Colour, Atmosphere and Cultural Narrative

Stephanie Barba Mendoza was a resident member of Textiles Hub London between 2020 and 2021. Joining during the Covid-19 pandemic, much of her engagement with the community took place online yet her ambitious approach to colour, materiality and spatial storytelling brought an important international perspective to the Hub at a time when creative exchange depended upon conversation as much as physical proximity.

Born and raised in Mexico and now based in London, Barba Mendoza is an internationally recognised interior designer whose work explores the relationship between colour, craftsmanship, atmosphere and cultural identity. Her richly layered interiors combine modernist clarity with artisanal traditions, creating spaces that feel theatrical yet deeply personal. Rather than treating interiors simply as places to inhabit, she composes immersive environments where architecture, furniture, art, textiles and carefully chosen objects work together to tell stories.

After studying interior design in Mexico and completing further training in London, Barba Mendoza spent a decade at the internationally acclaimed Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, leading major hospitality, residential and retail projects before establishing her own London practice in 2020. Since then, her studio has developed an international portfolio spanning private residences, boutique hospitality and commercial interiors across Europe, North America and Mexico, distinguished by a fearless use of colour, a celebration of pattern and an enduring commitment to collaboration with skilled artisans.

Her practice has attracted significant international recognition, with her studio appearing in House & Garden‘s Top 100 Interior Designers, the House & Garden 101, Country & Town House‘s 50 Finest Interior Designers, ELLE Decor International A-List, Architectural Digest France AD100, and recognition as an ELLE Decor Rising Star. Her work has been widely featured in publications including British Vogue, House & Garden, Architectural Digest, The Financial Times, The Telegraph, Homes & Gardens, Design Anthology, Sleeper and The Wall Street Journal, reflecting the growing international influence of her distinctive design language.

Throughout her work, Barba Mendoza demonstrates a remarkable ability to balance exuberance with restraint. Vibrant colour palettes, sculptural furnishings, handcrafted surfaces and carefully curated works of art combine to create interiors that are both emotionally generous and intellectually considered. Her Mexican heritage continues to inform her sensitivity to colour, ornament and craftsmanship while her international practice allows these influences to be translated into contemporary contexts around the world.

Stephanie Barba Mendoza’s development illustrates Textiles Hub London’s commitment to creative practices that extend beyond disciplinary boundaries. Her work demonstrates how textile thinking—through colour, texture, materiality and collaboration with makers—can shape architecture and interior space as powerfully as cloth itself. Her career reinforces the Hub’s belief that textiles are not simply materials but ways of thinking about culture, place, beauty and human experience, showing how conversations fostered within Textiles Hub London continue to resonate across the international design landscape.

Further information: https://www.barbamendoza.com