Studio Kiln moves to London

Why it matters

Studio Kiln — the award-winning creative practice founded in Falmouth in 2022 — is establishing a permanent presence in London while keeping its Cornwall base for now. The change matters because the studio has been a high-profile example of successful remote-first design work (its particle system for BAFTA is one standout project), and the shift shows how growing teams balance place, community and creativity in 2026.

What happened

The move has been gradual rather than sudden. About six months ago the team gained access to a shared co-working space in London, and last month Studio Kiln took on its own studio within that building. The practice is currently splitting time between Falmouth and London and expects to have fully moved by the end of the year.

Why the change

Co-founder and creative director Nathan Smith says the decision was driven less by clients and more by people. Many hires had joined from outside Cornwall, and ongoing remote working made in-person connection harder to sustain. As Smith put it:

"Almost every one of them, without any prompting, brought up wanting an easier way to get together in person." — Nathan Smith

That pattern of feedback made the studio prioritise a location where the wider team could meet up more easily, attend events and plug into the day-to-day creative scene.

Practical trade-offs

The studio is keeping both spaces open during the transition, which brings logistical cost and coordination headache. But the move is framed as a way to widen opportunity rather than abandon Cornwall: the team is keeping its roots while adding a London touchpoint for events, partners and chance encounters.

What fans of design and music scenes should watch

• Collaborations: a London base increases chances of cross-disciplinary work with music, film and live events.
• Talent flow: the studio’s approach shows how teams can recruit nationally while offering urban meet-up points.
• Creative output: expect more live-facing projects and networking-driven briefs as the team mixes city and coastal influences.

Studio Kiln’s move is a reminder that geography doesn’t fix creativity — but proximity still matters when a team wants to turn digital rapport into shared, in-person work.