Renowned British designer Ilse Crawford shares her human-centric approach to design and the often overlooked tactile experience of rooms and buildings.

Interior design is often misjudged as a primarily visual medium, with a theatrical and flamboyant quality. For Ilse Crawford, it's a tool for enhancing the lives of its inhabitants.

Through her subtle and sensual approach, Crawford intends to bring joy to everyone who comes into contact with her work, whether they're aware of it or not.

Ilse Crawford is an educator, author, and renowned interior and product designer. Before founding Studioilse in 2001, she served as the co-founding editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration for a decade.

Crawford's time there delivered an unusual design education that prompted her to investigate which of her spreads connected with her audience, and examine the defining qualities of those spaces.

In Abstract: Interior Design, Crawford describes her less obvious approach to design, with empathy as its cornerstone.

She explains the importance of interrogation and observation at the outset of her projects and how she creates a signature feeling across her portfolio, even though each space remains visually distinct.