Our interview series with inspiring female founders returns for 2026 as we speak to Clair Harris and Abigail Heanly, co-founders of interior design studio Heanly Harris. Established in 2020, Heanly Harris delivers layered and personal spaces for residential clients throughout London and the home counties.
Bringing care, consideration and an extensive network of contacts to every project, Clair and Abigail never fail to exceed their clients’ expectations.
Having recently worked with Heanly Harris on a new website and visual identity, we spoke to Abigail and Clair about their proudest professional achievements, their advice for clients, and what they’re most looking forward to in the year ahead.
"We support each other to be more creative, coming up with the most fitting solutions – and as a result, our style and ethos continue to grow."
What are your respective backgrounds and how did you come to found Heanly Harris together?
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as collaborators, and how did you overcome them?
We have found that our collaborative approach enhances every design we work on. We support each other to be more creative, coming up with the most fitting solutions – and as a result, our style and ethos continue to grow.
Our biggest challenge so far has been understanding our worth and conveying it to prospective clients to ensure they understand what we can bring to their project. Working with March has been invaluable – they have guided us in branding and clarifying our USP and have given us a platform to showcase our message and work.
"Interior design is about understanding how your client wants to live, which is the most important skill to master."
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the world of interior design?
If you have a passion for interior design and aesthetics, that is a great start. For us, the most important piece of advice would be to switch from designing for yourself – fundamentally interior design is about understanding how your client wants to live, which is the most important skill to master. You need to understand their needs and what will make their environment better.
You don’t have to be a master in marketing, drawing or procurement, but you do need to be open to listening to your client, establishing a strong brief and understanding what their needs are.
What is your top piece of advice for a client embarking on an interior design project?
When a client comes to us for the first time we tackle the fundamentals very early on. The project will take longer than you think, so be patient and enjoy the design process. Convey your thoughts on the overall spend from the outset so the designer can factor in the cost of goods down to the last accessory so everything is factored in. We have often walked away from potential projects where a client has focused on the build element of the project, leaving a minimal sum for interiors.
Engage your designer as soon as possible: their skillset and foresight of the finished product will guide the architecture, lighting, space planning and storage, which all come together to form a solid foundation for the decorative part of the process.
"Engage your designer as soon as possible: their skillset and foresight of the finished product will guide the architecture, lighting, space planning and storage."
What has been your proudest achievement so far at Heanly Harris?
