My design London: Lara Bohinc

Lara Bohinc knows how to make a statement with her range of luxury accessories and jewellery — think leather and metal shells with translucent Perspex handles; engraved metal cases in the spirit of Marlene Dietrich, and spherical bags moulded with sterling silver clasps and chains.

In 2007, she opened her first stand-alone store in Sloane Terrace but you can find her work at Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. Her enthusiastic clients include Michelle Obama, Samantha Cameron, Kate Moss and Lily Allen.

Where I live

A duplex apartment in a mansion block in Marylebone, central London.

What I like about it

I love Marylebone. I have lived in a radius of 100 metres of my current apartment since I came to London more than 12 years ago. It is a very vibrant area with lots of great restaurants, shops and a fantastic farmers' market every Sunday. Regent's Park is also nearby. Another perk is that it is so very central. I don't have a problem with travelling east or west and I can walk to Soho and Mayfair easily. Or I can hail a cab right on my doorstep.

What my home means to me

It is a place in which I relax, spend time with my family and entertain friends. It is also where I work. In my line of business the work never stops. I would love more time on my hands so that I could design my own home.

Most coveted design object

A rotating Willy Rizzo black and dark green lacquer coffee table with a brass circular ice bucket insert. I am a huge fan of Rizzo's tables and lamps, they feel so modern and relevant now.

Favourite room

My living room, which opens into a dining room. It is the largest room in the house. My white vintage B&B Italia sofa is beautiful to look at and wonderfully comfortable. I have lots of gold metallic lamps, red glass vases, black-and-white art deco armchairs with Eames pattern covers, and a sideboard by Ligne Roset.

The artwork includes a huge painting by David Mach in gold and black tones, photographs by Miles Aldridge and Araki and some taxidermy by Polly Morgan.

Interesting new designer

I have just seen an exhibition of Mattia Bonetti's work at the David Gill Galleries on King Street, SW1. Bonetti is a well-established Swiss designer who lives in Paris, but his work was new to me. I really liked his gold-metal cabinets.

Coolest colours

I like using bright colours — particularly red — as accents for the home. I find it very warm and not aggressive at all. I have lots of red glass in our sitting room and red curtains in the bedroom. My daughter's room is fuchsia pink (her favourite colour) and her bathroom is turquoise. I also like the contrast of black and white and natural surfaces such as wood and marble.

My secret shop

For online shopping, eBay is still great for vintage lighting. And Century on Blandford Street, W1, has some gems — look out for the metal wall sculptures and Eames chairs there now.

Must-visit market

Definitely Alfies Antique Market on Church Street, NW8. In a way it is a design museum of its own, with hundreds of inspirational pieces of furniture, lighting, fashion, jewellery and memorabilia.

Great escape

The secret garden in Regent's Park (at St John's Lodge) is my favourite place to escape. It is beautiful and often very quiet. Not many people know about it because it isn't marked on maps. I guess that is why it is called secret.

My design background

I trained in industrial design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and then I did my MA in metalwork and jewellery at the Royal College of Art here in London. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a designer. I just wasn't sure which category I liked best — furniture, fashion, graphics, products or jewellery.

I decided to study industrial design as I thought I could go almost anywhere from there. During my MA I realised that my mind works more like a product designer, always looking for a solution to a problem, rather than a craftsperson, who works more with a material. I design everything using my computer.

Latest design project

I was commissioned by Palladium Visions to design two jewellery collections, high-end and affordable, in palladium, a precious metal not dissimilar to platinum but lighter, so you can produce bigger pieces. They are now available from Harrods, our shop or online at larabohinc.com with prices ranging from £1,000 to £70,000.

Best night out in London

This would be centred around the Groucho Club in Dean Street, Soho. It is the sort of place where you never know where the night is going to lead you. It is a bit worn, not too perfect and has interesting people scattered around the bar.

Where I go for London luxury

I guess the hotels best capture London luxury, particularly Claridge's, The Connaught and The Savoy. They are all from more or less the same era and evoke the spirit of art deco and Agatha Christie, the Roaring Twenties and fun times.