Interview with Sorcha Drakeford, Founder and Creative Director, Design@Studio17

Admin, The UK Times

20 Jan 2026 • 01:31 pm

Interview with Sorcha Drakeford, Founder and Creative Director, Design@Studio17

Sorcha Drakeford Interview

Purpose-led design is reshaping how we experience interiors, from private homes to hospitality and commercial spaces. At the intersection of sustainability, wellbeing, and human-centred thinking stands Sorcha Drakeford, Founder and Creative Director of Design@Studio17.

Table of Contents

With over three decades of experience in hospitality and formal design training at King’s College London, Sorcha brings a rare blend of operational insight, empathy, and creative precision to her work. Her studio is known for creating refined, enduring interiors that balance aesthetics with function, environmental responsibility, and emotional impact.

In conversation with The UK Times, Sorcha Drakeford shares her journey into design, her commitment to sustainability and social impact, and her belief that well-designed spaces should actively enhance how people live, work, and feel.

FROM HOSPITALITY TO INTERIOR DESIGN

The UK Times: Your career path into interior design followed three decades in hospitality. How has that experience influenced your design philosophy today?

Sorcha Drakeford: Hospitality teaches you to see spaces through the eyes of the people who use them every day. You quickly learn that beauty alone is never enough. A space must function intuitively, support movement, and create comfort without explanation.

That understanding has stayed with me. When I design, I think about how a space will be lived in, worked in, and experienced over time. My formal studies at King’s College London gave me the academic and technical foundation, but hospitality gave me empathy and a real understanding of how design decisions affect teams, guest experience and ultimately sales and profitability. Together, they allow me to create environments that are both refined and deeply practical.

SUSTAINABILITY AND TIMELESS AESTHETICS

The UK Times: Sustainability is a defining value at Design@Studio17. How do you ensure environmental responsibility without compromising aesthetics or quality?

Sorcha Drakeford: Sustainability and beauty are not opposing forces. In fact, the most timeless and elegant spaces are often the most sustainable.

We focus on thoughtful material selection, ethical sourcing, and designs that are intended to last rather than follow short-term trends. Longevity is one of the most powerful sustainability tools available to designers. When clients invest in spaces that age gracefully and remain functional, waste is reduced and value is preserved. My aim is always to create interiors that feel considered, responsible, and effortlessly elegant.

DESIGN WITH SOCIAL IMPACT

The UK Times: Your studio is actively involved in social initiatives, including Standing Tall and The Sorcha Children Foundation. Why is social impact important to your work?

Sorcha Drakeford: Design carries responsibility. It has the power to improve lives, even beyond the spaces we create.
Working with Standing Tall allows us to support individuals transitioning from homelessness into independent living, which is incredibly meaningful. Through The Sorcha Children Foundation in Uganda, I am able to contribute time and resources to children who need stability, education, and care.

These initiatives are not separate from my professional life. They reflect the values I want Design@Studio17 to stand for: compassion, dignity, and positive impact.

GUIDING CLIENTS FROM VISION TO CLARITY

The UK Times: Many clients approach you with only a loose idea of what they want. How do you guide them from uncertainty to clarity?

Sorcha Drakeford: Listening is the most important part of the process, and I also pay close attention to what may be left unsaid. Clients often know how they want a space to feel, even if they struggle to articulate it visually.

I take time to understand their lifestyle, routines, and emotional connection to the space. From there, we translate those insights into a clear design concept, supported by practical planning, transparent timelines, and realistic budgets. Collaboration builds confidence. By keeping communication open and structured, clients feel supported from the first conversation through to the final detail.

DESIGN, WELLBEING, AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF SPACE

The UK Times: Interior environments play a significant role in mental and emotional wellbeing. How do you incorporate this awareness into your designs?

Sorcha Drakeford: Every design decision influences how people feel. Light, colour, texture, and layout all affect mood and behaviour, often subconsciously.

Spaces should be welcoming and create the right energy for their intended purpose. In homes, that may mean encouraging rest and connection. In commercial settings, the space must be workable, efficient, and well considered for both visitors and the people who operate within it.

We understand the impact a well-designed bar, kitchen, or workspace can have on a team. When design functions seamlessly, the space genuinely supports wellbeing, and people feel it immediately. That is when design has truly succeeded.

CONCLUSION

Through Design@Studio17, Sorcha Drakeford is redefining interior design as a discipline rooted in purpose, sustainability, and human experience. Her work demonstrates that thoughtful interiors do more than look beautiful. They support wellbeing, longevity, and meaningful social impact.

As expectations around sustainability and mental wellbeing continue to shape the built environment, Sorcha’s approach offers a compelling vision of what responsible, human-centred design can achieve.