 2017). "Katharine's incredible interior journey". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d "Interior designer Katharine Pooley turns her hand to boats". boatinternational.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Live out your fairy tale fantasies in the enchanting Stowe Castle – up for sale for £4.5 million". Tatler. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b Temkin, Anna (19 December 2023). "Tastemakers: Katharine Pooley". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ^ Wightman-Stone, Danielle (19 January 2021). "Great British Brands 2021 awards announce winners". FashionUnited. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  10. ^ "» Designer In Profile : Katharine Pooley – CEO and Founder of Katharine Pooley Ltd". thedesignsoc.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  11. ^ weblog (26 October 2019). "Katharine Pooley's Sumptuous and Inspiring Interiors". Interior Design Giants. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  12. ^ "About". pooleys.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Military and Presentation Sword Cutlers in Sussex". pooleysword.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Bahrain's superwoman : Gulf Weekly Online". gulfweekly.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  15. ^ a b "On the wings of a dream". gulfweekly.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Katharine Pooley: How Travel Shapes, Informs And Inspires Design". Vogue Hong Kong. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Step inside British designer Katharine Pooley's country home — the epitome of cottagecore chic". CNA Luxury. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Katharine Pooley". House and Garden. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  19. ^ "INSIDEOUT - Inspiring Design". Gulf News.
  20. ^ a b London, Luxury; Solomon, Anna (5 October 2023). "Westminster development 9 Millbank launches The Gainsborough". Luxury London. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  21. ^ Brzezinski, Victoria (19 December 2023). "Design ideas for a Tuscan outdoor dining terrace from Katharine Pooley". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  22. ^ "» Katharine Pooley". thedesignsoc.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  23. ^ a b c "Katharine Pooley". Country and Town House. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  24. ^ Hall, Zoe Dare (16 February 2021). "Glass pods and sound-proofed Zoom zones: how super-rich kids are learning from home". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  25. ^ Madden, Helena (19 December 2021). "This London Home's Redesign Was Inspired By Its Owner's Biggest Passion: Cars". Robb Report. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  26. ^ Stockley, Philippa (31 March 2016). "At home with Katharine Pooley: interior designer to the super-rich". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  27. ^ "Designer Q&A: Katharine Pooley". biid.org.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  28. ^ Lewis, Carol (19 December 2023). "A penthouse in the former ICI building is on sale for £18m". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  29. ^ Nardo, Arianne (25 April 2018). "The Woman Who Has Reshaped Your Layover". Robb Report. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  30. ^ "How to get Ahead in Design by Katharine Pooley". United in Design. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  31. ^ "About us". King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  32. ^ "Katharine Pooley". The British Forces Foundation. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  33. ^ "Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands". consent.yahoo.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  34. ^ "LuxDeco 100 2023". luxdeco.com. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  35. ^ "The Times & The Sunday Times". thetimes.co.uk. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  36. ^ Writer, Guest (11 October 2023). "The UK's 50 Best Interior Designers 2023/24". Country and Town House. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  37. ^ Swengley, Nicole (7 November 2016). "Interior designer Katharine Pooley loves Cape Town, the Chrysler Building and Cecily Brown". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  38. ^ a b "Motherhood by Katharine Pooley". Kensington Mums. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Little Nut Cottage | a luxurious self-catered home". Little Nut Cottage. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  40. ^ Doyle, Jessica (12 December 2022). "12 easy tips for beautiful Christmas decor from Britain's best interior designers". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  41. ^ a b London, Luxury (19 May 2022). "The Great: In conversation with award-winning interior designer Katharine Pooley". Luxury London. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  42. ^ Bradshaw, Tamsin. "Global Nomad: Designer and Traveller Katharine Pooley Launches New Book". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  43. ^ a b Twigg, Melissa (25 August 2023). "How I made my garden more butterfly-friendly – without letting it go completely wild". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  44. ^ "Designer Coffee Table Books & Luxury Gifts". ASSOULINE. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  45. ^ "All the Best by Ronda Carman™: Profile: Katharine Pooley". All the Best by Ronda Carman™. 21 September 2007. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
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