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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Camilla Foster

Inside Olympian Dina Asher-Smith’s stylish home

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Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Team GB sprinter Dina Asher-Smith might be one of Britain’s fastest women, but when she gets home she likes to relax and slow down.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of intense training for Asher-Smith in the led up to Paris 2024, so her house has become an important place for her to unwind.

So what does a top athlete’s home look like? The 28-year-old opened her doors to ELLE Decoration to show off the calm interiors and muted colour palette that she comes home to after a hard day on the track.

The sprinter prefers a natural colour palette (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
The sprinter prefers a natural colour palette (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

Talking to the magazine about the reasons behind her interior choices, she said: “‘I wanted it to feel zen, like I was in a spa, and natural.

“I like a calm palette but I wanted there to be injections of colour and personality, whether through texture and shape or tone and depth.”

Dina Asher-Smith’s interior choices are very modern and thoughtful (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Dina Asher-Smith’s interior choices are very modern and thoughtful (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

The three-time Olympian has worked closely with British paint and wallpaper manufacturer Farrow & Ball to add warmth and interesting details across her house.

The brand’s Carte Blanche range by US fashion designer Christopher John Rogers adds hint of colours to her living space.

Asher-Smith describes her thoughtfully designed home as a “labour of love”, saying it has taken her four years to get it exactly right.

Dina Asher-Smith kitchen encompasses mint green and wooden furnishings (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Dina Asher-Smith kitchen encompasses mint green and wooden furnishings (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

The wooden furnishings, contemporary artworks and carefully chosen ornaments highlight the runner’s exquisite taste and keen eye for detail.

A sneak peek of Asher-Smith’s pristine kitchen (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
A sneak peek of Asher-Smith’s pristine kitchen (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

The athlete, who will be representing Team GB in Paris in the 100m, 200m and the women’s 4X100 relay, says creating a peaceful atmosphere at home has helped her get in the right mindset for these intense races.

(ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
(ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

“I want to come home and totally forget that there might be these incredible things that could happen,” said the sprinter.

“When you’ve got that environment and that internal peace it gives you so much more energy to convert into fantastic performances, speed and power in front of a stadium of 80,000 people.”

Asher-Smith’s at home gym studio follows the minimalist trend (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Asher-Smith’s at home gym studio follows the minimalist trend (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

Asher-Smith has won many accolades during her career, most notably a gold World Championships medal in the 200m in 2019 when she became Great Britain’s first female sprinter to win a World Championship gold, and two Olympic bronze medals for the 4x100m relay.

Dina Asher-Smith likes to keep her Olympic medals in the safe (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Dina Asher-Smith likes to keep her Olympic medals in the safe (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

However, she doesn’t like to have her accolades out on display.

“I’m not one of those athletes that has a shrine to themselves,” she said. “I normally keep my medals in a safe…it sometimes takes me a while to realise that my mum has run off with my Olympic medal!”

Dina Asher-Smith said she is very proud of her medals but they’re not something she likes to have on show’(ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Dina Asher-Smith said she is very proud of her medals but they’re not something she likes to have on show’(ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Even her shoes closet is very organised (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)
Even her shoes closet is very organised (ELLE Decoration/Boz Gagovski)

The full feature can be found in the September issue of ELLE Decoration which goes on sale from July 25.

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