Tom Strother on his month ahead in the capital

Words by
Jane Madden

18th September 2017

Creator Director of Fabled Studio, acclaimed restaurant designer Tom Strother shares his favourite interiors within our Capital

Tom Strother, Creator Director of Fabled Studio
Which galleries/ exhibitions will you be visiting?

I’ve been meaning to get to the Balenciaga exhibition at the V&A as I find the shapes and detailing of Balenciaga quite incredible.

 An item you want to buy and where?

I’m currently finishing refurbishing my home so there are lots of things on the list!  One of the most exciting things I want to buy is a brass train luggage rack.  There’s a beautiful one by Ann Morris in New York that I’ve got my eye on.

A walk you are looking forward to doing?

I love to explore Epping Forest near my home in Walthamstow.  It has such beautiful scenery that I didn’t expect to find so close to home when I moved to London.  I’m glad to have beautiful scenery as well as all the city has to offer on our doorstep for my daughter to enjoy as she grows up.

A new book you want to read?

At the top of the pile at the moment, I recently bought Alexandra Shulman’s diary of Vogue’s 100th year.  As the owner of a creative studio I’m fascinated by what it must be like to be at the helm of such an enormous iconic institution.  I also bought with this the beautiful Vogue 100: A Century of Style Book that has become my evening downtime obsession over a glass of wine!

Which bars will you be visiting?

We designed Noble Rot Wine Bar a little while ago for Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew who run the great Noble Rot magazine and it’s become a dangerously addictive place for us to visit.  They really take away a lot of the preconceptions of the wine world and open up amazing wines from regions we’ve never tried.  Their enthusiasm for great wine is really contagious!

I also love to visit the bar at the Wild Card Brewery in Walthamstow.  It feels like the heart of my neighbourhood when the sun is out and they do excellent beers of their own.  They also have some great bands playing there – I was absolutely gutted not to be able to get in to see Thurston Moore when he was playing there a while back!

Which cafes?

I always loved Pellici’s in Bethnal Green when I was living close by.  It’s a proper café with amazing art deco paneling that’s a real institution and great for lasagna when you need it!

At home now, I love Froth & Rind on Orford Road in Walthamstow.  As well as being an amazing café, they do incredible cheese!

Which new restaurants?

My go-to restaurant since it opened last year has been Margot, which we designed for Paulo de Tarso and Nicolas Jaouën.  The food, the service, the attention to detail is incredible.  It’s so nice to see restaurateurs obsess about the detail as much as we do when we’re designing them! I’m also really looking forward to visiting Ollie Dabbous’ new Henrietta restaurant, which I’ve been hearing amazing things about!

 Any in the know shops you might go to – florists/ hat shop/ umbrella shop etc.

I’m a bit of a music obsessive so love to spend time trawling through record shops and guitar shops and have been visiting Sister Ray for records since I first started visiting London in my teens.  I also love to while away hours wistfully looking around the various guitar shops of Denmark Street.  It’s sad to see some institutions that have been there for as long as I can remember being moved on.

Where might you get a lovely spa treatment done or where do you enjoy fitness?

I usually get myself straightened out, pulled apart and out back together again with an amazing shiatsu and chiropractic massage at Japan Natural Clinic.  I always feel amazing and at least a foot taller when I leave!

Your favourite hidden spot in London?

There’s a beautiful tiny hidden little hidden road off Mile End Road called Mike End Place, which is like a road that time forgot.

Which play might you be seeing?

I met one of the guys who runs Immersive Cult recently and their events sound incredible – less of play strictly but they sound like quite an experience!  I also keep hearing incredible things about the Ferryman so need to book some tickets to see that!

Your favourite London brand and why?

We’re currently working with Miller Harris on redesigning their stores.  They’re an incredible brand with some amazing scents – we’re really pleased to be working with them and are looking forward to unleashing the new stores on London.  I also really love Cutler and Gross glasses.  Their shape and style are simply stunning and really reflect cool London style for me.