Inside Buchanan Studio’s Expanding Universe

Charlotte and Angus Buchanan are not what you may expect from two of Britain’s most in-demand design studio. When they pick up the phone from their quiet West London studio - that acts as both workshop and mood board - there is a confident air of ease that you can only get when you are unequivocally rooted in what you do.

Together, the pair are Buchanan Studio, a design partnership built on the alchemy of two creative sensibilities: his rooted in fashion production design, hers in creative partnerships. It’s a marriage - literally and figuratively - that has become synonymous with their aesthetic where the whimsical flirts with structure, where the lines of theatricality and domesticity blur. Think velvet curves, striped walls and oversized chairs. But what they do doesn’t just look good, it feels inhabited and storied, an uncommon balance that makes you want to stay in rather than go out.

Founded in 2018, Buchanan Studio emerged after Angus began receiving a steady stream of private requests to design more permanent interiors — a shift that led him to leave behind the world of set design for brands like Dior and Burberry. “It was like people were almost not wanting an interior designer in the more traditional sense,” he pinpoints, explaining how Charlotte recognised the natural progression to establish a studio themselves. “We’re both dreamers but in different senses,” explains Charlotte on the synergy of their partnership. “I dream more long term and think about how we will get there, whereas Angus is a problem solver, he sees what’s in front of him and what needs doing now. It’s a good combination”.

Their differences however converge into one shared value: storytelling. “We are very fixated on not losing sight of the story, aesthetic or narrative that we are trying to tell with different rooms,” says Angus, who foregrounds an important aspect of what they do: purpose. “Good design is essentially where aesthetic meets the practical,” continues Charlotte. “Functionality can lead to something very beautiful. It’s an interesting interplay and they are both equally important”. There is no better example of this than the first product launch in 2021: Studio Chair. With no KPIs or dedicated audience, it was an experiment that parlayed them into the furniture limelight and awarded them with cult status.

Buchanan Studio’s design polymath is divided into three: craftsmanship, quality and integrity. Procuring local artisans both here in the UK and abroad, they are able to go directly to the source of places like linen mills and frame makers, to then ensure quality. “We knew we wanted to create something that would last and be sustainable. Like yes, you’re buying a new piece of furniture but it should last a lifetime and sustain a generation”.

It makes sense then that their first collaboration is with USM Modular Furniture. Founded in 1885, the Swiss company has transformed living with its practical modular innovation. “The USM product is something that we’ve used ourselves in projects and in our own home for years,” explains Angus as to why they created the 11-piece collaboration titled TESSELLATE. Bringing their signature colours and ethos to the geometrical principles of tessellation, the outcome is a vibrant translation of something rooted in traditional commercial spaces and inserted alternatively into our homes. “We wanted to use our collaboration to make it more domestic, almost softer and user friendly,” he says, touching upon the range of the capsule, going from a stool to a bookshelf. “They’re accessible items to add to your current life without having to rearrange your entire house - they fit without it being a huge commitment”.

Never ones to follow the rulebook, Buchanan Studio has operated far beyond the scope of conventional interior design and evolved into the event space. With a portfolio of projects that are equally as eclectic as they are ambitious - from the Venice Biennale to seasonal shopfront installations and private parties - the scope of their work continues to expand. “It’s only going to improve you as a designer,” shares Angus. “When you’re designing an interior, you know you will have to live with it forever so you’re not going to put all of your creative energy into it. You’re not going to be too brave. Whereas events allow us to really flex that extra element of creativity and uniqueness to make it fantastical, even theatrical”.

So what’s next? “Boats” they reply in unison. Having never chased trends in the fickle world of interiors, Angus and Charlotte Buchanan remain quietly radical, now ready to set sail.