This East London Pilates studio is impressed by Vincent Van Duysen and The Row

As a exercise, Pilates is a notoriously heavy-hitter, focusing on minuscule muscle groups and enhancing energy and alignment – however the reputation of design-led studios, like East London’s Studio Anatomy, is highlighting a rising want for health which additionally prioritises psychological wellbeing and bodily consolation. ‘I needed to fill a spot for individuals on the lookout for greater than only a place to train – they’re in search of someplace that conjures up them, recharges them, and makes them really feel genuinely cared for,’ founder Lotti Benardout explains to Wallpaper*.

‘There’s been a rising demand for intentional, conscious health, and I needed to create an area the place individuals may really feel robust, succesful, and balanced.’ Studio Anatomy opened in 2022 as a devoted Reformer Pilates area. In October 2024, it expanded to incorporate a Purposeful Health room and an infrared sauna, ‘permitting us to supply a extra holistic strategy to motion and restoration,’ says Benardout.

This East London reformer Pilates studio is impressed by Vincent Van Duysen and The Row

Studio Anatomy is positioned on a busy intersection within the London Fields space of Hackney. Once I visited it was a gloriously moist and windy night over the last working week earlier than Christmas – not precisely the makings of a calming time, you may assume. However all of the chaos appeared to soften away as quickly as I stepped up the steps and into the studio, which is sort of Balearic in its design, with gently curving arches and heat neutrals.

Unfold over two flooring and comprising two exercise areas alongside the sauna room and altering areas, Studio Anatomy is as a lot an area for serenity as for a muscle-burning exercise. Courses depart your physique aching in the absolute best manner. However the lime-plaster partitions, bouclé couches and terracotta tiles transport your thoughts to a spot of tranquility. ‘We’ve tried to create an area that blends minimalism with heat, welcoming textures. I needed it to really feel calming, however by no means medical,’ says Benardout. ‘We selected uncooked, natural finishes and added delicate touches like mother-of-pearl into our resin flooring, which catch and mirror the daylight fantastically.’

‘We draw inspiration from designers like Vincent Van Duysen, whose work embodies understated magnificence, in addition to vogue homes like The Row or Khaite the place luxurious is rooted in simplicity and high quality,’ Benardout provides. ‘That very same ethos guided our decisions, with the hope of making a studio that feels timeless and welcoming.’

This mixture of influences has resulted in an area with a thought-about mix of supplies: pale timber and porous granite, seagrass weave baskets and pearlescent tiles. While pure gentle was a precedence for Benardout, there are additionally trendy wall sconces which hold the studio trying lovely into the evening, excellent for the dinners and workshops which the group like to host.

Courses on the reformer are tiered, from Necessities, to Signature, and as much as Energy. As a first-timer I used to be welcomed into the Necessities class and was supported by Kylie, an teacher who defined the mechanics and made occasional corrections to my kind. For these contemplating a brand new health regime for 2025, the Necessities class is an brisk however non-intimidating taster.