About the studio
Considered interiors,
thoughtfully made.
I'm Lorna — an interior designer based in Chichester, West Sussex, creating considered, sustainable homes across the South of England. Born in South Africa, I take my inspiration from nature, architecture and the vibrancy of life.
Our approach
Great, considered interiors don't just look good — they help you feel and be your best self. That comes from layers of small, careful decisions, not big gestures.
The studio story
From optometry to interiors.
Lorna trained and worked as an optometrist before having children. It was building her own family home that reconnected her with a lifelong passion for design.
She went on to complete an Interior Design Diploma and founded Lorna Smith Interiors, working across both residential and commercial interiors. Today the studio designs homes across the South of England, with remote design available for clients further afield across the UK.
Lorna Smith Interiors · Sussex country home project
The optometry background, it turns out, was excellent training. Reading a room is reading a person — what they need, what they don't notice, what gets in the way. The work is to translate that into space.
Every project still begins the same way: with a conversation. About how you cook, where you read, who's coming for Christmas. The brief comes from the life, not the rooms. It's how the studio has worked on homes across Chichester, West Sussex and Hampshire — and, through E-Design, much further afield.
What we believe
Three things we hold onto.
01
Considered, not fashionable
We design rooms that look right in ten years, not just next season. Quality materials, classic proportions, restraint where it counts.
02
Sustainable by default
Sourcing locally and working with suppliers who share our values. Quality furniture, eco-friendly paint, local craftsmen, and vintage and antique pieces — chosen to last for years, not seasons.
03
Yours, not ours
The brief is your life — how you actually live in your home. We listen first, design second, so the finished rooms feel unmistakably yours.
A note from Lorna
"Great, considered and well-organised interiors can help us feel and be our best selves. I work closely with you to re-imagine your spaces — so they make day-to-day life easier and truly resonate with who you are."
Lorna Smith · Founder