ONE DAY WITH | MASTERS & MUSES | CABANA MAGAZINE
How do creatives and tastemakers spend their time? In our series, One Day with, we glimpse into the lives and rituals of others. Working alongside his wife and business partner, Charlotte, Angus Buchanan is Creative Director and co-founder of Buchanan Studio. From bubble bath parties to setting boundaries, Angus tells Eleanor Cording-Booth about the routines that anchor his unpredictable days.
INTERVIEW BY ELEANOR CORDING-BOOTH | MASTERS & MUSES | 16 NOVEMBER 2024
Angus Buchanan, photographed in Venice © Christopher Horwood.
We have two young kids and our morning routine is so unrelaxing that the thought of me having breakfast is non-existent. I’m a terrible insomniac, so I get up at 7am and the first thing I do is make coffee. The morning is a hectic blur of shouting, school uniforms, packed lunches, trying to find that missing shoe and getting them out of the door in a mad dash. Thankfully I function well on very little sleep!
Our studio and showroom is just off Golborne Road in Notting Hill. It’s close to home, so our mini commute is a short one but it gives Charlotte and I some quiet time to talk before the day unfolds. We have a daily ritual of going to Flying Horse Coffee and spending 10 minutes together, either in silence because one of us needs to think, or we’ll manage to cram what should be a four-hour board meeting into about five minutes before we get to the studio.
We are both involved in every project but in tangibly different roles. We’re often mistaken as a design duo and that’s not the case; we work separately but always in tandem. I’m Creative Director, so I oversee all design and creative. I thrive in a busy office, usually discussing multiple projects in the same conversation. It’s probably exhausting for everyone around me but my decision-making is always better when it’s fast and under pressure. Charlotte is CEO and she manages strategy, business and all elements of production. She’s much more of a deep thinker and she’s very methodical.
Angus and Charlotte Buchanan pictured at their London office © Alicia Waite
The office environment is very music driven. I’m not allowed to choose the music as I get to the studio later and someone has already beaten me to it, but I’ve got various eclectic playlists that I’ve been adding to for years. I like everything from classical Max Richter-style remixes to Daft Punk and Fleetwood Mac. My dad always used to play blues when I was growing up, so that’s in there too.
Right now we’re working across projects in Hydra, Ibiza, Oxfordshire, Jaipur and Venice. We have an exciting project in Venice - an untouched ancient palazzo, which Cabana has kindly featured in print. Very soon we’re launching a pop-up in Selfridges that will stay until the new year, and we’re also working on a collaboration for the festive season with Belmond at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.
Travel is undoubtedly my best source of inspiration. When we work in a new place, we always start by visiting local markets, restaurants, manufacturing possibilities and specialists, to get an intimate impression of a city. I currently spend a lot of time working in Venice and Athens – both are staggeringly beautiful. Working with local artisans and makers allows a deeper, almost secret insight into the culture and history.
Angus in Venice, visiting the 13th century palazzo that Buchanan Studio will renovate © Christopher Horwood.
If I’m in London, Charlotte and I will almost always have lunch together on Golborne Road. There’s such an amazing high-low offering. There’s Straker’s or Canteen for a sit-down lunch, but also a Moroccan fish place in the market, or you can grab great falafel or empanadas, plus there's Lisboa bakery. There’s so much variety and always something happening. There are antiques strewn over the road during market days, so more often than not, I’ll come back with an antique picture or object.
I feel very lucky that there is almost no routine in my life. Some people would hate the lack of structure but I like how my week evolves as it needs. I always try to protect our Monday morning team meeting, so we can check where each project is at, but the rest of the week is somewhat abstract. That said, weekends are special and sacred with our two children (and mad dog). Our Friday family ritual is a drinks and snacks party in the bathroom. The kids get so excited about having crisps in a bubble bath while we sit in an armchair or on the floor with a cocktail. We play music and chat about our week, then on Saturday morning, I’ll make pancakes for breakfast.
We love what we do, so it’s hard to switch off when it comes to discussing work. We’re so passionate about Buchanan Studio and when you run a business together, there’s always something to resolve or sign off. We’re much better at setting clear life/work boundaries at home with our children. Though, we never hide the business from them. We want them to see what we’re working on and how we collaborate.
Angus and Charlotte's elegant bathroom at their home in north west London, the setting for Friday bubble bath parties © David Fernandez
To wind down in the evenings, we love hosting at home. We built a covered room of sorts at the bottom of our garden and it has an outdoor kitchen, a dining table and a few of our Studio chairs and tables, so we spend time out there with friends as often as we can. Cooking outside on a wood fire is a definite tonic to a hectic London lifestyle.
I’d like to spend more time in the garden. When we bought our house in north west London four years ago, it came with a dire Japanese knotweed-infested garden – this meant almost the entire garden, along with many tonnes of soil, had to be removed and incinerated. I saw it as an amazing opportunity as it allowed us to design and plant the whole garden from scratch, something I did myself for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed. The physical act of being immersed in the garden and appreciating the changing seasons and colours has been a complete joy.
A perfect weekend would be spent in search of the sea. We love being as close as possible to water, no matter the season. We try to visit Cornwall every summer, something I’ve done my entire life. As much as I love the Mediterranean and all that comes with it, the wild beauty of South Cornwall remains very special. Even on an autumn day, the chance to walk along a beach and possibly go for a cold swim is always an incredible reset.
Angus and Charlotte's garden entertaining space in north west London © Alicia Waite
