Amber Road Design began from a rather unlikely impetus, which brought sisters Katy Svalbe and Yasmine Ghoniem into the same city… ‘if Yasmine hadn’t had a burning desire to start a rock band with our older brother Ben, perhaps Amber Road would never have come into being!’ Katy admits! Once the band dream faded, Katy and Yasmine decided to combine their training (Yasmine as an interior designer, and Katy as a landscape architect) and start their own design studio.
Amber Road’s adventurous aesthetic is informed by the sisters’ complementary skill sets. Their portfolio includes residential, hospitality, public space and commercial design projects, unified by a few key ‘trademarks’ – simplicity, a sense of community, eclectic details, and often, a tinge of nostalgia. The integration of carefully selected original artwork has also become a signature of the studio, as Katy says it ‘helps us to remember there is a human element to the built form, something beautiful, rare, and timeless.’
The success of Yasmine and Katy’s studio has been facilitated, in part, through their no-nonsense, practical approach to business. The siblings encourage owning and embracing mistakes, and allowing time to ‘celebrate your triumphs and milestones before striving for the next.’ They also advise ‘if choosing to go into business with a close friend or family member, set up your business in a way that allows you the flexibility to individually flourish and co-create without being tied at the hip (and pocket!).’
We’re super inspired by Katy and Yasmine’s work, and highly recommend a flick through their beautiful portfolio of projects.
