Birgit Israel is the founder and Creative Director of Babylon Design Ltd. The company encompasses Birgit Israel Interiors and the Birgit Israel Fashion and Accessories Collections. It has two retail stores in Chelsea, London.
Babylon Design was established in 1997 and began designing and producing collections of furniture, lighting and accessories. The company exhibited and traded worldwide and also designed for leading British brands such as Habitat, the Conran Shop and the Body Shop. In 1997 Birgit also opened her first Fulham Road store, adding vintage and antique pieces to complement the contemporary pieces in the Babylon range. Today the Birgit Israel Home store stocks an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories, both vintage and contemporary, and is known internationally as an invaluable source for elegant and unique interior furnishings.
In 2002, Birgit became the owner of Chateau de Massilan, a 17th Century hunting lodge built by Henry II for Diane de Poitier, in Provence, France. She began the project of redesigning the property and it has operated since 2003 as a small luxury hotel. During its first year the Chateau was chosen by Conde Nast Traveller as one of the ‘50 Best New Hotels in the World’. Recent accolades include the Chateaus’s selection by Tatler as one of the ‘100 Best Hotels in the World’ and its inclusion as one of the ’90 Best Hotels by the World’ by Geo Germany.
Birgit has since worked on numerous other private residential design projects in London, Hong Kong, New York, France and Germany. Her London based Interior Design Consultancy continues to work with clients on projects both local and abroad.
In 2007 a second Fulham Road store opened to showcase Birgit’s ever expanding line of home accessories as well as her debut Fashion Collection. Produced in Italy and Austria, the clothes are stylish, timeless modern classics - ideal to mix with the collectable vintage jewelry and covetable accessories that Birgit sources on her travels around the globe.