How I Curate My Space: Stephanie Barba Mendoza’s Maximalist Townhouse
From ceilings wrapped in greenery to treasured antiques collected on her travels – designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza’s London home is a masterclass in color, curiosity and joyful surprise. By NATASHA BIRD
Stepping through the front door of Stephanie Barba Mendoza’s home in North West London is something of an immersive experience. From the street, it is a handsomely familiar Victorian townhouse, blending seamlessly with its neighbors. Inside, however, it is a glorious world of saturated color, antiques, botanical flourishes and exquisitely playful details. A home, if ever there were one, that rewards its guests’ curiosity.
A sense of wonder and delight is entirely fitting for this particular interior designer, though. Having grown up in Mexico, before spending almost a decade at Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, where she led landmark hospitality projects such as Annabel’s and Sexy Fish in London’s Mayfair and The Beekman in New York, the timbre of Barba Mendoza’s aesthetic is well-documented globally. She established her own London studio in 2020 and, since then, has built a reputation for creating exuberant interiors that lean into personal, fun and lively themes – balancing elevation and style with warmth. It is a revelation to nobody, then, that her own home follows suit.
“I think what this house does better than most is surprise people,” she says. “People don’t expect all the layers and color.”
Like many designers, Barba Mendoza doesn’t subscribe to the idea that a home is ever truly complete. Despite the totally immersive feeling of her bold choices – such as ceilings encased in wallpaper, styled to match the surrounding tiles – she insists that her rooms continue to evolve as she finds new treasures and reconsiders her palettes. Living inside your own project, after all, is a lovely and ongoing opportunity to experiment.
GINORI 1735AOriente Italiano porcelain serving dish
SIX THE RESIDENCETiger Mountain jacquard-velvet wood pouf
DINOSAUR DESIGNSPebble medium resin vase
ASTIER DE VILLATTEAoyama scented candle, 260g
“The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where we spend the most time – both day and night… It feels genuinely happy”
That creative freedom is most clearly on display in the kitchen. Unlike many Victorian renovations, this room betrays almost none of its original architectural character, with Barba Mendoza treating it as a completely blank canvas. “It was carte blanche,” she says. “I could create anything I wanted.”
“The kitchen is the heart of the home,” she says. “It’s where we spend the most time; not just because that’s where the food and drink is, but because the light is so beautiful – both day and night. It feels genuinely happy.” She has papered it almost entirely in a lush foliage-inspired print, which looms over a cozy banquette that is adorned with generous gingham cushions, echoing the various forest-hued tiles and the emerald marble counter. “Green, serene and, at the same time, energizing,” she smiles.
CABANADemetra set of four wine glasses
LA DOUBLEJSet of two gold-plated porcelain dessert plates
GOHAR WORLDSwan set of two mother-of-pearl serving spoons
LOEWE PERFUMESBeetroot medium scented candle, 610g
Green, it would seem, is one of the rare consistencies throughout the townhouse: from jewel-toned headboards and a pastel-sage staircase to a green leopard-print dressing-table chair and the green pinstripe cover of an upstairs sofa.
The house’s greatest transformation, however, happened towards the front of the first floor. Barba Mendoza originally imagined the adjoining living rooms wrapped in blue, but midway through the process she changed course completely. “I realized I wanted them to feel entirely different,” she says. “So I drenched the walls and ceilings in this super-warm color instead.” The room is now an orange ocher, with seriously plush soft furnishings in coral and blue velvet, complementing the gold accents and ocean-inspired features.
- CABANADemetra set of four wine glasses
- LA DOUBLEJSet of two gold-plated porcelain dessert plates
- GOHAR WORLDSwan set of two mother-of-pearl serving spoons
- LOEWE PERFUMESBeetroot medium scented candle, 610g
“I think what this house does better than most is surprise people… People don’t expect all the layers and color”
Travel is a pervasive guiding force throughout her home. With projects taking Barba Mendoza across Europe and beyond, she often returns with treasures for herself – anything from small decorative objects to larger pieces of furniture. “I buy far too many shoes,” she laughs. “But when it comes to interiors, it’s probably lamps, chairs, little tables and all sorts of trinkets that I find while I am away. I love collecting antiques. Nearly every piece reminds me of a particular moment in my life – somewhere I visited or the people I was with when I found it.”
There is plenty in the house to reflect both her Mexican roots and her husband’s Austrian heritage, too. While larger family furniture is still waiting to make the journey to London, smaller heirlooms have already found their place. An Austrian family painting now hangs in the family room after traveling rolled-up before being carefully stretched in Britain, while inherited candleholders and artwork connect the house to generations before them.
RALPH LAUREN HOMEBromley studded leather tray
JIA JIA HOMEOnyx checkers set
TEKLAWool blanket
MISSONI HOMEBelfast striped terry cushion
Despite its richly curated appearance, Barba Mendoza’s home was designed to be lived in – particularly when friends are around. “We love entertaining,” she says. “The house isn’t huge so, instead of big parties, we usually have intimate dinners with friends. My favorite nights are when everyone ends up hovering in the kitchen, someone puts music on and before long we’ve got a kitchen disco with somebody dancing on the counters,” she says. “Always the sign of a good party.”
To the average eye, the house looks complete and finished to an impeccable standard, but for Barba Mendoza – someone for whom the creative process is constantly in development – there are plenty of tweaks ticking over in her mind. “Some of the furniture in the living room that we’ve had for a while…” she says. “There are pieces you want to keep forever, of course, and I don’t tend to change things just because I’ve had them for a while… But the sofas might need a new home – and I might need new sofas!”
For Stephanie Barba Mendoza, the best part of decorating an interior world is the freedom to keep playing.
NATALIA CRIADOThysia silver-plated and red jasper bowl
TRUDONFiguerie scented candle, 2.8kg
CABANASabbia medium rattan tray
