The Top 100 builders, architects, interior decorators and garden designers in Britain

(Image credit: Jack Badger / Yiangou / Max Rollitt / Artorius Faber)

last updated 14 March 2025

The enduring appeal of the design of architecture, interiors, gardens and landscapes — as well as the skills that bring the ideas to life — is that it constantly evolves as new ideas meet the changing demands of successive generations. With this evolution comes fresh talent, of which we have plenty in Britain. A measure of this is the 14 new names on the 2025 Country Life Top 100 list — and you can see all the new entries here.

Although no selection can ever be entirely definitive, it can celebrate those with a track record of excellence, from businesses built up over generations to those that are a few years old.

Together, this cohort, many of whom are often featured in these pages, is building on Britain’s impressive heritage and bringing to their craft a spirit of innovation and professionalism that is a vital resource to anyone planning to build, restore or beautify a country home.

How we choose the Country Life Top 100

If you're wondering about how we choose the Top 100, our executive editor and interiors expert Giles Kime appeared on the Country Life podcast in 2024 to explain. The short answer is months of hard work, and hours of debate; for the long answer, you can listen to the podcast below, or find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

The best country house architects in Britain

The best interior designers in Britain

The best country house specialists, builders and craftspeople in Britain

The best garden designers and landscape designers in Britain

Country Life Top 100 picture credits: Jack Badworth; Jo Thompson; Yiangou; Max Rolle; Research by Amelia Thorpe; Adrian Lambert; Jason Ingran; Tom Mannion 2018 Andy Manshalt Claire Takach Photography Simon Brown Chris Walteld Photography, Clive Rose, Oukar Proctor; Kally Marshall, Marry Crowder, Paul Manuey; Helen Cathcart; Martin Monelt Marianne Majerus Garden Images; Eva Nemeth/Country Life Picture Library Future Pie; Simon Uptor; Harlet Chalis; Richard Bloom, Rachel Warne: Nick Smith, Jake Easthan;

Giles Kime is Country Life's Executive and Interiors Editor, an expert in interior design with decades of experience since starting his career at The World of Interiors magazine. Giles joined Country Life in 2016, introducing new weekly interiors features, bridging the gap between our coverage of architecture and gardening. He previously launched a design section in The Telegraph and spent over a decade at Homes & Gardens magazine (launched by Country Life's founder Edward Hudson in 1919). A regular host of events at London Craft Week, Focus, Decorex and the V&A, he has interviewed leading design figures, including Kit Kemp, Tricia Guild, Mary Fox Linton, Chester Jones, Barbara Barry and Lord Snowdon. He has written a number of books on interior design, property and wine, the most recent of which is on the legendary interior designer Nina Campbell who last year celebrated her fiftieth year in business. This Autumn sees the publication of his book on the work of the interior designer, Emma Sims-Hilditch. He has also written widely on wine and at 26, was the youngest ever editor of Decanter Magazine. Having spent ten years restoring an Arts & Crafts house on the banks of the Itchen, he and his wife, Kate, are breathing life into a 16th-century cottage near Alresford that has remained untouched for almost half a century.