Brigitta Spinocchia Freund On Creating Her Dream Library

In our Staying In With column, we ask the experts of interior design to tell us about their ultimate night in. Here, we speak to Brigitta Spinocchia Freund, founder and creative director of Spinocchia Freund, about the bespoke, double-height library that anchors her home, the simple ritual that makes a night in complete, and why she believes a home should keep evolving alongside the people who live in it.

Staying In With Brigitta Spinocchia Freund

Brigitta’s impressive home library (photo by Felix Speller)

What’s your favourite place to stay in, and why? Can you describe it to us?

If I have a quiet evening without plans, I’ll almost always spend it at home with a record playing and two or three uninterrupted hours surrounded by books. I choose monographs, furniture books and exhibition catalogues to re-read, learning more about makers I admire as I go – making notes, sketching and jotting down ideas.

In winter, I gravitate towards the library. It’s warm, incredibly cosy and home to the majority of my book collection, lined with bespoke bookshelves that span the double-height space. The lighting is deliberately soft, giving the room a slightly timeless quality that makes it easy to lose yourself in a book for an evening.

In the lighter months, I’m more likely to sit in the reception room – it has a very different character. It’s lighter and more open, so it’s where I tend to work from my desk or curl up on the Campana Brothers sofa with a pile of books, making notes as ideas come to me. It’s an easy room to spend time in, and one where the ideas tend to come easily.

Is this a space you like to host guests in, or wind down in? How do you like to spend time in it?

Both. Our home is designed to be lived in and shared, so we spend a lot of time with family and friends across all of the communal spaces. We often end up in the library because it’s somewhere people naturally slow down and become more present. I equally treasure the evenings when it’s just me, a record playing and a notebook nearby.

Brigitta’s reception room (photo by Felix Speller)

How have you set it up? 

The ritual is wonderfully simple: candles, a pot of fresh mint tea, a stack of books and my favourite notebook. I don’t think a room needs very much if it makes you want to stay a little longer. Comfortable seating, soft lighting and books are enough for me.

Tell us about a ‘wow’ feature that you love to show off/tell guests about (or like to keep to yourself!).

I always enjoy letting people discover the house for themselves. Everyone notices something different, and I love seeing what catches their eye. That’s one of the pleasures of welcoming people into my home.

What was your best buy or investment for that space, and why?

Without question, the books themselves. They’ve been collected over many years and are a record of travels, exhibitions visited and time passing – I return to them again and again. The library itself was an investment too, crafted by one of the most skilled British joinery specialists, and a wonderful example of craftsmanship that will only become more beautiful with age.

Is there anything on your wish list?

There’s always another chair that catches my eye. I love discovering makers, both established and emerging, and there are always pieces I’d happily live with. A Calder tapestry has been on my wish list for a while.

A view of the library from above (photo by Felix Speller)

What does the space say about your personal design style?

I hope it feels welcoming above all else – for me, that’s the purpose of a home. It’s a place for gathering family and friends, sharing meals and spending time together. I love living with beautiful furniture and objects, and creating a home that people genuinely enjoy being in. The best spaces are the ones that are well used and full of life.

Do you see the space changing or evolving much in the future?

The reception probably will. It’s a room that’s easy to evolve through furniture, art and objects. I enjoy living with pieces for a long time, then gradually introducing new favourites that change the character of the room. I find the conversation between the pieces changes over time, which is incredibly refreshing and energising. I think homes should continue to evolve alongside the people who live in them.

Do you prefer staying in or going out?

I genuinely enjoy both. A quiet evening at home feels like a real treat, while a night out has all the excitement of dressing up and discovering somewhere new. More than anything, I enjoy spending time with the people I love, wherever that happens.

How do you live a life in balance? Is this reflected in your home at all?

Balance comes from creating space to slow down. Reading has always been an important part of my practice, and those moments are just as valuable as travelling, visiting galleries or meeting makers. Balance, for me, comes from making time for myself, my family and my friends.

Brigitta Spinocchia Freund (photo by Felix Speller)

Anything else we should know?

Reading has always been something I deeply enjoy, and my library continues to be one of my greatest sources of inspiration. I’m endlessly curious, whether I’m discovering the work of a maker for the first time or returning to a book I’ve owned for years. There’s always something new to discover, and I hope that sense of curiosity is reflected in the way I live as much as the way I design.

More From Brigitta

You can keep up with Brigitta Spinocchia Freund over at spinocchiafreund.com and @brigitta_spinocchia_freund on Instagram.