‘Everyone had dodgy magazines hidden under their beds and I had interior design magazines’: James Thurstan Waterworth's consuming passions

The article delves into the professional and personal life of James Thurstan Waterworth, the founder of Thurstan, an interior design studio. Before establishing his own firm in 2018, Waterworth served as the European design director at Soho House. His vision for Thurstan was to create unique and eclectic interiors that truly reflect the client's brief and harmonize with the architectural context and surrounding environment. His work spans both hospitality and private residences, taking him globally to transform spaces. The narrative highlights Waterworth's formative years, revealing an early passion for interior design, nurtured by magazines sent by his sister, even while attending an all-boys boarding school that didn't prioritize creative fields. He recounts his initial aspiration to study art history, which was dissuaded by his father. This led him to pursue interior design, initially facing rejection from Oxford Brookes. Undeterred, he gained practical experience through various placements and completed a course at KLC School of Design in London, ultimately securing his first professional role at Martin Brudnizki Design Studio. The article positions him in his Clerkenwell office, near the Barbican, surrounded by carefully curated objects that showcase his aesthetic and eclectic taste, a skill honed during his time at Soho House, working on projects like Soho House Istanbul and Barcelona. Currently, he is involved in designing Bradley House in Wiltshire and a Symington property in Portugal. Waterworth's creative drive is attributed to his family background; his mother was an artist, and his stepmother an antique dealer with an exceptional eye, while his father, a property developer, harbored unfulfilled architectural dreams. He expresses enthusiasm for the conceptual phase of his work, embracing each new client, project, and location as a distinct challenge, and cherishes the opportunity to travel worldwide in search of beautiful objects. His aesthetic heroes are Axel Vervoordt and Robert Kime, admired for their passion for furniture, antiques, and architecture. His personal passions extend to literature, citing Nigel Nicholson’s *Great Houses of Britain* as an inspiring read due to its accessible approach to architecture. He found the crafts exhibition at Japan House London particularly impressive, reflecting his deep appreciation for Japanese culture, cleanliness, efficiency, and aesthetic thoughtfulness, with Kyoto being his favorite global destination. Roger Hilton is his favorite artist, and he owns one of Hilton's late-period chicken paintings, acquired after years of admiration. In his studio, world music, especially African Soukous from the late 80s and 90s, and light piano pieces by Ludovico Einaudi, often accompany his work. He treasures a Carl Aubock screw-bottle opener, a gift from his family, embodying his appreciation for beautifully crafted everyday objects. For a desert island scenario, he would bring a piano, an instrument he rarely has time to play, believing it would provide entertainment and solace. The most cherished gift he received was a 1960s Rolex from his wife for their wedding, valued for its personal significance. He frequently revisits the Grand Nord-Pinus hotel in the South of France, enjoying its distinct bullfighting-era vibe and proximity to antique markets. He is an avid listener of the podcast *Not Just the Tudors*, expressing a long-standing fascination with Tudor history and admiration for the narrator, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. His most recent significant purchase was another Roger Hilton painting, underscoring his ongoing collection of 20th-century British abstract art, particularly from the British-St Ives school, as well as early Pyrenees, French, and Spanish furniture, and Italian and Spanish frames. When asked who would portray him in a film, he suggests Andrew Scott, seeing a shared sensitivity and subtle demeanor, albeit with a need for a hair dye. His mornings are typically initiated by his children at 5:30 AM, but he finds his most creative hour alone in the office before others arrive. He recalls a memorable meal at a now-closed Japanese grilled food restaurant in Barcelona, praising its rustic charm and exceptional cuisine. #InteriorDesign #JamesThurstanWaterworth #Thurstan #SohoHouse #Architecture #Antiques #ArtHistory #JapaneseCulture #TudorHistory #InteriorDesign #JamesThurstanWaterworth #Thurstan #SohoHouse #Architecture #Antiques #ArtHistory #JapaneseCulture #TudorHistory

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