Rooms adorned with patterned wallpapers, ruffled armchairs, and boldly coloured side tables. Plush throws and elegant draperies. Porcelain dog figurines and antique busts. Gallery walls of auction-sourced artwork hung with intentional whimsy. The spaces curated by Swedish-born interior designer Beata Heuman are as playful as they are distinctive, though pinning down her signature style isn’t easy — even for her.
“Oh, it’s always impossible for me to define!” she laughs. “I like doing different things. People often say my style is colourful, but it’s not always. However, I do love using colour. It might be the Swedish word ‘vital’, if I had to describe it in one word. There’s almost always some positive energy in my work.”
Her unique approach has earned Heuman recognition as one of Britain’s most celebrated interior designers, with projects spanning grand Hollywood villas and quaint Stockholm museums. Her talents extend beyond interiors; she designs bespoke furniture, textiles, and homeware, all available via her website. In her book, Every Room Should Sing, readers are invited into her storybook-like world, where each space has its own voice — and a melody all of its own.
The colourful style of Beata Heuman.
A Lifelong Love of Interiors
Heuman’s passion for interior design began in childhood, nurtured by her parents’ aesthetic sensibilities and a home brimming with antiques. A pivotal moment came when her father gifted her a dollhouse at age 10.
“I remember the excitement of creating my own little environments,” she recalls. “Because I didn’t have access to many new things, I had to make a lot myself. An empty loo roll, for instance, could become a tiled stove. I still have that dollhouse today.”
Even as a child, Heuman was captivated by the atmosphere of a room, endlessly rearranging her own space.
“I would have loved modern bits from Ikea, but my parents didn’t really buy anything new. I had to piece things together from odds and ends inherited from my grandparents. Books also played a big role; I’d often get swept up by beautifully described settings and want to draw them.”
The summer house is filled with unique items.
A Personal Connection to Every Project
In her twenties, Heuman moved to London, where a friend introduced her to Nicky Haslam, the 65-year-old design legend of Britain’s interior scene. She soon joined his studio, and fans of Haslam’s eclectic aesthetic can detect a certain kinship with Heuman’s style.
“Working for him was a happy accident. I didn’t study interior design; I learned on the job during my nine years there. It was inspiring, and we had so much fun.”
Since founding her own studio over a decade ago, Heuman has dedicated herself to her clients as she would to her own home. She limits herself to five or six projects at a time and avoids working on properties her clients don’t plan to live in long-term.
“I get emotionally involved,” she admits. “I want every home to be a ‘forever home,’ and designing one takes years. None of our projects are under a year. I don’t want it to be obvious that our client has hired an interior designer, but rather that the home has evolved naturally over time, which means using a mix of styles and eras.”
Playful interior in the kids' room.
A Keen Eye for Auctions
Auctions are a recurring theme in Heuman’s work. Many of the pieces in her designs are auction finds, each with a story to tell. Her first-ever purchase was a painting by her friend, Henry Hudson.
“Nicky [Haslam] had bought it 20 years earlier, and I’d had my eye on it since. When it came up at Bonhams, I went to the auction and won. It was exhilarating and is still one of my favourite pieces.”
A few years ago, Heuman and her husband got a house on the farm where Beata grew up in the Swedish countryside. Much of the interior came from Auctionet, a favourite haunt.
“I’ve found so much there, including a beautiful chest of drawers for £45 and a tall, shallow bookcase now in my bathroom. One Christmas, I even spent hours browsing for tablecloths for no reason. One was so beautiful, I couldn’t resist. I didn’t know what I’d use them for, but later turned them into curtain pelmets.”
A particular highlight in her bathroom is a white dressing table mirror requiring ingenuity.
“I had to extend the windowsill and add a small shelf for it to fit. But it worked beautifully. It could have gone in my daughters’ room, too, so I had a backup plan.”
The bookcase Heuman found at Auctionet is now in the bathroom.
Lessons from a Lifetime of Design
With over 20 years in Britain, Heuman is as much English as Swedish. Comparing the two nations’ design sensibilities, she notes a practical streak in Sweden — “everything should be wipeable” — while British interiors lean into comfort and warmth.
“Britons worry less about their things, which is inspiring to me as a Swede. There’s more use of textiles, like upholstered ottomans instead of hard coffee tables, and even wall-to-wall carpet in bathrooms. Their homes aren’t as well-insulated, so textiles help. I also find them to be particularly good and placing furniture to make you feel more comfortable, especially in living rooms. A sofa, for instance, should always have a side table for your drink.”
Are there any common design mistakes?
“Doing everything in one style, one look. It’s common in modern homes and magazines, especially in Sweden. It’s easier because you don’t have to consider whether things match. But it makes the home feel impersonal, predictable, and dated in a decade. You’ll end up redoing everything.”
”A sofa should always have a side table for your drink”.
Her Top Tip for a Cosier Space?
“Start with a considered colour scheme. A classic, neutral white on the walls is a great base, then add wallpaper and colour here and there. Next, draw a furniture layout. Map your home with a ruler and paper, sketching your furniture. That way, you know exactly how big that armchair can be. People often buy things they love without knowing where they’ll go. You need a plan — and ideally, a shopping list.”
"A classic, neutral white on the walls is a great base, then add wallpaper and colour here and there".
Auctionet Finds in Beata Heuman's Summer House in Skåne
The floral-patterned cabinet was a perfect fit for the house in Skåne, tablecloths repurposed by Beata Heuman into charming curtain valances, an unusually tall but rather shallow bookcase now resides in the bathroom, Taito ceiling lamp by Paavo Tynell is one of Beata's latest finds, a table mirror for the bathroom.
Photo: Beata Heuman
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