Wow!House: Exclusive Interview with Andrea Benedettini
Andrea Benedettini, founder of Andrea Benedettini Interiors, has quickly established a reputation for his blend of classic contemporary style since launching his studio in 2020. Known for integrating modern necessities with period features, his designs embody understated elegance and thoughtful colour palettes.
In our exclusive interview, Andrea shares insights from his participation in this year’s Wow!House event, hosted by Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. He highlights his collaborative project with Chase Erwin, detailing how his ballet background influenced the library room design, his strategic partnerships with suppliers to push creative boundaries, and his commitment to sustainability by repurposing materials.
Join us as we explore how Andrea’s work at Wow!House not only showcases his design expertise but also marks a strategic advancement for his studio.
Andrea Benedettini
Could you begin by introducing yourself?
My name is Andrea Benedettini, I’m an interior designer and founder of Andrea Benedettini Interiors, a London based interior design and architecture studio. Our focus is on luxury residential projects for private clients in the UK but we also work internationally and recently completed a project in Abu Dhabi.
When did you launch your studio?
I launched the studio in 2020 with our signature style; classis contemporary. It’s a blend that’s both natural and organic, mixing period features with the sophistication of modern necessities. We often work with period antiques to seamlessly incorporate contemporary functions, creating a balance that results in a timeless look. Our designs are characterized by what might be called understated elegance.
Our palette tends to be very quiet. We favour a quiet style over bold colours, yet we still embrace colour in our designs. However, we prefer to use these tones in a more muted fashion, often as accents.
How and how many people work within your studio?
Four. It’s a really good, compact team. We’re expanding slowly—very much one small, intentional step at a time.
Could you share your thoughts on participating in the Wow!House event this year? Have you been involved in this event previously?
It’s truly an honour to be asked by Chase Erwin to partner with them for the Wow!House event. I wasn’t expecting it, and it was a lovely surprise. Having collaborated with Chase Erwin on my London home last year, our closely aligned design ethos and aesthetics make this partnership especially meaningful to me.
The even itself generates a lot of excitement and anticipation, holding a prominent spot in our design calendar. The extensive publicity has already attracted significant attention, with many eager to participate next year. I’ve even received several calls from other designers, curious about how I got involved and the steps they need to follow, which shows just how desirable a spot at this event has become.
The Wow!House provides an incredible platform, giving us the space to showcase our work to a broad audience. We’re expecting between 20,000 to 30,000 attendees this year, making it a fantastic opportunity for exposure. But it’s not just a showcase for us designers—it’s also a spotlight for the suppliers we work with, serving as our very own grand window display.
Could you discuss how your core design principles and commitment to quality were integrated into your work on the Wow!House project?
At the heart of our studio is a belief in individuality, personality, and identity. I’ve always felt very strong in my own identity, and that’s something I bring into every project. When we started working on Wow!House, we were encouraged to create something spectacular, but I was adamant about staying true to our design ethos and principles. It’s crucial to deliver not just a ‘wow’ room, but one that embodies excellent design and quality furniture.
Andrea Benedettini Wow!House concept sketch
My core belief is in creating beautiful interiors that showcase outstanding quality. With Wow!House, I hope we’ve managed to achieve that while also standing out as truly exceptional in some way.
And yes, in this very female-dominated industry, it’s important for me that our work carries our imprint and is recognized for its unique style and character. I want our designs to be distinct and to carry a certain connotation and character that people recognize as uniquely ours.
Can you tell me a little bit about your concept for your design?
Yes, working with Chase Erwin was particularly special because our visions are so aligned, and the concept just naturally evolved. They were assigned the library room, which can be a bit of a challenge because, typically, a library is filled with lots of joinery and books. However, we embraced this and built our concept around my background in ballet, integrating it into the design of the room. I trained in ballet since I was eight in Italy but won the scholarship when I was 17 and moved to London then to attend The English National Ballet School.
There are numerous nods and references to the theatre—like attending a ballet. The design includes elements that suggest movement, with explicit references to ‘Swan Lake’ in the furniture and lighting choices, creating an immersive, theatrical experience for visitors.
We transformed the space with suede curtains that wrap the entire room, reminiscent of the heavy drapery found in theatres, and crystal chandeliers that add a contemporary twist. The details really bring the theme together, like the stylized forest chorus wallpaper on the ceiling, adding layers of intrigue and theatricality.
So, when you ask how I landed on ballet as the core of our concept, it’s deeply personal. I was a ballet dancer, having received a scholarship in England and trained since I was eight. It’s a significant part of who I am, and bringing that into design was a natural step.
You’ve already touched on some of the key aspects within the room. But when we approach your room and enter into that space, what will we find physically? And how will we feel?
Cosy, I think you’ll feel cosy and pleasantly surprised. A key aspect of our interiors, and one of our design philosophies, is to create warm and elegant spaces that are also extremely comfortable. So, when you enter, you’ll definitely experience a wow factor, but the overwhelming impression will be of a quiet, comfortable room.
One of the main features is the curtain wall that wraps around the room. It opens up in various sections to reveal beautiful bookcases that stretch from floor to ceiling. It’s quite theatrical yet cosy at the same time.
Has this project allowed you to collaborate with existing or new supplier partners?
The beauty of the Wow!House is that there are no budget constraints and no limitations—you can really let your imagination run wild. It’s been incredibly fun to explore those boundaries and work with suppliers who create the most beautiful, imaginative pieces. We’ve been like kids in a candy store, saying, ‘We’ll have that, and that, and that.’ It’s been liberating to do exactly what we wanted and really push the boundaries.
Often, projects require us to rein in our creativity due to budget limits or other constraints, but this project was the complete opposite. We asked ourselves, ‘How can we push this further? How can we make it even more spectacular?’ We’ve definitely brought on some new suppliers for this.
At the same time, we’ve also relied on our trusted craftsmen and joiners—carpenters and artisans we know deliver exceptional quality. So while the room will certainly have that wow factor, it will still feel very much on brand for both myself and Chase Erwin.
Once the event is over, what do you hope to have achieved, and what experiences would you like to take away from being a part of it?
I hope this event serves as an opportunity to showcase our work on a much larger platform.
We’re a young company and we’ve built a good following, especially on Instagram, but this event is a fantastic platform to set us on the right trajectory to attract more clients and grow the future of our company.
I get a lot of joy from pleasing my clients with the interiors we create. My goal for this event is to make Chase Erwin and all our partners proud to have collaborated with us. I hope everyone loves the room as much as we enjoyed creating it!
And of course, we’re considering the sustainability aspect of our work. We’re looking at how we can reuse some of the materials and redistribute the fabrics and pieces. Hopefully, we can start to implement these sustainable practices more extensively throughout our projects.
What can our readers expect to see from you in the future?
More projects, without a doubt. My plan is to keep going—this is just the beginning. So, keep an eye out; there’s much more to come. You can expect to see lots of exciting projects ahead!