OWNERS Anna and Mark Denton
WHERE St John's Wood, north London
BUDGET £8,000 to £10,000
DESIGNER Anna Denton

THE BRIEF
An opulent Hollywood-style cloakroom that mimics the luxury of one in a boutique hotel.

DESIGN TIPS
“Don't be afraid to combine textures and materials. It's actually a good way to add instant glamour in a tight space,” says Anna.

“Modern Hollywood” is the term Anna Denton uses to describe the decor of the 1960s terraced house she shares with her husband, Mark, and 17-year-old daughter Saskia. Decadent glamour is evident throughout, from the Studio 55-style lounge/bar and black-lace-bedecked boudoir to the lilac kitchen with glass-framed fireplace. Anna was keen to apply her design eye to every room in her house, regardless of its size. “The cloakroom may be small, but that's no excuse for it to be dull,” she explains. “I spent as much time sourcing products and poring over designs for it as I did for my kitchen and bedroom.”

The starting point came from Mega Marble, whose catalogue featured an angular basin similar to the one Anna has now. She wanted to avoid a visible plughole, so she devised a “moat-effect” solution that features a raised base to hide the waste. Although she coveted the luxury of natural stone, she was adamant that it should not be pale. “While the current trend for cream and mocha interiors can be effective, our house is a little more 'out there', so it would never have worked for us,” she says. Instead, Anna opted for a beautiful piece of exotic Rainforest Green marble out of which she had the basin and its support carved to her own design.

The Venetian Red paint from Dulux on the walls was inspired by the veins of red that run through the marble; to lighten the effect, Anna hung strings of chain approximately 2 cm from the wall. The metallic material helps to bounce light around the room, while the gentle movement of the chains adds interest. Mother-of-pearl glistens in the stone flooring, while a huge run of mirror makes the room seem larger and an unusual pendant light adds a decorative touch.
Anna and Mark love to entertain, and their cloakroom is always a talking point among guests. Anna collects bottles of scent and she has arranged these on the shelf so that guests can help themselves if they want to.The room also has its own supply of smart, fluffy towels. “I want the cloakroom to feel like one of those posh bathrooms you get in luxury hotels,” she says. “We like to think of it as a sanctuary in miniature in our home.”

CONTACTS
Interior design, Anna Denton, 07958 209137.
Custom-made marble vanity unit, Mega Marble, (020) 8208 0330; www.megamarble.co.uk.
Mixer tap, Dornbracht, (01444) 473355; www.dornbracht.com.
Mother-of-pearl composite flooring, Object Stone, (0115) 941 9995; www.object-stone.com.
Toilet, Duravit, 0870 730 7787; www.duravit.co.uk.

WORDS LINDA GRABHAM
PHOTOGRAPH DARREN CHUNG
FEBRUARY 2006