With a portfolio spanning luxury residential properties, hotels, health clubs and even florists, Natasha Usher has lent her design eye to a wide variety of projects – something that she thrives on. “There isn’t any interior project too large or small, or too diversely different, that I wouldn’t like to tackle,” she says. “I’ve reached a stage in my career that I’m always open to a challenge and thrive on working outside of my comfort zone.” It’s fitting then that a dream project of Natasha’s would be to design the interiors of a Boeing aircraft!

Natasha’s passion for art and design began at a young age when she would sketch and draw, brought to fruition when she studied a Bachelor of Science programme majoring in Interior Architecture and Ergonomics, with a minor in Art History, at University of Tennessee. “I have always steered toward an appreciation for creative disciplines related to graphic design, branding, product design and working with my hands,” she says. On moving back to Hong Kong, Natasha cut her teeth in design with a number of firms that included a stint as Head of Interior Design at Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts International.

But it was when she set up her own studio, Nude, in 2000 that she could really hone her style, lent to product design also. “Our designs must be timeless but remain current without subjecting to trends and repetition,” she says of her brand’s aesthetic. “Design, similar to art, can be very personal, so our expression must portray a body of work that is thoughtfully designed and aesthetically appealing even if it may not suit everyone’s personal taste.” This can be seen in the project at which she is photographed today – a clean and modern apartment at Island Lodge in North Point, elevated by bespoke finishes including a beautiful terrazzo kitchen island. Her own taste, reflected in her home, is “earthy and utilitarian,” with ample storage to avoid clutter, but “as an occupational hazard,” she says, “I like to undergo small home improvements annually to no end and to no deadlines. In short, my home is always a work in progress.”

This focus on home improvements is a concept that Natasha has seen heightened as a result of the ongoing pandemic, with people spending extended periods of time at home. As well as current residential projects, Natasha is working with a number of Hong Kong hotels, including those under the Sino and Swire groups, to focus on redesign, particularly with enhanced safety in mind, during this downtime. Natasha turns primarily to travel and cultural surroundings to inspire a sense of place for each. “I observe the ambience and aesthetic sensibilities experienced in cultural exploration through food, lifestyle and architecture. That helps to approach design with cross cultural and international appeal. Every project has its own story to tell and I want to make sure that is shared through our vision.”

Natasha’s Designer Picks