Nicholas Haslam Ltd was established in 1980 by Nicky Haslam, who owned and operated the company in partnership with Paolo Moschino. Paolo bought the firm in 1995 when Nicky Haslam left to launch NH Design, and Paolo has since grown the company, which he now leads with Philip Vergeylen, into one of the most prominent and respected names in the design world.

Though Paolo and Philip are equally passionate about design, neither of them set out to be a designer. Born and raised in Italy, Paolo studied Political Science in Florence. It was at the age of 23, after university, that he came to stay in London for a few months. He ended up running an interiors shop—and never left.

Philip, who was born and raised in Belgium, says his parents gave him three choices of profession: doctor, banker or lawyer. However, during his first year at university, he found ten years’ worth of a design magazine in his grandmother’s library and eagerly read every issue cover to cover. (This might have been a clue to his real interests.) After studying Commercial Management Engineering in Brussels, Philip began an accomplished career in marketing in the financial-services sector which took him to far-flung spots across the globe.

Philip eventually settled in London, met Paolo and started to help him with some interior design projects. Not long after, Philip’s passion and natural instinct for design began to influence the direction of the firm, and over the past decade, his work has been pivotal to the company’s growth. Now leading the Design Studio, he oversees numerous residential, hospitality and commercial projects around the world.

Years ago, whilst Paolo was running the shop, he and Philip renovated and reconfigured a rambling, unconventional apartment, one that has since been photographed and published in countless top design magazines. Customers and friends would visit the apartment and then go to the shop to ask, “Won’t you please do my house?” That’s how the design business launched, expanding organically; today the firm has projects on every continent.