When Elliot March was a student at the University of Edinburgh, a chance meeting led to a successful partnership. “James White and I were late to the same class,” he says. “We immediately connected over a shared curiosity about architecture and design.”
Early in their careers, both men worked at larger practices, continuing to learn and refine their craft. White became increasingly drawn to interiors and exploring how they shape an individual’s experience.
Eventually, the pair branched out and established MAWD | March and White Design in 2010. The two friends treasured this newfound freedom to think more holistically about projects and develop their own point of view.
March has led MAWD’s evolution from a luxury British interior design firm to the globally recognized practice it is today. The team has completed a range of projects across sectors, from hospitality to residential to yachts.
No matter the size or scale of a room, March is less interested in arriving with a particular look in mind. “I’d rather let the architecture, location, light, materials, and daily life of a space lead us somewhere,” he says. “When all of those things come together naturally, the result feels like it belongs there.”
Today, Elliot March joins us for Friday Five! Here, he shares five locations that inspire him and five projects that reflect his work.
Elliot March’s Inspirations
Photography courtesy of Elliot March
1. Wynwood Walls
I’ve been spending a lot more time in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood through my work on The Cloud One Hotel & Residences Wynwood, and it always gives me something new to look at. I love the energy of the murals against the area’s industrial backdrop and the constant tension between raw materials and expression. That contrast has stayed with me as we’ve thought about how the project can feel connected to Wynwood rather than simply placed within it.
Photography courtesy of Elliot March
2. Paso Robles Wineries
I’m drawn to the wineries around Paso Robles, California, for their relationship with the landscape and how architecture can feel quiet within it. The local stone, timber, concrete, and weathered materials have a particular quality that feels both grounded and tactile. I also love the way the buildings frame the surrounding vineyards rather than competing with them. It’s a landscape where material, light, and nature do much of the work.
Photography courtesy of Elliot March
3. Yucca Valley
Cycling through Yucca Valley, California, around sunset is one of my favorite ways to clear my head. The landscape changes so quickly at that hour. The colors get warmer, the shadows stretch out, and suddenly things you’ve passed a hundred times look completely different. I love that reminder to slow down and really look. Some of the best ideas come from noticing what is already there.
Photography courtesy of Elliot March
4. Parte Vieja
I love wandering through the Parte Vieja quarter in San Sebastián, Spain, because the details have so much character. The worn stone, painted façades, balconies, timber, tiled thresholds, and layers of history all sit together without feeling overly considered. It’s the kind of environment where you can spend an afternoon simply looking up and noticing things. I’m always interested in places that have developed organically over time, where the imperfections and traces of use are part of what makes them beautiful.
Photography courtesy of Elliot March
5. Taos Pueblo
I find the Taos Pueblo historic site in New Mexico incredibly moving. There’s a directness to the architecture found in the local materials and simple forms, and an unmistakable relationship to the landscape gives it so much warmth and presence. Nothing feels arbitrary. It’s a place that reminds me how meaningful architecture can be when it grows out of its environment, its materials, and the people who have shaped it over time.
5 MAWD Projects
Photography by VMI Studio
1. The Cloud One Hotel & Residences Wynwood
The Cloud One Hotel & Residences Wynwood is meaningful to me because of how much inspiration we have been able to draw from Wynwood itself. I’ve always been interested in neighborhoods where different histories and influences sit side by side, and Wynwood has that in abundance, from its warehouse and garment-district past to the art and creative energy that define it today. We wanted to capture some of that character through exposed concrete, wild oak, bronze, lush planting, and art curated by Goldman Global Arts, while still creating a place that feels calm and comfortable. I love that balance between the energy outside and the sense of retreat within.
Photography by Evan Joseph
2. The Greenwich by Rafael Viñoly
The Greenwich in Manhattan’s Financial District is especially personal to me. The late architect Rafael Viñoly invited MAWD to lead the interiors, prompting my move from London to New York and, shortly after, the opening of our New York headquarters. It also gave us the chance to bring our superyacht design experience into a Manhattan residential setting. The bookmatched Noir Saint Laurent marble behind the front desk, with its subtle nautical quality, is one example. I love that the project represents both a new creative chapter for MAWD and a pivotal one for me personally.
Photography courtesy of Strategic Property Partners
3. Water Street Tampa
What draws me to the forthcoming residences at Water Street Tampa is the relationship between the architecture and the way people live there. Tampa has this wonderful indoor-outdoor rhythm, so we started by looking at the building’s portals, louvers, and courtyards and thinking about how some of that language could carry through to the interiors. The light and tropical landscape gave us permission to be a little more expressive with color and material. I love projects where the location pushes you somewhere you might not have gone otherwise, and this has been one of those.
Photography courtesy of Related Ross
4. Edgeworth
What excites me about Edgeworth is that it is part of a much bigger moment for West Palm Beach, Florida. Related Ross is helping transform the city into a place where people can genuinely live, work, and spend time year-round, and that brings new energy. With Edgeworth, we wanted to bring that spirit to the waterfront, pairing KPF’s sculptural architecture with interiors that feel relaxed, warm, and connected to the Intracoastal. It is exciting to be designing not just for where West Palm Beach is today, but for what it is becoming.
Photography by Colin Miller
5. Lantern House
Lantern House is special to me because Heatherwick Studio’s architecture gave us such an extraordinary starting point. I was struck by how its industrial glazing could feel so fluid and unexpected. Our role was to bring warmth to that distinctive architecture through oak, brick, bronze, and stone, creating interiors that feel relaxed and genuinely like home.
