Martin Brudnizki, the face behind almost every five-star hotel interior, on his consuming passions

ABBA, IKEA and Martin Brudnizki. Sweden has given this country many great cultural staples. Martin’s internationally acclaimed business, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS), is 25 years old this year and has worked on Broadwick, the luxury hotel in Soho, the Vesper Bar at The Dorchester and Annabel’s in London — that’s right, the one with a unicorn with golden hooves standing guard in the stairwell and 500kg onyx crocodiles for bathroom sinks. That was Martin.

He was also responsible for the placing of a Frank Gehry crocodile statue in London’s Sexy Fish restaurant. I am sensing a theme here. Outside of the UK, MBDS has worked on Soho Beach House in Miami, The Beekman in New York and Nubeluz at the Ritz Carlton. He’s not the face of high-end hospitality, but he’s designed the backdrop