201 Portland Road

Claire is a magpie of the design world whose studio specialises in creating interesting, ethical interiors and landscapes. Often this is by finding unwanted objects - reinventing and reusing them in inventive ways.

Her studio space itself is an exercise in recycling, having been converted from a former disused public convenience. The brick building has been refitted as office space, with three new FSC timber windows on the south face and huge, refurbished lantern lights that let in natural light and warmth from the sun.

Fittings throughout and many of the building materials are recycled or reclaimed, including beautiful parquet flooring, 1940s cabinetry reused in the kitchen, vintage industrial lighting and glazing reclaimed from other studio projects. Similarly, office furniture includes a gym horse converted to a table and bench, trestle tables rescued from a skip and a vintage architect’s drawing table.

The interior features masses of plants to soften the industrial appearance and to clean the air, and raised beds have been created in the front garden of the studio, featuring fruit trees, herbs and fragrant plants to encourage biodiversity.

BUSES 2, 46, 49 (to Coleman Avenue) TRAIN Portslade (15 min walk or bus 46/49)