Top 5 Modern Interior Designers

Discover modern interior design inspiration from these stylish forward-thinkers

Although there’s something so beautifully timeless about a traditional aesthetic, there’s no rulebook when it comes to modern interior design and that’s what makes it so inspiring. A modern approach to design creates the optimum conditions for artistic licence and self-expression, providing room for experimentation and a canvas for playing with white space, sleek materials and clean lines. Here are five exciting modern interior designers that are not only making a powerful contemporary impact on the spaces they put their creative hand to but the entire industry as a result.

1.Deborah Oppenheimer

Serenity is the overriding feeling at the sight of Deborah Oppenheimer’s exceptional designs. The South African designer mastered the art of understanding materials and communicating mood through visual means during her early career in art direction and fashion design. After adding Switzerland to the list of countries she’s lived in, Oppenheimer launched her interiors business in Hong Kong in 1993. To this date she hasn’t stopped travelling, putting her creative spin on global locations, from New York to Phuket, where she fuses striking lighting solutions, elegant soft accessories and understated furniture. It’s Oppenheimer’s affinity for open space, symmetry and light and dark that gives her work a thoroughly modern appeal. While residential spaces are her forte, the designer has also branched out into commercial commissions, designing a luxury retail space in Hong Kong’s impressive International Finance Centre.

2. Jeremiah Brent

With no formal training, it was his natural artistic instinct and hobby for deconstructing furniture that gave Jeremiah Brent the skills to start his eponymous design firm. Taking on the position of assistant to A-list stylist Rachel Zoe in 2011 gave him an invaluable insight into running a luxury business and working with VIPs. From here the designer went on to build his own little black book of high-profile clients – Rachel Zoe herself and celebrity colourist Rita Hazan have commissioned Jeremiah to decorate their homes. While his firm specialises in diverse projects, from luxurious penthouses to super-chic nightclubs, his entire portfolio is unified by a steadfast exhibition of fresh interior design. It’s Brent’s mantra – “Interior design, like fashion, is art we live our lives in” – that keeps his work consistently desirable. The incorporation of the beauty and style of high fashion results in sharp, sleek interiors characterised by clean colours, gorgeous materials and subtle vintage accents.

3. Hare + Klein

Down Under is represented in our top 10 by Hare + Klein. The Australian-based firm, headed by Meryl Hare, have enjoyed an impressive 27-year lifespan to date and are still going strong. What’s the secret to its success? Creating modern interior design without a sell-by date. Sleek surfaces and subtle colourways give its projects a timeless quality and no matter how big or small a room is, each space the firm touches feels stylishly spacious and brought to life with just the right amount of luxe accessories. The multi-award winning practice doesn’t just curate modern-looking spaces but tackles its projects with a modern mindset, carefully considering the sustainability of materials. In this image from one of its residential triumphs, the firm’s talent for showing off contemporary art to its utmost potential is immediately evident.

4. MR Architecture + Decor

With a CV that boasts renovating Christian Dior and Lanvin stores, there was no question that MR Architecture + Decor would scoop a place on our shortlist. It seems there’s nothing the 30-person New York-based studio can’t do as it specialises in everything from ground-up construction to interior architecture, design and decoration for residential and commercial capacities. Space, proportion and light are primary concerns in each of its projects, which are always tailored to perfectly suit the client’s needs. Its stand-out residential work never wavers from reaching the highest standards and rolls captivating staircases and exceptional lighting installations up with contemporary art and unique rugs. Each project is truly individual and the firm executes a sleek, sophisticated sensibility with just as much success as rustic modern luxury.

5. Neal Beckstedt Studio

Since its inception in 2010, Neal Beckstedt’s studio was tipped as one to watch – and rightly so. The boutique design firm has grown from to strength to strength and now holds an extensive range of projects to its name including London townhouses and the oceanfront holiday home of fashion designer Derek Lam. “My core design aesthetic is always creating a restrained sense of luxury, resulting in a space feeling both effortless and timeless,” the designer explains. Whilst his work delivers a modern vibe, Beckstedt doesn’t forget to pay attention to functionality and comfort. “My designs balance rich textures and tailored details to create spaces that are modern, comfortable, inviting, and infused with warmth and ease.” And to add greater desire to his work, Beckstedt is an aficionado when it comes to clean colour palettes, capturing relaxed elegance with neutral schemes.