Christian Bense

Christian Bense is a South African-born interior designer who set up his London-based studio in 2020. His interiors have a sense of effortless curation – a layered and understated yet eclectic look with timeless appeal – and he has an ingrained understanding of balance and composition, combined with practical on-site know-how. “The studio’s style reflects a cross-pollination of contemporary and traditional, mixing the blank-slate thinking of my South African roots with a distinct nod to the more traditional homes and interiors of the UK,” he says. “The homes we create are well rounded and full of depth.”

He won the Rising Star – Interiors award in the Homes & Gardens Design Awards in 2022, and was also named as one of House & Garden’s rising stars.

“WOW!house is an incredible platform and association. The opportunity to showcase an unbridled design excites me the most, and collaborating with de Le Cuona made complete sense – there is such a strong alignment and parallel between us, I knew it would feel effortless and organic from both sides. The concept of the bedroom suite is ‘Grand Safari meets London Town’ with touches of Africa in a traditional English backdrop: the lovechild of a safari tent and a Bloomsbury apartment”

SCHEME SNEAK…

“Grand Safari meets London Town”