About
Tollgard Design Group answers questions of living.
Our founders Staffan and Monique Tollgard launched their design studio in 2005. Focused on delivering interior design services to an international clientele, the practice quickly garnered recognition for our bold take on contemporary design. Since then we have expanded into a multi-disciplinary studio that employs some of the brightest minds in our industry.
Four distinct design disciplines feed and enrich the other and our clients benefit from this holistic approach.
The Design Studio offers an award-winning architectural interior design service for an international clientele. We work creatively and collaboratively to create bold, contemporary interiors that are eminently liveable.
Our flagship showroom in the Pimlico design district curates the best and the bold of international design. A monobrand showroom for Cecotti Collezioni in Chelsea Harbour is a partnership forged on shared family values and a commitment to quality.
Design-led and commercially-focused: our contracts team is run by a group of passionate creatives who are ready to help with every stage of the design journey – locally and internationally.
Product design allows us to tell the story of the piece instead of the story of the space. The direct, focused narrative of each piece offers an answer to a question of living that our interior design work has uncovered.
Staffan & Monique Tollgård
Founders
Born out of a shared passion for design, the Design Group is run and managed by Inchbald-educated, husband-and-wife team, Staffan and Monique Tollgård. A background in feature film and documentary production characterises our work: a commitment to the power of story-telling, to the narrative that our clients bring, to the history of the buildings in which we work and the shared stories of the design objects we curate in each interior.
As Creative Director, Staffan has crystallised his design ethos into two principles: the search for the Scandinavian notion of the distinctive ‘Red Thread’ or creative DNA in each project, and the commitment to the creation of ‘functional sculpture’. These twin philosophies have culminated in the creation of a home for the best of contemporary design curated from around the world in their London-based Design Store and a new arm to the business as Staffan focuses on product design for leading international brands.
Monique leads the interior design arm of the company together with Inchbald-trained Kirsty Grosz and senior architect Oscar Fernandez-Aguayo. Comprised of small teams of architectural interior designers, technicians and support staff, the Design Group works on a variety of projects for private and developer clients, from large-scale new builds, listed refurbishments to decorative projects around the world.
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Kirsty Grosz
Design Director
Kirsty specialises in residential design projects, but also has experience of the commercial sector. Growing up in New Zealand has emphasised the importance of light and connection witht he local setting in her design philosophy. In addition to thinking about how design can be used to improve the quality of our living spaces in terms of function., Kirsty is interested how aesthetics and comfort can elevate our sense of well-being. Her attention to detail and professionalism has made her an extremely valued member of the company.
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Oscar Fernandez
Technical Director
As Technical Director Oscar oversees our deliverables & technical information. Having worked on a wide range of project types for both private and public clients and with many successful clients and high-performance global teams, Oscar has a particular expertise in running projects from inception to completion, with an emphasis on the top prime residential and leisure sectors. On our UK projects Oscar often acts as Lead Architect and lead consultant and oversees coordination work between design disciplines and construction team.
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Erik Odell-Romanoff
Showroom Manager
Erik trained at the Inchbald School of Design and since then has worked in high-end retail environments. His design education gives him an in-depth insight into the spaces his clients are trying to create, not simply the products they might need to source. He brings a friendly, easy-going and infectious manner to his dealings with clients and colleagues alike and is committed to impeccable customer service. Please email Erik with any trade or retail furniture enquiries.
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Max Pilbeam
Contracts Director
Max has an exceptional pedigree in contract sales, having worked for several years for Habitat and Conran over the course of his career. The cornerstone of his ethos has always been to provide a personal, thoughtful service that allows designers to maximise their creative potential and best serve their clients. He brings a wealth of commercial and international experience to Staffan Tollgard and is delighted to be spearheading their brands and contracts division.
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Giorgi Liveson
Studio Manager & Head of Operations
With a decade’s worth of experience in top luxury brands and a background in financial administration, Giorgi capably steers the operations of the Tollgard Design Group. Both intuitive and process-orientated, he ensures our teams are able to function effectively to meet their project commitments, whilst looking strategically at how to improve our business activities in the long term.
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Howard Sherbourne
Financial Controller
Howard is AAT qualified & has worked in Accountancy for over 25 years both in Accountancy Practice & in Industry. His background is varied. He has worked for a large American company that explores natural gas as well as at Merrill Lynch in London. Howard is responsible for the smooth running of the accounts department at Staffan Tollgard, having been with the company since 2007 he is more than familiar with the needs of a successful Interior Design business.
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Peter Phan
Ceccotti Showroom Manager
Peter is manager of the Ceccotti Collezioni showroom in the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. As part of the UK Interior Designer Community for over 20 years, including 13 years as manager for Andrew Martin International, he has an enduring passion for promoting and selling quality interior design products.
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Sharon Cheuk
Senior Interior Designer
Sharon gained a BA in architecture at the Kent School of Architecture. Through her experience working in the high-end residential industry she has found that her passion is truly for interior architecture and design. Being sensitive to a client’s needs, she looks to ensure that she creates a space that works as well as it looks. She believes that the key to good design lies within the consideration for spatial quality which in turn dictates how a space is perceived. “The details are not the details – they make the design.”
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Andrea Perugini
Interior Designer
With a BA in Industrial Design from Venice, Andrea is a passionate young designer. He believes that at the beginning of a project there’s always a story, a scenario which brings new inspirations and ideas. The skills he has developed at university and the experience he has gained within the workplace have given him the opportunity to combine the qualities of both Industrial and Interior Design. Passion and positivity are his strengths and this is reflected within the work that Andrea creates.
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Olga Gavrilenco
Interior Designer
Olga graduated with a BA in Architecture from Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest, Romania. Having worked in Shanghai for a Sino-French boutique architecture firm, Olga moved to London to concentrate on combining her architecture skills with interior design. She is an adept of the minimalist style which blends function with aesthetics to provide a clean, modern and organic setting to any space.
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Tom Pritchard Jones
Interior Designer
Tom gained a BA in Interior Architecture at UWIC. Since then he has worked on projects around the world gaining experience in a diverse range of positions. From working as a tradesman on site to project managing high end residential developments in central London, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of the construction industry and a fastidious eye for technical detailing.
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Amrit Khela
Interior Designer
Amrit is a proficient and reliable designer with a growing range of experience in the high end residential sector. Her BA in Interior Design has given her the platform to further progress her diverse skill set. She has a positive attitude and a keen eye for detail, and this, matched with her determined mindset make her a great addition to the team.
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Makarem Kwsai
Interior Designer
Fascinated by colourful nature and science, Makarem developed a unique eye for designing interior spaces whilst completing her BA degree in Interior Design at Regent’s University. Work in the residential design world further developed client relationships and her understanding of how beautiful and functional spaces work. At the Tollgard Showroom she is inspired everyday by the most luxurious of brands and by taking care of her clients.
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Tatiana Vedmediuc
Contracts Sales Associate
Tatiana is a recent graduate from the KLC School of Design. She brings with her with a foundation education in product design at the Technical University of Moldova. Tatiana’s firm belief is that good design persists above all trends and should make a lasting impression.
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Philip Howe
Showroom Sales & Business Development
Philip’s wealth of experience in the contemporary furniture industry is the result of a diverse and exciting career. Working directly for the manufacturers of Italian furniture, for fabric houses and finally through managing luxury furniture showrooms he has gained a holistic understanding of the worlds of production and retail. This wealth of knowledge allows him to understand and meet his client’s objectives and budget and deliver a truly personal level of service.
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Dominique Lucas
Contracts Sales Associate
Dominique has a background in design spanning over 10 years in fields from luxury jewellery to artisan furniture, and has worked across the globe in Italy, Mexico, and the UK. She brings this broad experience to the contracts team, along with a fine attention to detail and a love for all things about furniture. Her client centred approach combined with exceptional organisational skills are the key ingredients to her project management success.
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Filippo Castellani
Head of Product Design
Filippo Castellani was born in Pisa, educated in Florence and trained in Milan. Creative consultant and product designer for leading international design brands, his experience has seen him work from high-end and limited production items, to mass-produced and globally retailed products. Informal – balanced – unconventional – figured – detailed… these are the keys to his concept of design.