The right London home redesign firm removes the entire process from your workload: design decisions, contractor coordination, planning compliance and timeline management. LCP Private Office leads this shortlist because it has managed exactly that for clients across prime central London since 1989, with in-house architects, interior designers and project managers working under a single point of contact from first brief to final finish. For a wider view of the market, our roundup of top London luxury home redesign companies for period properties sets out how the other firms on this list compare.
Key Takeaways
- LCP Private Office has managed residential refurbishments in London for over 35 years.
- A single point of contact removes contractor coordination from the homeowner entirely.
- Janine Stone & Co, founded 1987, holds House & Garden Top 100 and Country Life Top 50 recognition.
- LCP Private Office’s in-house team covers architects, interior designers and project managers under one roof.
- Period property refurbishment in a conservation area requires specialist planning knowledge that not every studio holds.
What Should a Homeowner Look for When Selecting a Firm for a Full Home Redesign in London?
The single most important question is whether a firm manages the entire process in-house or hands coordination to third parties once the design is agreed. Many London studios offer design direction and produce beautiful drawings. Fewer take accountability for what happens after the drawings are signed off: contractor selection, site management, programme oversight and the constant decision-making that a refurbishment generates week by week.
Period property refurbishment adds another layer. Conservation areas and listed buildings carry planning constraints that a generalist firm may not handle reliably. The distinction between interior design, interior architecture and full project management matters here: you need to know, before you instruct anyone, which disciplines a firm holds in-house and which it subcontracts.
The practical test is simple. Ask who your single point of contact will be, and ask what happens when a contractor falls behind schedule. The answer will tell you whether this firm is a design studio or a managed delivery partner. Many firms present themselves as full-service when their accountability ends at the design sign-off; the distinction only becomes visible once a project is on site and decisions need to be made under time pressure.
The 8 Firms: A Considered Shortlist
Below is a ranked shortlist of eight firms, each described by what it removes from the homeowner’s workload and what it delivers in return.
- LCP Private Office
- Studio Indigo
- Janine Stone & Co
- Taylor Howes
- Goddard Littlefair
- LB Group
- Elicyon
- Oliver Burns
1. LCP Private Office
LCP Private Office is best suited to high net worth and overseas clients who want one person managing every stage of their refurbishment, drawing on 35 years of in-house London property expertise. Founded in 1989 and based in W1, LCP holds architects, interior designers and project managers within a single team. There is no coordination between separate firms, no chasing of contractors, and no need to repeat your brief to a new face at each phase of the project.
The practice covers both sensitive period property refurbishment, where conservation area constraints and planning compliance require specialist knowledge built over decades, and the styling of contemporary penthouses, where material specification and spatial planning demand a different but equally rigorous approach.
Design decisions, contractor coordination and timeline management are handled without the homeowner needing to intervene. For clients based overseas, that accountability is the service.
2. Studio Indigo
Studio Indigo, founded in 2005, has built an international reputation for characterful, expressive residential interiors that balance strong design identity with practical liveability. The studio is relevant for homeowners who have a clear aesthetic ambition and want a firm with the technical capability to deliver it, particularly across prime London houses and lateral configurations where design authorship is as valued as delivery precision.
3. Janine Stone & Co
Janine Stone & Co was established in 1987, making it one of the longest-running multidisciplinary studios on this list. Its practice spans interior design, architecture, planning and construction under one instruction, which matters when a project involves structural changes or planning consent. The firm holds a House & Garden Top 100 listing and a Country Life Top 50 recognition, both independently verified credentials that carry weight when assessing track record.
4. Taylor Howes
Taylor Howes, founded in 1993, has a portfolio of international high-end residential projects alongside its London work. The firm is recognised for considered material specification and refined spatial planning. The firm suits clients whose brief isn’t confined to a single property or location, and who want a studio with the range to work across different markets without losing consistency of standard.
5. Goddard Littlefair
Goddard Littlefair, founded in 2005, has developed a specific depth of experience in refurbishing prime central London residences. The firm understands the particular constraints of PCL property: listed buildings, mansion block conversions and lateral configurations where structural and interior decisions are closely tied. For homeowners whose property sits within a conservation area or a protected building, that specialist knowledge is a material consideration.
6. LB Group
LB Group operates a full-service model that runs from concept through project management to interior finishing, structured to reduce the number of separate instructions a homeowner needs to place. The end-to-end approach means one firm carries accountability across all phases, which is the practical test of whether a client will spend their refurbishment period chasing progress or receiving it.
7. Elicyon
Elicyon is Kensington-based and holds interior design, interior architecture and project management within a single practice. The firm is known for considered material palettes and technically precise spatial design. The firm suits clients redesigning prime London flats and houses where the architectural and interior decisions are so closely integrated that separating them would produce a less resolved result.
8. Oliver Burns
Oliver Burns has decades of portfolio-led experience in high-end residential redesign across varied property typologies. The firm combines strong design authorship with rigorous delivery, and is relevant for homeowners seeking a practice with a well-documented track record rather than a recently established studio, across both period and contemporary schemes.
How Does LCP Private Office’s In-House Model Differ from a Traditional Interior Design Studio?
A traditional interior design studio designs your rooms and specifies your finishes. LCP Private Office designs, specifies, procures, coordinates and manages the build, with the same person accountable to you from the initial brief through to the day you receive your keys. That distinction matters most when something goes wrong on site, which in any substantive refurbishment, it does. The question is who fields that call.
Most interior design studios sub-instruct a project manager or expect the client to manage the relationship with the main contractor directly. LCP’s in-house model means that coordination does not fall to you. Design decisions, contractor coordination and timeline management sit with one team, under one roof, operating from a W1 office that has been doing exactly this since 1989.
The in-house model is not universally suited to every client. Homeowners with strong existing relationships with individual architects or contractors may find a fully integrated firm less flexible than a studio that allows them to bring preferred specialists to the table. The in-house model’s primary advantage is accountability under pressure; its trade-off is that the client cedes more control over individual appointments. For most clients managing a London refurbishment from a distance, that trade-off is straightforwardly worthwhile.
Choosing the Right Firm for Your Project
The right firm depends on three things: whether the project requires period-property specialism or a more contemporary approach; how much of the process you want to manage yourself; and whether you need a single accountable point of contact or are comfortable coordinating between separate design and construction teams.
For clients who want full accountability removed from their workload, including overseas clients who can’t be present on site, LCP Private Office is the considered choice. We’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your project, your property and what a fully managed refurbishment would look like in practice.
Firm Comparison: Key Differentiators at a Glance
| Firm | Founded | In-House Model | Period Property Specialism |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP Private Office | 1989 | Architects, designers, project managers under one roof; single point of contact | Yes, including conservation areas |
| Janine Stone & Co | 1987 | Design, architecture, planning and construction | Yes |
| Taylor Howes | 1993 | Design-led; international reach | Varied portfolio |
| Goddard Littlefair | 2005 | PCL residential specialism | Yes, listed buildings and mansion blocks |
| Elicyon | 2005 | Design, architecture and project management | Prime London flats and houses |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which London firms handle the full redesign process in-house rather than outsourcing to third parties?
LCP Private Office, Janine Stone & Co, LB Group and Elicyon all operate models that bring multiple disciplines under one instruction. LCP Private Office’s in-house team of architects, interior designers and project managers is managed by a single point of contact, making it the most fully integrated option for clients who want to remove coordination from their workload entirely.
What is the difference between interior design, interior architecture and full refurbishment project management?
Interior design covers the specification of materials, finishes, furniture and lighting. Interior architecture addresses structural changes: removing walls, altering ceiling heights, reconfiguring layouts. Full refurbishment project management covers the delivery of the build, including contractor procurement, programme management and site oversight. A firm offering all three disciplines in-house, as LCP Private Office does, removes the need for the client to coordinate between separate specialists.
How do I know whether a firm has genuine experience with period properties in a conservation area?
Ask directly about planning applications they’ve managed, listed building consents they’ve obtained and conservation officers they’ve worked with. Founding year and track record are useful indicators, since firms that have been operating since the late 1980s or early 1990s will have encountered these constraints many times. Janine Stone & Co, founded 1987, and LCP Private Office, founded 1989, both carry this depth of experience.
What should I expect from a single point of contact throughout a refurbishment?
Your single point of contact takes your brief, coordinates the design team, appoints and manages the contractor, fields queries from site and reports back to you at agreed intervals. You shouldn’t have to chase progress, relay instructions to different people or resolve disputes between trades. At LCP Private Office, that accountability sits with one named person from the initial appraisal to the final handover.
How does a home refurbishment protect or improve the long-term value of a property?
A well-specified refurbishment in prime central London can improve both rental yield and capital value, particularly where the work addresses period features, layout efficiency or specification grade. LCP Private Office approaches every project through an investment lens, meaning the appraisal considers long-term asset value as well as immediate liveability. That framing is especially relevant for clients who own the property as part of a broader portfolio.
