A personal Journey featured in Architecture Digest China: Love Yourself
AD China - translated to English
LOVE YOURSELF
Iranian-American curator Roshi Kamdar has made a home in London, transforming it into a story of love and being loved.
Photographer & Writer: Wang Wei / Editor: BH
“Isn’t living alone supposed to be complete freedom? Not having to accommodate others, you can live just the way you like!”
The story of Roshi and this apartment began with a tragedy: not long ago, Roshi and her boyfriend decided to move into this apartment, located in a Victorian terraced house in London’s Little Venice district. They painted the walls, envisioning a happy life together. But the day before moving in, Roshi vividly remembers standing by the sink at the kitchen island, arranging things, while her boyfriend leaned against the stove cabinet, looking at her and slowly telling her he wanted to break up. In that moment, the open kitchen, once filled with dreams of their future, suddenly felt empty; the ceiling and floor seemed to pull apart. In that frozen silence, they were like two droplets suspended in midair, falling, splattering, and spreading across the floor. And so, the chapter of happiness they were to write together dissipated.
The next day, Roshi moved into the empty apartment as planned. A four-year relationship vanished just like that, leaving her feeling hollow, like an empty shell. But she pulled herself together, encouraging herself: “Isn’t living alone supposed to be complete freedom? Not having to accommodate others, you can live just the way you like!”
Though she spoke bravely, she didn’t expect bad things to come in pairs. Shortly after, her contract with the company she was employed by ended unexpectedly. The company, without any discussion, informed her unilaterally that they would not renew her contract, leaving her facing the possibility of struggling to pay rent in a few months. But her tenacity pushed her forward: “If I let myself drown in sadness, it will only hurt me again. These experiences can actually be a breakthrough in pushing my own limits. Anger, even resentment, can be turned into positive energy to reshape myself and improve things!”
The infrastructure of this apartment captivated Roshi at first sight, but it lacked furniture and decor. So, she assigned herself a project: designing and decorating her own home. At the same time, she vaguely sensed that this might open a business path for her.
The apartment is on the second floor, with four classic sash windows, three of which are bay windows, allowing abundant natural light into the room. Roshi says that such lighting makes her feel like she’s back in her hometown of Los Angeles, even while settling in rainy London. Roshi is a beautiful woman, full of life stories, yet her face shows no signs of weariness. Born in Iran, she immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of six with her parents. She chose to major in law in college, “I thought at the time that being a voice for justice was something incredibly noble,” she said, but soon realized that reality often doesn’t align with ideals. “I later discovered that the law largely serves existing regulations, which couldn’t satisfy my idealism.” In the end, she even dropped out and returned to help with her family’s small real estate agency. It was during this time that she discovered her close connection to design. “I often suggested interior design and decor ideas to buyers, even creating a space and business showcasing home furnishings, which sold quite well!” However, her curiosity about the world couldn’t be contained in her hometown of Los Angeles, and she embarked on over ten years of global travel, visiting numerous artists and actively participating in various art fairs, ultimately deciding to settle in London in 2011.
The apartment was renovated by architect Henning Stummel’s team, using affordable and sustainable plywood as the primary material. To emphasize simplicity, all doors were made to be the same height as the walls, reaching from the floor to the ceiling without any interruptions. The designer selected narrow, dark-colored wooden handles to break up the monotony of the plywood surfaces, adding a modern, restrained, and clean aesthetic to the sunlit home. This approach aligns perfectly with Roshi’s appreciation for Japanese minimalism, making her feel as though this apartment was born to suit her taste.
To establish a harmonious yet independent dialogue between the furniture, space, and people, Roshi, based on her research, reached out to designers she admired: East London furniture designer Fred Rigby was commissioned to create a sofa and a curved dining table from the same plywood material. To echo the irregular shape of the dining table, Roshi selected an organic-shaped chandelier made of paper pulp by Polish designer Maria Fiter. She also incorporated a Moroccan Berber tribe rug, linen towels, and bed linens crafted by Suoad Larusi. Additionally, she included pieces by the designer duo Forest and Found—Max collected decayed wood from Epping Forest to make vases, while Abigail gathered bark and flowers for botanical-dyed fabrics, hand-stitching them into irregular geometric textile hangings. These interactions are among Roshi’s favorite experiences: listening to the designers’ stories, exchanging ideas, refining designs, and immersing herself in the atmosphere of creation, craftsmanship, and beauty. Through these exchanges, she learned how to respect her ideas without hurting others, loving others, and also loving her own feelings more deeply. “You must first love yourself, then everything becomes possible, especially your decisions. Don’t lower your standards or compromise yourself. Happiness is earned through active effort, and only action can lift you out of dissatisfaction with life,” Roshi tells us.
Inspired by Japanese culture and Buddhism, Roshi believes that space is about relationships between people rather than between objects and space. How to use and create harmony in spaces with people in everyday life requires careful experience. For example, the sofa design draws inspiration from the aesthetics of Donald Judd and Cambridge’s Kettle’s Yard, with its modular design meeting various functional needs. When friends gather, it can be lined up against the wall and even joined to form a large bed. With the cushions removed, the platform becomes a stage for displaying designs or handmade crafts. For Roshi, multi-functional furniture suits the lifestyle of modern people.
At the end of 2019, she established her company, ROSHI, dedicated to presenting interior design, lifestyle, and art in a home environment, allowing people to experience and appreciate it in a relaxed way. Roshi has made herself and her home a platform, bringing design closer to a real-life experience. Inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony’s concept of “ichi-go ichi-e” (one-time, one-meeting), she turned her home into a “Living Space Show.” The Roshi home you see now is from the past; she has moved on to a new theme, “Made to Be Loved.” In March, she will showcase works by Italian photographer Cecilia Di Paolo and other artists and artisans she admires. We look forward to this woman who loves herself and reclaims her life to find success in her passionate endeavor, writing a beautiful new chapter with her better self!
In London: This apartment, located in London’s Little Venice district, is where Roshi Kamdar created a space blending art, design, and handmade aesthetics. The chandelier above the dining table is by Polish designer Maria Fiter, crafted from paper pulp in an irregular form that complements the shape of the table. The “ornament” on the table that resembles bread is a stone sculpture by artist Simon Ings.
Owner: Roshi Kamdar, originally from Iran, raised in Los Angeles, and now based in London, is a lifestyle aesthete and a lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. In 2019, she founded her company ROSHI, combining her extensive experience in commercial development, retail space art and cultural project design, and real estate, along with her deep exploration and understanding of Japanese minimalism and Western contemporary artists, designers, and artisans. She offers holistic artistic and decorative solutions for interior design, including custom furniture, home decor, and art pieces.
Right Page: Designer Fred Rigby used plywood as the material for a modular sofa, inspired by the aesthetics of Donald Judd and Cambridge’s Kettle’s Yard, achieving versatility. When the cushions are removed, the platform becomes an ideal stage for displaying designs or handmade crafts. The round wooden vase on the coffee table was made by designer Max from reclaimed wood collected in Epping Forest. The wall hanging is an irregular geometric tapestry created by designer Abigail, combining bark and flowers with botanical-dyed fabric, sewn by hand. The purple Lacuna table lamp is a creation of Studio Furthermore, who completed their studies at the Royal College of Art in the UK. Their designs, which explore science, nature, materials, and craftsmanship, include furniture, lighting, household items, and other design pieces. They also run their own ceramics studio, with works in the permanent collection of the Vitra Design Museum.
Right Page 2: The dining table is a creation by East London furniture designer Fred Rigby. Roshi wanted a table that could host 10 friends simultaneously, so Fred suggested this curved, irregular shape. Additionally, Roshi incorporated an embedded communal bowl into the table, encouraging the Iranian tradition of shared meals. The white ceramics on the table are by ceramic artist Noe Koremoto.
Left Page 3: The apartment was remodeled by architect Henning Stummel’s team, who used affordable and sustainable plywood as the main material. To emphasize simplicity, all doors are the same height as the walls, extending from floor to ceiling seamlessly. A fun, practical trash bin, made from recycled plastic by designer Federica Cammarota, uses a ‘self-righting’ design principle, addressing her dislike of conventional trash bins.
Right Page 4: The bed linens in the space are also by Suoad Larusi.
