Even if Linda Boronkay had sketched out her dream career trajectory after graduating as a designer from college in London, she couldn’t have wished for a more illustrious one. First stop was in-studio with her mentor Tom Dixon, an inspirational artistic and conceptual environment in which she learned to think outside the box. Then came the research-centric approach of Martin Brudnizki, whose in-depth knowledge of history, art, and antiques, not to mention eye for color, struck a chord and pushed Boronkay, as she says, outside her comfort zone and away from neutrals. Next, she spent time at Sydney’s revered architecture firm Woods Bagot before she returned to London to work with designer Tara Bernerd where she was immersed in residential design and took on the yet-to-open Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 2016, Soho House came knocking and the Budapest-born designer and former fashion model was ready to apply her varied and well-rounded skillset to a senior position. “It felt bigger than me,” she says. “I wanted to be part of a creative community.”
Now, with more than three years as design director, she has gone from leading a team of 20 people to 100, with projects spanning Asia, Europe, and the U.S. Currently, she has nearly 23 on the slate—all requiring some serious multitasking and air miles. “While there are a few overarching elements, the houses are very different in style, rooted in our research on the building and location, with our team encouraged to think in new ways,” says Boronkay. “Working with [founder and CEO] Nick Jones is brilliant because he’s so instinctive about design. Each time we start a house, it’s a physical process as we walk the building together, brainstorm, and come to understand the local dynamics.”
As geographical reach has spread, project team members spend chunks of time in host cities to mine this essential cultural and sense-of-place context. But as the one with overall responsibility, Boronkay acknowledges the main challenge is in renewal, to remain creatively fresh and galvanize the team. Fortunately, she loves the multicultural, nonrepetitive, and rewarding nature of the role. “None of our houses can be recreated elsewhere,” she says.
A few recent Soho House openings include an opulent and gorgeous design in Amsterdam, the critical renovation of London’s flagship Greek Street House, a sumptuous and eclectic retelling in Mumbai, and a Hong Kong outpost opening in September. “There’s huge cultural differences in each location,” Boronkay says, more specifically about the Asian market. “In Mumbai, it took a long time to find people who could interpret our design vision and there was much handholding, yet also great joy in finding huge warehouses full of vintage Art Deco and colonial pieces.”
Often responding to the architectural cues of buildings, she wasn’t afforded that same luxury with Hong Kong’s new-build tower. “Instead, we turned to the city’s rich history and culture, layering elements of street architecture, gentlemen’s clubs, art, and movies,” she says. Her daily inspiration, however, comes far and wide—the colors of Pierre Bonnard, Gucci’s 1970s fashion campaigns, sculptures by Richard Serra, and 17th-century Dutch upholstery. It’s the sign of a designer who is influenced by and influences many—a true Renaissance woman.
Striped daybeds and graphic tiles line the rooftop pool at the Soho House Mumbai
Playful art and colorful pillows define a seating area at the Little Beach House Barcelona
Deep, rich colors characterize the Soho House Amsterdam guestrooms
Mollie’s Motel & Diner boasts teal-upholstered booths, patterned tile, and globe pendants
Photography by Simon Brown and courtesy of Soho House
