“Waldo Works is recognised for its modern British design output and has worked with inspirational individuals and companies; changing derelict spaces into elegant apartments or translating a brand’s identity into an engaging physical environment. Waldo Works tries to connect its work to the heritage of a place while remaining tied to the present. We enjoy understanding a client’s needs and aspirations for their projects, so that we can fully customise our designs to these requirements. We are interested in providing environments that create a real resonance for the user, be it home or hotel.
We work internationally on projects large and small, commercial and private; and our in-house team of architects and designers deliver a fully integrated design and project management service”
The Studio’s work is featured consistently in leading publications, including World of Interiors, Elle Decoration, Wallpaper* and others; and is listed as one of the top 100 in House and Garden 2012’s list of Interior designers.
Separately to the studio, Tom consults for Yoo on large scale residential and hotel developments with budgets of gross development value of around $130 million. His experience covers working across territories including India, Russia, Turkey and the USA.
Biography: the man before the myth
Tom set up Waldo Works in 2000. The EC1-based team of 15 comprises architects, interior designers and product designers, offering fully integrated design and project management for houses, retail spaces, restaurants and bars around the world.
Architect trained, Tom Bartlett continues to delight with his intelligent, playful and bold interiors, aided by his partners Sasha von Meister and Andrew Treverton. The team creates ‘spaces that are about character, people and their intricacies’.
See also : TOP INTERIOR DESIGNERS | JULIETTE BYRNE
Background & Realizations: the projects
Current commissions include: the architecture and interiors for a house in Highgate; The Laslett, a new 51-bedroom hotel in Notting Hill; and architectural joinery and interiors for a Victorian property in Notting Hill. Newly completed is the interior design for the penthouse at the Neo Bankside development in London.
Commercial projects :
SELFRIDGES INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
Architectural restoration and Interiors for Selfridges and Co. Selfridges, Oxford Street, London
Selfridges, Oxford Street, London
2015
A multi-million pound investment, and part of the architectural restoration of the Neo Classical building, the department tripled in size and now occupies 16,000 sq ft of prime retail space. Set above the main entrance to the store and the iconic Queen of Time clock, the space houses a series of halls, lounges, dedicated VIP areas, libraries, a theatre Desk, a Mac bar and Faith Room.
This demonstrates Selfridges’ exceptional commitment to their International Customers providing a luxurious and comfortable environment where they process their taxes. The studio looked to the golden age of travel in the early 1900s when Selfridges opened, and the fashionable Palm Court restaurant that previously existed on the site. This influenced the reinstatement of the historic Selfridges detailing and scale of the rooms, including huge areas of hand painted glass and striking marble floors.
FORTNUM & MASON BEAUTY FLOOR
Architectural reconfiguration and Interiors for Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, London
Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, London
2015
Covering almost the whole 2nd floor, the concept is based on the idea of the Georgian salon in which ladies selected on a one-to-one basis. The design approach also reflects the heritage of Fortnum & Mason, established in 1707, with an elegant deportment combined with moments of folly and whimsy. Emphasis was on creating an environment for consultation – a place to dwell, interact with staff and become educated about the products in these specialist sensorial departments.
The Floor, designed with carefully considered proportion, gives the experience of walking though a series of rooms in a fabulous women’s boudoir suite to discover a collection of precious gems rather like the finds of a women’s Grand Tour. Similar to a coveted jewelry box, it is furnished with rarefied materials and semi precious stones such pinky rose quartz, Amazonian malachite, through to fine veneers in figured sycamore and bird’s eye maple. Throughout, illustration is used, taking inspiration from Fortnum & Mason’s archives.
SMYTHSON
Retail interior for prestigious British brand
Bond Street, London
2012
Waldo Works were asked to completely redesign the physical environment of this iconic British brand. We worked within the listed interior with highly contemporary insertions. We developed highly contemporary insertions to function with the listed interior. The shop was expanded and rooms became departments. The diary wall forms the focus of the main space, reimagined in London fog grey with blue and gold display tables punctuating the space in front. The interiors and fittings palettes are based on grainy images of prewar houses in Mayfair. A Danny Chadwick mobile is installed in the nile blue papered bespoke stationery room.
GARRARD
Retail interior for British Crown Jeweller
Mayfair, London
The redesign of Garrard was commissioned to coincide with its relaunch. The interior follows a palette of edwardian materials and colours explored in a contemporary way. A sterling silver wall dominates the jewellery hall, while red silk covers the engagement room’s walls. All the cabinetry was custom designed, including magnifying cases and shagreen covered bowls to display diamond rings.
The design was developed further in Harvey Nichols in London and also installed in New York, Dubai, Moscow, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Beverly Hills
PPQ
Retail Interior for British Fashion Brand
Conduit Street, London
Cutting edge fashion label PPQ looked to create a flagship store on Conduit Street. Waldo Works designed an interior to mirror the wit and elegance shown in the clothes. Formed from a palette of materials that we affectionately call ‘Margaret Thatcher Modernism’, the shop is a strictly structured set of rooms in blue/black lacquer and brass detailing.
NEW STREET SQUARE
Bar Design, Construction, Interiors and Furnishing
Holborn, London
Reinterpreting the famous ‘American Bar’ by Adolf Loos and the colours of an idealised Victorian pub, this empty unit was clad in hundreds of square metres of coloured veneer work to create warmth and conviviality. A striped graphic floor and glowing slatted central bar cut through the curves of the furniture and banquettes.
TEMPERLEY
Retail interior for a British brand
Bicester, England
The first of the new stores to incorporate ‘Temperley’ and ‘Alice by Temperley’; this vertiginous retail fit out reflects a ‘Through the Looking Glass’ aesthetic. Over scale panels and leaning forms add to the sense of theatre. The design was developed further in Harvey Nichols and other department stores.
SELFRIDGES PERSONAL SHOPPING
Retail interior for Department Store
Oxford Street, London
This large sitting area and adjacent changing rooms in Selfridges were remodelled with an eye to iconic women. The colourful changing rooms bleed out of their doors into the pale grey central sitting room, which is based on Syrie Maugham’s famous ‘white room’ of fashionable 1920’s society. The celadon green dressing room playfully looks to Tamara de Lempicka, the black room to Grace Jones, the blue room references Jeanne Lanvin, while the white room suggests a girl in her boyfriend’s shirt.
MENDOZA WINERY
Architecture and Interiors
Mendoza, Argentina
A winery design for a site in Argentina. The winery is a collision of two buildings in a landscape of vines, the apex pointing towards the Andes. Both forms are barn-like, in keeping with the vernacular, and the geometry is extracted from the vineyard planting. A solid enclosed form and a ghostly open form, sit on a brick terrace which houses the extensive cellars of Malbec wine. This project is a part of a larger master planning project in the Valle D’Uco that Waldo Works is overseeing.
RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS :
NEO BANKSIDE PENTHOUSE
High above the Thames next to Tate Modern, Waldo Works were asked to design a penthouse for Native Land in this landmark building. Taking inspirational cues from the wide sky views, we looked at celestial movements and sacred geometries to generate pattern and form. The duplex is designed with a real family in mind, with areas to work play and reflect. A double height library was fitted – tottering up the wall and turning to a desk area on the upper walkway. Playful children’s rooms and a serene master bedroom sit at the top of the tower, while the kitchen is designed to extend into the watery blues and greys of London and its river.
Kensington Gardens
Interior design of a garden apartment
London
The Interior Design of a large property overlooking a square in Notting Hill. Working with MMM Architects and enthusiastic clients, the house was to be filled with a burgeoning art collection. The interiors reflect the couples love for both contemporary and old master works, as well as particular interest in the ‘Bloomsbury’ period.
Holberton Gardens
Rebuilding, Remodelling and Interiors
London
A large scale remodelling of an existing warehouse, converting it into four separate units and a new floor above. The largest unit comprises two bedrooms either side of a large central space. The ground floor is open plan but has distinct interiors within.
Portobello Road
Residential Architecture and Interiors
London
2013
Waldo Works was asked by a friend of the studio to redesign his much loved apartment overlooking the Portobello Road. A panelled wall in the entrance hall opens to reveal cupboards and a guest WC. The wall continues upstairs to the study which in turn leads to the kitchen and drawing room. Above this, the master bedroom opens onto the bathroom which includes a wet area finished in steel and graded green tiles. An intricate Ernst inspired staircase winds up to a new terrace looking over the street and toward Trellick Tower.
HYDE PARK FLAT
The remodelling and rebuilding of two penthouse floors. Interiors and furnishing.
London
Waldo Works Studio remodelled this penthouse flat overlooking the park, to create a series of rich rooms for a well travelled woman. Recollection of smart apartments in New York formed the basis of her aspirations. Intricate contemporary detailing features alongside luxurious materials.
WAREHOUSE CONVERSION
Remodelling and rebuilding. Interiors and furnishing.
North London
A black wooden box was placed on top of a Victorian warehouse to create a triple height central space which punches light into the ground floor. A large ply wall conceals stair, bathrooms and bedrooms.
WILTSHIRE FARMHOUSE
Remodelling and rebuilding. Interiors and furnishing.
Wiltshire, England
A comprehensive remodeling and extension to an old farmhouse.. An old outbuilding was converted into staff accommodation and a new pool house was added. A new swimming pool and a extensive landscaping scheme unites the three buildings. Working with traditional materials the original farmhouse was sympathetically modernised. Idiosyncratic room interiors mix with elements from the original building.
IBIZAN VILLA
Remodelling and rebuilding. Interiors and furnishing.
Ibiza, Spain
A rebuilding and reinterpretation of an old finca in Northern Ibiza. New insertions and cut throughs change the traditional layout without removing the history story of this vernacular building.
SEE ALSO : TOP INTERIOR DESIGNERS | INDIA MAHDAVI
All creators together (special project / partnerships)
This year marks the 125th anniversary of Smythson of Bond Street, which was founded in 1887 and has catered to members of the Royal Family and celebrities.
Bartlett worked with the company’s board of directors, including Creative Consultant, Samantha Cameron, to give the store a new concept that encompassed all of the brand’s components, from diary and paper, to leather goods, and their bespoke department.
“What is wonderful is that it’s turned into a sort of department store,” said Bartlett. “It’s not just paper; what we wanted to do was open the store up, take it back to its original size and create mini-departments.”
Bartlett drew from the company’s rich history for the interiors of the store, but reinterpreted the 3,300 feet space with the contemporary consumer in mind.
“One of the first things we try to do when working with heritage materials is to bring that sense of heritage and oldness to a project while keeping it a real contemporary form,” explained Bartlett.
Top Projects Gallery
