A word from the founder

Natalia Samodina

For many years of my legal career, I worked at leading City and US law firms and global financial institutions. Those years honed my ability to navigate intricate and complex cross-border transactions with precision and care. Yet, while the work was intellectually stimulating, I often felt a distance from the human side of business - the part where decisions shape not only contracts but people’s lives and ambitions.

Seeking deeper connections, I shifted my focus from global corporations to smaller, founder‑led businesses. Working closely with management and creative teams allowed me to deliver advice that reflected not only legal requirements but also the commercial and human realities behind each decision. This collaborative, relationship‑driven approach became central to my practice: pragmatic, strategic, bespoke and sympathetic.

The turning point came during the lockdowns, when my quiet appreciation for interiors grew into a passion. As homes became offices, classrooms and sanctuaries, I saw how much creativity, science, resilience and business sense went into making our spaces multifunctional yet comfortable and stylish. I realised that the world of interiors is where my skills could make the greatest impact as I could combine them with my passion for the sector. 

Inspired, I founded The Interior Design Lawyer:  a practice dedicated to supporting furniture and homeware makers, designers, architects and traders by merging my versatile legal expertise with a sector‑specific lens that understands the realities of interiors, home and lifestyle businesses.

Today, I focus my work heavily on this sector, helping clients build strong legal and operational frameworks that allow creativity to flourish without unnecessary risk. 

Beyond client work, I contribute monthly articles to Big Furniture Group and Furniture News, and I am proud to serve as a legal supplier to the British Furniture Association. 

My goal is to foster a community where law and interiors speak the same language, giving professionals the confidence to focus on what they do best, knowing their legal foundations are solid.

Why us?

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    Industry Expertise

    Legal support for the furniture and interiors sector is all we do. And it’s delivered exclusively by a senior lawyer every time.  With deep sector knowledge, we speak your language and cut through complexity, giving you pragmatic and actionable advice that fits the realities of your business.

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    Value & Fees

    Because we operate with low overheads, you benefit from senior‑level expertise at exceptional value. Every piece of work is handled directly by a senior lawyer, ensuring quality without the inflated costs of traditional firms.

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    Personalised Support

    All work done for you is done by a senior lawyer you instruct – there is no delegation to the juniors. That means prompt advice from an experienced, sector-savvy, lawyer, tailored to your goals.

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    Demystifying Law

    We believe that law should empower, not confuse. That’s why we strip away jargon and provide clear explanations, so you can make confident decisions. Our guidance is pragmatic, commercially sensitive and always focused on your business realities.

Our Unique Approach

At The Interior Design Lawyer, we believe effective legal advice is more than advice from behind a screen. It starts with a genuine understanding of how your business operates in practice.

Alongside our day-to-day advisory work, we are willing to step inside your business. That can include site visits, time spent in showrooms and conversations with teams across different functions, including manufacturing, operations and sales.

This hands-on approach allows us to visualise your processes, understand commercial realities and identify legal and compliance issues that might otherwise be missed. 

Just as importantly, spending time with your team helps build trust, openness and shared understanding. We see our role as an extension of your business - working alongside you, not simply advising from afar.

Why does this matter?

Clearer legal insight

Seeing your operations first-hand helps crystallise legal, regulatory and contractual risks that may not be obvious from documents alone.

Stronger relationships

In-depth conversations with different teams foster trust, clarity and alignment across the business.

Advice that fits

Legal solutions shaped around the ground realities of how your business functions.

Contact us

Clear, practical legal support for interior design, furniture and homeware businesses.
Whether you have a specific issue or simply need clarity, we’re here to help.

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