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INTERVIEW | Madeleine Blanchfield
INTERVIEW WITH
Madeleine Blanchfield, Founder and Director of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
There is a quiet alchemy that occurs when the bones of a house finally meet the soul of its interiors. For our latest collection, Rolfes, we used the backdrop of two different homes designed by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects as the set. Both houses share a design kinship rooted in rigorous planning and a seamless connection to the gardens outside. Yet, as Madeleine notes, architecture provides the framework, but textiles provide the personality. "Architecture is only half of what makes a home feel complete," she explains.
It was a fitting choice; the collection is defined by an architectural jacquard weave, an intricate design of interconnecting lines and angles that invites you to experience linen as a study in form. By layering the tactile, structural patterns of Rolfes against the "purposeful sight lines" of these homes, we explored the balance between the permanent and the fluid. The geometric rhythm of the weave mirrors the deliberate proportions of the rooms, creating a sense of quiet alignment between the building and the bed.
In the bedrooms - spaces designed as a gradual departure from the social energy of the home - Rolfes transforms from a study in geometry into an invitation to retreat. It is the final, essential layer; the texture that settles the spirit and makes a space feel truly lived-in.
Read on for our conversation with Madeleine Blanchfield, Founder and Director of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, exploring the movement of light, the art of retreat, and the layers that make a home.
"Architecture provides the framework; textiles transform it into something genuinely inviting."
- Madeleine Blanchfield
Left: Veil, Photography by Anson Smart | Right: Veil, Photography by Stuart Miller
In some ways, these two houses feel like siblings. Is there a fundamental design language that connects them and where did their personalities diverge?
Both houses share a fundamental design kinship, an underlying language of rigorous planning, purposeful sight lines, and carefully curated volumes and proportions that open up into generous, large-span spaces, all while maintaining a seamless, unimpeded connection to the garden. Yet the two homes’ personalities naturally unfold in different directions: Lillelund, as an alterations and additions project, grows organically from a Californian bungalow, borrowing the spirit and detailing of the original fabric so the new spaces feel quietly familiar, warm, and gently nostalgic. In contrast, Veil is a confident large new build. Without a reference point to begin with its character had to be crafted intentionally from first principles, layering in depth, nuance, and a sense of presence to ensure it doesn’t just feel new, but truly lived-in and resonant.
Veil, Photography by Anson Smart
How do these homes reflect the personalities of the clients who live there?
Both houses share a foundational familial structure, home to a couple with three teenage children. They each carry that same sense of calm purpose through their design. Lillelund, named after the grandfather, embraces family heirlooms and the inherited story of the place, with a quiet reference to existing architecture that feels steeped in history; it holds onto a quirky, genuinely unique character, as if it’s always been there. The family lived in the home for years before embarking on the renovation, so the transformation unfolds with familiarity and restraint, allowing the new to feel connected to the old. Veil, by contrast, is a larger, more modern statement home built for a family ready to step up in scale and sophistication from their previous residence. The goal was to craft an iconic house from scratch, layering in depth, presence, and ambition to create something both unmistakably contemporary and enduring.
Lillelund, Photography by Anson Smart
Light is paramount to an architect’s work. How did the sun's movement throughout the day affect the designs of Lillelund and Veil?
The movement of the sun throughout the day underpins every design decision we make. Lillelund is shaped by a north-facing living space, where unimpeded glazing is softened by a pergola that tempers the intensity of summer sun without compromising brightness. Veil, oriented to the east, takes a more deliberate approach to comfort, introducing additional large, north-facing windows down the side boundary to invite warmth and sustain an inviting interior throughout the year. Across both homes, we consistently bring light in multiple directions, so the lived experience of each day feels connected to the sun’s shifting presence—preserving a beautiful light quality from morning through to evening.
Left: Lillelund, Photography by Stuart Miller | Right: Veil, Photography by Anson Smart
How do you reconcile a home’s utility with its beauty?
We design with a clear emphasis on outlook, daylight, spatial volumes, and proportion. When those fundamentals are right, the result is spaces that feel good and are undeniably beautiful. From there, materiality and careful detailing add an additional layer of depth, richness, and tactility, transforming the home from visually compelling to genuinely inviting. Importantly, we believe functionality should sit at the very core of the design. When every element is created with purpose and intent, the outcome is often a more serene, composed, and beautiful atmosphere than decoration that feels arbitrary or purely invented.
Left: Veil, Photography by Anson Smart | Right: Veil, Photography by Stuart Miller
We spent a lot of time shooting in the bedrooms. How do you approach designing a space for sleep differently than the more 'social' areas of a home?
For a bedroom to truly feel good, it must hold privacy and comfort as its defining principles. However, equally important is the journey towards it. The flow of spaces leading to the bedroom should feel gradual and intentional, quietly shifting the home from social energy to retreat. We create that sense of separation through increased layers of materiality - curtains and screens that can be adjusted to suit the time of day, the season, and even the mood. And we believe strongly that bedrooms don’t have to be timid to be comforting: they can enjoy bold volumes and beautiful outlooks while still maintaining a reassuring cocoon of privacy and cosiness, so the room feels expansive in experience, yet intimate in feeling.
Lillelund, Photography by Stuart Miller
Our collection focuses on the soft, tactile elements of a home. In your view, what role do textiles and soft layers play in completing an architect’s vision?
Architecture is only half of what makes a home feel complete. The real personality comes through the later layers; colour, texture, and the quiet variations of furniture, textiles, and everyday objects that reveal the owners’ character. These elements don’t just add comfort; they create livability and desire, giving each room warmth, nuance, and a sense that the home belongs to the people living in it. When architecture provides the framework, these lived-in details transform a space into something genuinely inviting.
Veil, Photography by Stuart Mille.
If you were to spend a full day in one of these homes, what would you do? Where would you be at sunrise, midmorning and in the evening?
I’m an early riser and I don’t shut the curtains, so if I don’t need to be up before dawn then I love beginning the day by waking naturally with the light. At Veil that inclination would become part of the experience, because of its eastern orientation the sunrise over the water from the bedroom is genuinely extraordinary. I would then find myself following the sun through the house, pottering in the kitchen and reading a book in the living room with all the doors slid open so it feels like being outside at Veil, or sitting on the banquette in the sun at Lillelund mid-morning. I would welcome a few guests as daylight softens and enjoy the home as it transitions into a thoughtfully lit space after dusk. From there, the mood evolves into evening mode seamlessly, so the day doesn’t just end, it’s beautifully extended.
CULTIVER Photography: Stuart Miller | CULTIVER Styling: Chloë McCarthy & Anna DelpratArtwork courtesy Saint Cloche Gallery
Additional photography courtesy Madeleine Blanchfield ArchitectsAdditional Photography: Anson Smart | Additional Styling: Jack Milenkovic
