The co-founder of Made.com takes us through a typical day in London.
Forward-thinking creatives of all types are integrating high-tech elements and innovative design into, not only the way we're working, but the cars we're driving—much like the all-new 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class—and the way we're living. See how this newfound high-tech-meets-high-design focus shapes the day of Made.com co-founder Chloe Macintosh from the moment she wakes up in her West London home.
7:00 A.M. I'm not a great sleeper; I'm often already awake when my alarm goes off, or before my two boys pop in to say good morning. I like to jump out of bed and open the internal shutters to let in the natural light before heading to the shower. My bedroom and bathroom space is completely open floor plan—I love standing inside the glass enclosure and looking out through the windows while I bathe. Before I hop in, I always plug an X-Mini UNO Capsule Portable Speaker into my iPhone 6s and turn on Spotify Music or SoundCloud.
7:30 A.M. I review my Google Calendar to see everything that's happening for the day; I synchronize all of my various schedules there. Then I quickly scroll through Instagram to see what my friends around the world are up to, before checking the forecast on BBC Weather. Given the temperamental London climate, it helps me decide what I need to wear.
7:35 A.M. Time to get dressed. I usually put on my go-to work uniform: A pair of cigarette pants, a silk blouse, an elegant tailored blazer, and a pair of heels (if I'm going out after work).
7:55 A.M. I make my way downstairs. Before becoming a tech entrepreneur, I was an architect for nine years at Foster + Partners. During that time, my husband and I bought two Victorian houses next door to each other, which we merged together to create our dream home. Everything is exactly how I wanted it, and it fully reflects our way of living. It's minimalistic but it still feels warm and inviting thanks to a mix of eclectic furniture and a lot of vintage knickknacks collected around the world. There's also a strong presence of corrugated wood wrapped around the core of the ground floor (pictured above), and it acts as a central functional unit. It folds underneath the cantilevering stairs—one of my favorite features—and hides a lot of storage.
Directly across from the staircase is another cool feature; the clutter wall (pictured above). The shelves are filled with lots of items that are intrinsic to the fabric of my family's life: namely vintage books, family photographs, and abstract objects that I've picked up from various auction houses and Parisian flea markets. It's all very accidentally artsy; none of the items have anything in common, but I can stare at it for hours—it makes me smile all the time.
8:00 A.M. My sons join me and we spend a few precious moments together in the two-step kitchen—my favorite space. I designed it so that everything fully exists between two islands; from the refrigerator to the dishwasher to the espresso machine to the cabinets cleverly hidden behind corrugated wooden walls, everything is literally less than two steps away. Not only does it make tidying up so much more efficient, I love how it floats like a bar in between two rooms. (Killer conversation starter at parties.)
I always press everyone a fresh fruit and vegetable juice with a Philips Avance Collection Juicer: kiwi, beetroot, mint, ginger, and orange. I also make sure I take vitamin C and magnesium tablets. And if the weather's nice, I'll open the full height sliding doors, and we enjoy the indoor-outdoor quality of the house for five minutes. (The boys kick a football around for a few minutes before heading off to school.)
8:15 A.M. I work in an office three days a week, and on those days I order an Uber to take me into Central London—I live on the west side in Fulham, but I work in Soho. Uber happens to be my biggest extravagance; the app makes commuting so convenient. I try not to make the driver wait, as I've been told that my rating isn't great. Strangely, it has gone down since I have been using it so much, which is completely ironic. Regardless, I always make the most of the trip to justify the expense. I dust Clinique True Bronze Pressed Powder Bronzer on my face, before lining my eyes with MAC Cosmetics Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Undercurrent and sweeping MAC Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow in Smokeluxe across my lids. The little time leftover is spent replying to emails, scheduling meetings, and quietly reflecting on what needs to get done that day.
8:45 A.M. I get into the Soho House office, where I serve as Creative Advisor. But first, I pick up my actual breakfast from the internal House Kitchen. I normally have a soy latte and a granola with berries, coco flakes, and rhubarb puree.
9:15 A.M. My morning is usually packed with back-to-back meetings, as I'm always working on four or five projects at a time. I don't have a dedicated desk, so I grab my MacBook Air, my phone, and a Bitmore e-Fuel Portable Power Bank so that I can easily move around the office to see several different teams and review their progress on various projects. It's a good thing that I've become so much more focused and organized with my time—I get so much more done. (I guess for the first time in my career, I am paid for something I know. )
12:30 P.M. I love working in Central London; the Soho area is so convenient. It's extremely creative and stimulating, and constantly buzzing with interesting people. (Plus, Made—the furniture company I co-founded five years ago—is just around the corner). My days are pretty packed, so I prefer to maximize my time and have a working lunch. There are so many amazing restaurants nearby; I usually head over to Bocca Di Lupo, Barrafina, Nopi, or J. Sheekey to have a nosh while I meet with various agencies, business partners, ex-colleagues, and venture capitalists—there's always an upcoming project to discuss.
4:00 P.M. I reserve this time to have a few conference calls via Skype with colleagues based in L.A.—there's such a massive time difference between London and the west coast. I'm chair of the board for a new startup called DSC (the Digital Shopping Channel) which is building an e-commerce platform for influencers. I spend time on the phone with the functional team and work alongside the investors.
5:00 P.M. I recently joined the board of Felix Capital, a venture capitalist fund for the creative class. I spend a bit of time looking for cool investment opportunities and reviewing promising new business plans.
6:00 P.M. After work, I tend to pop into one of the many events going on—mostly tech, design, and fashion-related. I'm often speaking on a panel or participating as a judge. If not, I schedule a quick catch-up with my girlfriends, as most of them work in the same area. We usually have hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail or two at the Groucho Club, or another Soho House located at 76 Dean Street.
7:30 P.M. If I'm not at an event, I hop into another Uber and head home. While en route, I read Quartz for world news and Business of Fashion to see what's happening in the industry. Sometimes I'll ring my mum and sister in Paris via WhatsApp Messenger—it's the best way to talk, chat, and share videos and photos for free.
8:00 P.M. I like getting home early enough to see my boys, that way I can help review homework and put them to bed. My husband and I are very much equally dedicated to raising our family, so we work out our agendas via a shared Google calendar. That way we make sure one of us is at home every night to be with them.
9:00 P.M. I'm usually a little peckish around this time, so make myself a light snack. My favorite at the moment is bruschetta with burrata, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil. When I'm done, I check my email one more time before climbing into bed. I don't watch much TV (other than Game of Thrones), so I'm often sound asleep by 11:20 P.M.
Editor: India-Jewel Jackson. Photographer: Michael Sinclair. Art director: Rebecca Kimmons. Stylist: Holly Ounstead. Hairstylist/makeup artist: Carol Morley. Prop stylist: Liza Giles.
24 HOURS WITH TECH ENTREPRENEUR CHLOE MACINTOSH