The conversation: OLGA ASHBY

The designer tells our editor Pip Rich about how curved edges and clumsy spouses can come together to create a stylish safety net that we can all fall back on

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London-based designer Olga Ashby is known for the elegant comfort of the projects she creates, elevating the minimaluxe style with her signature skills of curation. She has recently completed Tenuta Negroamaro, a blissed-out hotel in Puglia.

PIP RICH As you know, I'm just back from Tenuta Negroamaro and loved how relaxed yet elevated it was. It's not that different from your normal vibe, but it works so well in that holiday setting - the rustic finishes sublime next to the contemporary pieces you've chosen. How do you get them to work together?

OLGA ASHBY I love mixing and matching, but without showing the contrasts too much - everything needs a common thread even if you're picking designs from different eras or styles. The vibe at Tenuta is absolutely natural from the colours to the materials. Instead of thinking just about how it would look, I was imagining how people would use it - where they'd sit and have Prosecco, where they'd play a board game, how many people could sit together in this corner... I was calculating every spot.