Home and Heart

Samantha Drummond, Founder of Habitus Design Group, has brought her instinct for tasteful luxury to numerous residential projects in Asia and Europe, from large-scale, new-build developments in busy urban centres to individual residences nestled in their own expansive grounds.  

“All projects should start with the designer listening intently to clients, but this is especially important when the project is to create their private home,” says Samantha. “You have to understand who the clients are, and what their values and tastes are. Only then can you successfully start to respond with an appropriate and sophisticated design.” 

Habitus’ residential work is mainly for HNWIs – well-travelled people with high expectations and, naturally, each one with their own specific definition of luxury. That said, Habitus is, in general, seeing an evolution of what luxury is thought to be, away from ostentation and towards a more curated and bespoke style of design where elements are special because they have something particular to say about the client. This chimes well with a practice that confident in mixing things up, combining pared back finishes and modern furniture with antiques and artisanal accessories and, increasingly, repurposing or restoring old, storied pieces into a new purpose. Unsurprisingly for a design company with roots in both Asia and Europe, ‘East meets West’ is an aesthetic that can be spotted in several Habitus projects, although each time this is treated in a completely different way.  

The client relationship is critical, and Samantha likes to work with clients who are engaged in the design process. “We are currently creating an estate home as well as a vacation residence for a family. They are a joy to work with because they are so enthusiastic and have exceptional taste. Every step of the way offers new discoveries for both sides, and I think the end results will reflect this in properties that are a perfect pairing with the owners,” she says.  

Service is also key and Habitus is far from daunted by requests for turnkey solutions, from initial space planning to shopping for bed linen and scrupulous on-site supervision. 

“Clients come to us because we have a reputation for not letting them down. I think we know how to work with people who want the very best and expect a home that is unique to them” Samantha adds.  

www.habitusdesigngroup.com