DesignLSM are incredibly proud to be led by a strong team of female creatives.
Today on ‘International Women’s Day’ we highlight the recognition that women so rightly deserve, but at DesignLSM we seek to praise and celebrate our amazingly talented ladies all year round.
Driving the studio forward, Managing Director, Holly Hallam leads by great example empowering her team to curate and innovate, and make their mark in the creative world.
We’re proud of our team (and that includes the men too) so we wanted to introduce to you some of our key members…
Holly Hallam | Managing Director
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A personal achievement I’m proud of in my life:
Being the mother of two beautiful daughters who were both very premature, and continuing to talk, educate and encourage them to be confident girls who are brave, courageous and kind, and to believe that there’s nothing that they cannot achieve, working towards making the world a better place.
A career highlight:
Taking over as MD of DesignLSM through one of the most turbulent times the industry faced (Brexit and Covid), but during that time winning two monumental projects for the studio – assisting with the regeneration of the Olympia (London) development and the renovation of a 333-key Grade 2 listed hotel in the Cotswolds.
Rachel Pratt | Studio Director
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A personal achievement I’m proud of in my life:
Being an Adventure Project Manager (Mountain Leader) for Raleigh International in Costa Rica – organising, leading and supporting a group of young volunteers (17-25 year-olds) to complete a challenging and remote trek through Costa Rica’s diverse environment. Trekking 700km over a 9-week period with 3 different groups to remote and isolated parts of the country, I successfully managed and empowered a diverse group of young adults, helping them to achieve what was probably one of the most exciting and challenging experiences of their life – it was a great personal achievement for me.
A career highlight:
Alexis Southey | Interior Designer
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A personal achievement I’m proud of in my life:
A big personal achievement was being nominated for the Best Studio Project and winning the award for Best Maquette for exploratory models for the Interior educators Velocity London Design Show 2020.
A career highlight:
As a junior designer, it was great being a part of the recent Gaucho project in Glasgow from the concept stage where I 3D modelled the space to seeing the restaurant open last weekend which looked amazing.
Holly Rees | Senior Interior Designer
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A personal achievement I’m proud of in my life:
I had always wanted my own dog. I worked hard and saved money to buy my own place so I could get one and last year my dreams came true and I got my beautiful little Arlowe.
A Career Highlight:
Though I haven’t been at DesignLSM for long, I was soon immersed into a project whereby I was challenged to take a UK-based F&B brand and translate their vision into a global expansion with a restaurant opening in Saudi Arabia… more to be revealed soon!
Lisa Robertson | Associate
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A personal achievement I’m proud of in my life:
I feel extremely lucky that I have managed to travel to exotic places around the world, from Mexico, India to Costa Rica – all of which have inspired my interior style.
A career highlight:
Developing the concept to site completion for the five-star 100 Queensgate Curio Hotel in Kensington, working with an amazing team and seeing the quality of the joinery and details come to life.
Aleksandra Kanczura | Interior Designer
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A personal achievement I’m proud of in my life:
My proudest moments are always when I enter the space I have designed. Seeing all my creative inspiration there in the flesh, and observing how people are interacting with the space – it fills me with happiness.
A career highlight:
Since I joined DesignLSM, I have been given a fascinating opportunity to work on the renovation of Heythrop Park, set within 440-acres of Oxfordshire countryside. I have personally designed one of the theatre spaces, proposing a monochrome palette and a very interesting set of light installations. I can’t wait for it to be built!