Inside A Calm & Classic London Apartment
Inside A Calm & Classic London Apartment

Inside A Calm & Classic London Apartment

Tala Fustok Studio was entrusted to turn a Victorian red-brick mansion-block apartment in South Kensington into a classically designed space. Focusing on decoration, joinery, furniture and soft furnishings, the team created a fresh, calm home from a once-blank canvas. They showed us how they did it…
By Georgina Blaskey
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Photography: MICHAEL SINCLAIR

The Property

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom property was a blank canvas. It had finished walls, and beautifully crafted new timber flooring throughout, but it needed making into a home. Housing the client’s own collection of select pieces of furniture, we wanted to introduce diverse textures, subtle pattern and alluring hints of colour.

The Brief

The property had new bathrooms and kitchen, and the focus was to introduce colour, texture and to make the space a home. As the structural core was complete – right down to floorboards and wiring – the colour scheme was the first step. The focus was to make decorative changes in each room to elevate the design, such as fresh paint on all walls, sanding and re-staining the floor throughout, and refinishing the existing joinery in bedrooms. Though the project is largely monochrome.

The Living Area

Here, we used Farrow & Ball’s Wevet to connect the dark and light tones. In the living area the backdrop is purposely clean and minimal, and new curtains were installed to create a soft and almost romantic feel to the space. The darker contrasting tones of the freestanding furniture and newly designed built-in joinery were chosen to offset this, as well as drawing a connection with the deeper coloured spaces in the snug/TV room. A bespoke 12-seater dining table by Novocastrian – made with a patinated brass base and an oak top – was commissioned as the client loves to entertain. The traditional Victorian fireplace was replaced with a marble finish with a subtle undertone of lilac, complemented by the deep purple armchairs and bespoke cushions with lilac trims. The mix of soft, muted tones are balanced with deep indulgent hues, which feel good to live in. 

Snug

Looking to experiment with colour, we introduced darker tones here to create a richly dramatic space with a more contemporary finish. Painted fully in Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe, the walls also got a patina to add depth and texture. A bespoke sofa was designed to maximise the space of the room. The comfort of this piece echoes the undertones of the dark hues in the room, which add to the drama and enveloping interior space. Three footstalls can be pulled out to create seating for three more people.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, the drama is elevated – perfect for partying at home. We continued the timeless monochrome backdrop, adding floating timber shelves to give warmth and texture to the space.
 

Bedroom 1

This room is painted in Farrow & Ball’s All White. We used multiple layers of texture to add depth and intrigue into this light-flooded space, which carries a timeless elegance throughout. All existing joinery was refinished in a matt white patina, which grounds the space and has an almost earthy feel to it. We placed a new bespoke walnut bed – with an upholstered headboard in Dedar fabric – next to a vintage dressing table, blending the old and new to create a laid-back, stylish look.

Bedroom 2

Knowing our client was keen to experiment with both light and darker colours, we had to be mindful of where we added these tones. We went for darker schemes in the main bedroom and TV room, creating a cocoon effect that envelopes both spaces. Here, a combination of Farrow & Ball Pitch Black and Wevet creates a soothing moodiness without detracting from the light that baths the space throughout the day. A bespoke bed in a walnut finish, complete with luxurious fabrics from Dedar, was designed to create a restful sanctuary.

Bedroom 3

For the smallest of the bedrooms, we kept to a similar colour palette and refinished the existing joinery. An indulgent Dedar fabric covers a large, deep armchair to enhance the calming powers of this soothing sanctuary.

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