English-speaking interior designer in Lucerne
Deirdre von Gruben is an English-speaking interior designer working throughout the Canton of Lucerne, from the city centre of Lucerne itself, to towns around Lake Lucerne including Meggen, Weggis, Küssnacht, and up towards the Bürgenstock area. We design traditional English country house interiors for villas, Altbau apartments and lake homes, and manage every stage in English, from the first measurements to the day you settle in.
Who we work with in Lucerne
Most of our Lucerne clients are families who have resettled from abroad often for work, and they are purchasing or renovating a long-term Swiss home. We also adore working with owners of historic houses who desire their spaces to both be in keeping with the charm of their historic or listed home, but who also desire a space which suits their day to day family life. What our clients share is a love of traditional silhouettes, antiques, pattern, and a touch of colour, as well as very little time to spare. Our process is built around that understanding, requiring clients to give their full attention to the project only twice, at one design presentation and during one month of revisions, after which we handle the rest.
For owners who aren't in Lucerne full-time, we act as your representative on the ground: meeting tradespeople, receiving deliveries and reporting on progress, so the house is live-in ready when you arrive.
The homes we design
Altbau apartments. High ceilings, parquet floors and original mouldings suit traditional and English country house interiors well. The work is usually about furniture layout, storage (older buildings rarely have built-in wardrobes), lighting, window treatments, and colour and wallpaper chosen for rooms where an addition of character and charm is desired.
Lake villas. Around Lake Lucerne from Meggen to Weggis and Küssnacht, the question is usually how to make large rooms feel practical for everyday use and how to incorporate the beautiful lake views into the design of the space.
Historic houses in the canton of Lucerne. Older villas and farmhouses often require a new layout to work for modern family life while being extremely conscious to keep the immense beauty and character a historic or listed home has which is what makes them so special.
New builds and full renovations in a traditional style. We work alongside your architect and builder, supplying elevations and cabinetry drawings so the joinery and finishes are built exactly as intended.
Historic homes and the Denkmalpflege
Many older buildings in Canton Lucerne are listed, and changes to them need approval from the heritage preservation office (Denkmalpflege). We prepare the documentation and coordinate those conversations as part of the project, and plan the design around what can and can't change from the outset. Deirdre has been through this process in her own home, a beautiful apartment in a listed villa from 1875.
Traditional Interior Design in a Swiss home
Achieving a more traditional interiors style accurately depends on a few essential elements: antiques mixed with quality upholstery, a multitude of lamps rather than bright overhead lighting, and a smattering of colour and paint.
With much of the design style and furnishing offers within Switzerland being characterised by modernism, Scandinavian design and minimalism, most of the furnishing and decor which are sourced for our projects comes from abroad. Almost every full service design project includes a sourcing day in London or Paris, and we are conscious of the intricacies of Swiss customs and import, wherever possible consolidating orders from the UK, France and Italy into planned shipments to optimise Swiss customs, the 8.1% import VAT and courier clearance fees.
How a Lucerne project works
Establishment. As we’re located just a stone’s throw from Canton Lucerne, we conduct the first meeting in your home to take measurements and understand how you live, followed by a mood board and a furniture layout for your approval.
Design. Every room is built in a 3D modelling software to its exact dimensions, so you can “walk” through it before anything is ordered. Your home is presented to you whole, with a complete specification and budget, and refined with your feedback and requests over one focused month.
Procurement. A dedicated member of our team orders every item, tracks it, and handles any returns or damage. Everything is received and inspected at a local warehouse until the site is ready to receive everything.
Installation. We install everything, remove the packaging and style each room, and finish with a professional photograph and film of the designed spaces.
Until recently, clients in Switzerland who wanted a truly traditional or English country house interior often looked to London for it. We are pleased to offer that same approach from a studio based in Switzerland, with straightforward site visits and a budget that goes further on the things that matter: the furnishings and the finish. More about our services.
Recent work in nearby Canton Zurich
The Dove. An English country house bedroom in an 1875 villa, built around Lewis & Wood's Doves fabric, with antiques sourced in London and across Europe. See the project
What it costs
To get an idea of what an interior design project costs in Lucerne, do visit our complete article on “How much does an interior designer cost in Switzerland?” which includes details on how every interior design project phase is typically priced and which includes a sample living room budget to provide a practical estimation.
Questions
Do you work entirely in English? Yes. We work in English throughout and coordinate local tradespeople on your behalf.
Which parts of Lucerne do you cover? We work throughout the entire Canton of Lucerne. We also work in Zurich, Zug and on ski chalets throughout the Swiss Alps.
Can we start before we've moved or completed the purchase? Yes, and it often helps. Measurements and layouts can begin as soon as we can access the property, so furniture is ordered in time for the move.
How far ahead should we get in touch? It depends on the rooms. A room that needs paint, wallpaper and furniture usually takes at least four months from our first meeting to completion; whereas kitchens and bathrooms, which involve trades and longer lead times on tiles and flooring, often six months or more; and a whole home can take a year or longer.
Tell us about your home
Visit our full service design page for more details and to enquire.