‘The client is a fan of London. They love the city, the history, and the architecture,’ says interior designer Charu Gandhi, founder of interior design studio Elicyon (opens in new tab). ‘The client spends a substantial amount of time in this home, sometimes on their own and often as a family with their partner and children. Our client wanted us to create a highly tailored, very liveable space that caters to their lifestyle. They wanted a home that was a social space for entertaining and hosting business meetings, as well as a peaceful refuge.’ Charu and her team set to work and the result is an apartment that showcases an elegant and sculptural aesthetic with British influences and European accents.
Kitchen
Earthy colors prevail in this dramatic space. Kitchen ideas include a green marble breakfast bar as a striking and tactile focal point. Leather dining chairs wrap around the extended bar, providing a luxe informal eating area.
Snug
Charu opted for a cosy scheme comprising warm earthy neutrals. A vast modular sofa fills the space and provides plenty of comfy seating for watching TV. The focal point of the snug is the opulent marble fireplace and eyecatching floor-length fluted TV surround.
Dining room
The client planned on entertaining both socially and for business meetings, so the layout of the showstopping reception room with its triple height windows became a focal point to allow this pivot between the different uses. This space is split into a dining room, living area and open plan office space, and zoning is central to the design of the home. ‘The interesting trend of quite fluid multi-functional spaces that we are seeing has particularly burgeoned during Covid,’ says Charu. ‘We really encouraged the client to think of their large reception room as the main space of the property, rather than a formal room that is hardly used.’ One of Charu’s dining room ideas was to create a versatile space with a modern streamlined table that is large enough to cater for both entertaining and meetings. She then softened the scheme with curved textural chairs. One of three artistic Giopato Coombes pendants makes a statement over the dining table. Dark blue geometric themed bespoke rugs by Colbourns separate the zones.
Living room
‘The height of the ceiling is rather spectacular but it also posed a challenge in ensuring we retained the drama while also bringing a domestic scale,’ says Charu. Her living room ideas included incorporating a striking ombre paint finish into the paneling on the walls to break up the expanse of the room and draw the eye up to the polished marble ceiling. To reinforce the homey feel of the room, Charu integrated double trimmed curtains that frame the four floor-to-ceiling windows. Curved furniture with rounded corners and soft edges evokes a soothing aesthetic. A variation of low-level lighting, large Utopia wall sconces, Giopato Coombes pendants and picture lighting creates distinct moments within each zone at any given time. A statement geometric chair injects a contemporary touch.
Home office
‘The client wanted to consider placing their study in one of the secondary bedrooms, but instead, we feel that its incorporation into the reception has been very successful,’ says Charu. ‘In the end, their favorite spot was their study in the living room.’ Home office ideas for this monochrome scheme include a bespoke moulded office chair by Bray in patterned jacquard velvet fabric and a black marble desk. Behind is a full-length customised bookcase with woven silk mesh sandwiched between glass screens and matte gray leather back paneling.
Main bedroom
The impressive main suite features a leather padded freestanding headboard with a hammered liquid metal trim, one of Charu’s bedroom ideas to make a focal point of the bed. Above hangs an eyecatching, colorful artwork. Charu has created a cocooning feel in the main bedroom by using a hand-applied finish on the ceiling in the same tone as the wallpaper. A living area comprising curved seating and olive green sculptural chairs by José Leite de Castro sit upon a circular rug crafted by Tai Ping.
Bedroom
In the bedroom, interest is injected with artwork and colorful patterned throws.
Bathroom
The bathroom has an airy, spa-like quality. Bathroom ideas include copious use of marble to create a sumptuous and cohesive feel and a diaphanous blind to filter the light and provide privacy. Metal framed doors and windows ground the scheme. Interior design/ Elicyon (opens in new tab) Photographs/ Patrick Williamson Photography
