Independent interior design studio · Henley-on-Thames · founded by Francesca Sadd
Soulful, collected homes that restore you.
Studio Ember is an independent interior design studio in Henley-on-Thames. Francesca Sadd designs homes rooted in how you actually live — layering colour, natural materials and eclectic finds into interiors that heal, energise and evolve with you. No trends for trends' sake. No precious rooms you're afraid to touch.
Independent & founder-led · interior design · Henley-on-Thames
Founder-led
designed by Francesca herself
Henley
on-Thames & far and wide
Est. 2021
independent design studio
5.0★
Rated on Google
Independent · Henley-on-Thames · founder-led design
We don't design showrooms. We design homes that restore you.
Meet Francesca →Studio Ember Interiors is an independent design studio founded by Francesca Sadd and based in Henley-on-Thames. The person clients keep naming in their reviews — the one with the innate empathy for a space, who helps you stand back and see what really matters — is the person who leads your whole project. It's founder-led from the first honest conversation to the final styled shelf.
Every space we create is rooted in how you actually live: the morning coffee rituals, the Sunday sprawl, the happy chaos of family life. We layer eclectic finds with considered comfort, blending colour psychology, natural materials and a touch of the unexpected. Clients call it design therapy — and describe rooms that still feel unmistakably theirs, but better, so that visitors always remark on how beautiful the home feels.
Francesca
leads it herself
Henley
& far and wide
5.0★
on Google
Ways to work together
From a focused steer to the whole transformation.
01
2 hours, in person · £350Design Direction
A focused clarity session for one or two rooms — so you can make confident decisions on layout, colour and what to tackle first, without committing to a full package.
02
In person · from £2,000The North Star Home Plan
A cohesive, whole-home design strategy — a guide to your home's look, feel, colours and materials that keeps every current and future upgrade aligned.
03
Monthly studio block · pricing on requestImplementation Retainer
Ongoing, flexible studio support while you bring your North Star plan to life — at your own pace, with every decision sense-checked against the overall design intent.
04
In person · from £5,000Home Alchemy — Full Service
High-touch, in-person interior design for clients who want the studio to lead the transformation from concept through to a fully specified scheme.
Real projects
In clients' own words.
The space still feels like ours — but better
“Francesca helped us decorate our 60s townhouse in Henley and we couldn't be happier. Her managing of every stage of the process was as smooth and efficient as possible — it really took the stress out of the job. We especially appreciate…”
★★★★★ — Kathryn, Henley-on-Thames, via Google
Essentially design therapy — and she's really good at it
“Francesca has an innate empathy for the design and space she is helping you create. When a lot is going on and it's easy to get lost in it, you need that voice that helps you stand back and see what's important or to guide you on what's…”
★★★★★ — David, London, via Google
She completely opened up our eyes
“Our house is a new build and we really struggled to give it any character... until Chess arrived! She completely opened up our eyes to how we could make our new and modern living room get some personality. She introduced different…”
★★★★★ — Samantha, High Barnet, via Google
Our approach
How a room comes together at Studio Ember.
The starting point
How you actually live
Homes rooted in real, everyday life
The palette
Colour psychology
Rooms that make you feel a certain way
The materials
Natural materials & texture
Warmth, depth and a sense of soul
The layers
Eclectic, collected finds
The unexpected pieces that make it yours
The process
The considered brief
Understanding your aesthetic, then stretching it
The long view
A home that evolves
Schemes that hold up over years, not seasons
“
Francesca has an innate empathy for the design and space she is helping you create.
★★★★★ — David, London, via Google
“Francesca helped us decorate our 60s townhouse in Henley and we couldn't be happier. Her managing of every stage of the process was as smooth and efficient as possible — it really took the stress out of the job. We especially appreciate that she really understood the brief and our aesthetic while…”
“Our house is a new build and we really struggled to give it any character... until Chess arrived! She completely opened up our eyes to how we could make our new and modern living room get some personality. She introduced different textures, worked with our select few, preferred colours and she even…”
Why people choose Studio Ember
The reasons clients recommend Francesca.
Founder-led, start to finish
Studio Ember is led by Francesca herself — the designer clients name in every review — from the first honest conversation to the final styled shelf.
Design that feels like therapy
Clients describe an innate empathy for a space: a voice that helps you stand back, see what matters and decide what to tackle first.
Rooted in how you live
We design around your actual life — the coffee rituals, the Sunday sprawl, the family chaos — not a showroom or a passing trend.
Unmistakably yours
People say the space still feels like theirs, but better — even building a scheme around a treasured old piece so it finally belongs.
Considered, not overwhelming
Francesca manages every stage to take the stress out of it — smooth, efficient and genuinely enjoyable to be part of.
It stretches your ideas
She understands your brief and aesthetic, then gently pushes you toward things you couldn’t have thought of yourself.
How we work
From first conversation to finished home.
01
A conversation about how you live
Everything begins with listening. Francesca wants to understand how you actually use your rooms — the rituals, the frustrations, the way the light moves through the day — before a single colour or fabric is chosen. Clients describe it as design therapy: a voice that helps you stand back and see what's important, and what to tackle first.
02
A considered, cohesive scheme
From there we shape a scheme rooted in colour psychology, natural materials and eclectic, collected finds — layered for comfort, not for show. We understand the brief and your aesthetic, then gently push you toward things you couldn't have thought of yourself, so the result feels both unmistakably yours and quietly surprising.
03
Brought to life, at your pace
Whether we lead the full transformation or support you as you go, every decision is sense-checked against the overall design intent. Phased renovation or all at once, the studio keeps everything aligned — so the home evolves beautifully over time and there's no second-guessing along the way.
Where we work
Henley-based, but we cover far and wide.
Consultations, home visits and studio calls arranged to suit you — wherever your project is.
A fuller list of the towns and areas we cover is in the footer below.
Thinking about your home?
Call Francesca for a chat, or send a little about your rooms and how you'd love them to feel — and she'll be in touch.