Leila Ferraby

Born in Lancashire, England, Leila Ferraby received a degree in industrial design from Loughborough University before travelling to South Africa to gain experience with Stefan Antoni Architects and Interior Designers.

During her time in Cape Town, she worked on luxury residential and commercial projects. At this time, her early furniture design was selected for a London design show. In 2006, she returned to Hampshire, England and began work as a designer at Johnny Grey Studios UK.

The breadth of Leila's creative design spans all areas of the home from kitchens and bedrooms to architecture. Her furniture design reaches from traditional cabinetry to design art in the form of organic timber sculpture. Leila lives in Portsmouth.

Who is your favourite designer/architect and why?

I'm fond of Lucienne Day's textiles of the 50s and 60s, and George Carwardine deserves a mention for his anglepoise lamp.

If you weren't a designer, what would you be?

A failed designer! No, seriously, I've never really wanted to do anything else.

Have any of your designs ever gone wrong?

Once I designed a child's digital camera at university. My lecturer at the time declared to the class that it looked a bit like a 'geriatric pee pot' in silhouette!