Mark Howorth

Callender Howorth is an award-winning international interior architecture and interior design studio founded by Mark Howorth in 1997. With a portfolio spanning the UK, France and the US, the studio works across residential and commercial interiors, delivering architectural interior design, interior design, styling, renovation, build and project management. Its projects range from London and the British countryside to Paris and the Côte d’Azur, Manhattan, the Hamptons and California.

Rather than adhering to a house style, Callender Howorth takes a highly personal, client-led approach, creating interiors shaped around the people who live in them. The studio’s work is known for its use of colour, texture and layering, bringing richness, warmth and character to each space while maintaining a refined sense of balance.

Combining creative confidence with meticulous planning, exceptional service and an emphasis on making the design process enjoyable, the studio has built an international reputation for layered, characterful and refined interiors.

(Top image courtesy of Callender Howorth)

Interview with Mark Howorth

When you were a kid, what did you dream of becoming? Did any of those childhood ambitions lead you to where you are today?

I didn’t have the exact job title worked out as a kid but interiors were definitely there from the beginning. My mother had a passion for buying homes so we moved quite a few times and I grew up surrounded by renovations, colour samples and discussions about what should go where.

Apparently, from about the age of six, I would rearrange furniture and objects around the house while my parents were out, so I suppose I was “styling” rooms long before I knew that interior design could and would be my career!

I do have a distinct memory of my mother asking what I would like for my bedroom, aged 7 – now, not to sound too precocious – I did have a clear vision! I wanted dark navy gloss walls (I said shiny at that time), which was a punchy idea for 1979! Dare I say, way ahead of its time – I paired this with an English Union Jack bedspread, fluffy cushions and rug. My brothers were horrified… But I loved it and I’m so glad my parents let me have free rein on that. It was where a spark of interest started for me in creating unique spaces.

Where and what did you study?

I studied design and business at Chapman University in California. While I was there, I did work experience with a leading interior design agency in Los Angeles and joined them full-time as soon as I graduated.

I was 22 and suddenly working on these incredible houses in Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Malibu. It was a brilliant education – not just creatively, but in understanding the level of service, organisation and attention to detail needed to deliver a successful project.

Part of the fun was an old VW bug convertible with bright blue and white velour seats that I scrimped and saved to buy, which I would drive (badly and at speed) around the canyons of LA to get to meetings. Happy days!

Was there a specific turning point or experience when you realised that design was your true calling?

Moving from Hertfordshire to Los Angeles when I was 16 was the game changer. The world of interiors in LA was on a completely different level – interior design felt like a sport!

The designer working on our family home was called Shelley and I followed her around constantly. She was incredibly patient with me and let me become involved in the process. I was fascinated by everything she was doing and that was when I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Later, working professionally in LA confirmed it. I loved the sourcing, the styling, the extraordinary homes and the people and energy surrounding the whole process.
The energy of the US way of working was infectious and it taught me so much about the interior design world, but also about how customer service is “King” – this really helped me over the years and has helped my company to grow as an excellent creative design studio, but also with top-notch customer service and project management systems.

Is there a particular designer, artwork, or design movement that deeply inspires you? How has it influenced your own style or philosophy?

I tend to be inspired by different places and their unique culture, craftsmanship and architecture. Morocco has been a big influence on me over the last five years – the colour, texture, textiles and incredible artisan-made pieces are endlessly inspiring for me.

I love that sense of layering and richness: rooms that feel collected rather than simply decorated. It connects very naturally with my own taste, which has always leaned towards colour, texture and interiors that feel both cozy and refined.

I am now working with several artisans in Morocco to create unique pieces for our clients – currently, I am working with a factory in Fez on chandeliers and a custom fountain for one of our projects in LA.

How would you describe your design philosophy? Has it evolved over time, and if so, how?

It’s all about the client. We’ve never had a “house style”, because every client is different and every home should feel like the person who lives there.
You have to listen properly – to how somebody lives, what they love, what they don’t love and sometimes to things they can’t quite articulate yet. A really strong design concept at the beginning gives you the foundation, but from there it becomes a journey that you take together.

What has probably evolved is my confidence in embracing more colour, pattern, texture and layering. We’re seeing a real return to cosiness and a slightly more maximalist approach at the moment, which I love because it’s very much part of my own personal design aesthetic.

And it should be fun! Creating someone’s home is an amazing experience and I think the process should feel exciting rather than intimidating.

Tell us a bit about where you live: How long have you been there, and how does your environment shape your creative process?

My main home is in the South of France, in the countryside outside of Nice – I bought a very dilapidated old farmhouse with a view of the sea and a very overgrown garden five years ago. It took over a year to bring it back to life – but it really is my haven. Personally, I love texture, colour and an eclectic mix of things that I have found over the years. My home is my nest where I relax and entertain, so it’s all about warmth, energy and cosiness for me.

In London, I bought a large boat hull and designed a boat that I live in there in a marina near Canary Wharf – it was such fun designing a boat – every space has to be considered and detailed. It’s a true gem and living on the water with the ducks and swans swimming by is a real treasure for me.

My work takes me to New York and LA most months – so a suitcase is very much part of my life – but I love spending lots of time in the US with our amazing clients there.

Which of your projects are you most proud of, and what makes them stand out for you?

Our first project in the US after establishing Callender Howorth in London was a house in the Hamptons and that was a very personal milestone for me.

I had started my career in California and then returned to the UK at 27 to set up the studio, so taking the business back across the Atlantic felt as though things had come full circle. It also marked an important moment in the evolution of Callender Howorth as an increasingly international practice.

More recently, returning to work in California on projects in Los Angeles after around 25 years away has been incredibly exciting. There’s something quite wonderful about meeting suppliers and people I knew when I was in my early twenties and now being back there with my own studio. Also, California has such a special place in my heart and feels very much like home to me too.

In your opinion, what is the most significant challenge facing the design world today? How do you think designers should respond to it?

The interior design world is very different to when I started the business 30 years ago – we did not have the internet, for example! So sourcing was very much an “on-the-ground” military operation!

Also, back then, clients were not as savvy as they are now – most clients now have a strong idea of what they like and don’t like – this is one reason why we have maintained a flexible approach to interior design styles.

It’s not really a challenge – but clients must now be really listened to, allowing us to translate their likes into their dream home.

Sourcing is far more international now – we source all over the world for our products – this means that we have a seriously organised procurement and project management system. We are shipping all over the world to our projects – so this has to be managed very carefully to ensure on-time delivery and quality control.

What are you currently working on?

At the moment, we are working on 2 penthouses in Manhattan, a house in the Hamptons, 2 houses in LA, 2 penthouses in London and 3 villas in the South of France – keeping us busy with some fantastic clients.

What’s on the horizon for you? Any upcoming projects, events, or goals you’re particularly looking forward to?

Continuing to grow our international work is a big focus, particularly in the US and France.

France has become an important part of the studio’s work, with projects in Paris and the South of France. We’ve also established a presence in New York, the Hamptons and Los Angeles – developing more projects in the US is particularly exciting for me because of my history there. I plan to be spending a lot more time in the US from this autumn.

The ambition is to continue growing internationally while holding onto what has always been at the heart of the studio: highly personal design, excellent service, meticulous project delivery and a team that genuinely enjoys taking clients on that journey.

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