St James Interiors

‘My grandfather used to have a workshop in Uganda and always had a passion for furniture and interiors,’ says Pritesh Lad, who founded bespoke joinery design service, St James Interiors, last year. ‘When I spent time with him as a child, he would always explain what makes great craftsmanship – the intricacy and the time it takes to make beautiful work. Ever since then I have been hooked on the idea of creating a business like St James Interiors.’

With a workshop and showroom in northwest London, St James Interiors collaborates with clients, interior designers, architects and developers on all styles of projects. And while the company may be relatively new, it is already gaining a sterling reputation in its two key areas: manufacturing and designing bespoke interiors (such as kitchens, built-in wardrobes and wine rooms) and devising original pieces of furniture, tailored to client’s requirements.

The signature Vithal Jesse desk was created to showcase the company’s abilities and inspire clients to push their boundaries in design. Named after Pritesh’s grandfather, Vithal, and his wife Jesse, and often described as a work of art rather than a piece of furniture, it is made from solid walnut with a criss-cross pattern cut into curved sides. Another bespoke piece, the black gunmetal Dhan desk, with brass inlays and sculptural, double-ended walnut drawers, was designed for a private developer’s study. The other side of the business involves creating built-in joinery for all types of projects. A recent example is a £30m home in Windsor where St James Interiors worked closely with the architect to design and manufacture all the joinery, from the wine room and wardrobes to the kitchen and vanity units.

In the last few months the company has also collaborated with Bentley – creating a new bespoke table for the car manufacturer’s Mayfair boardroom that incorporates the company’s signature Mulliner stitching pattern – and produced the Ocean coffee table for the Blue Marine Foundation (20 per cent of all sales goes to the charity).

St James Interiors’ guiding principle is to design projects that touch and enrich people’s lives. Everything is bespoke, from materials to size, while quality and detail are at the heart of every piece. Inspired not just by the buildings and objects that surround him, but also by people, colleagues and clients, Pritesh’s passion is for pushing design boundaries – which includes the sustainability of a product.

The company only uses FSC-sourced timber and the workshop is heated from energy created by burning its offcuts and dust in a wood burner. ‘We find that most clients are looking for something different and unique and that’s why they consider us. They are also now likely to invest in a piece of furniture for the long term, rather than buy something cheaper and throwing it away after a few years,’ explains Pritesh.

With a top-to-bottom approach to interior design, St James Interiors is a business that reflects Pritesh’s love for design and construction and his desire to deliver the absolute best to each individual client.