This 1930s London Apartment Had No Original Features Left – So Designers Brought Back Its Character With Quiet Luxury
Rebuilt from a blank canvas, this London home now pairs classical detailing with a calm, tonal palette designed for modern family living
When Sophie Paterson was tasked with redesigning this 1930s London apartment, the brief came with a challenge: rebuilding its character entirely.
While the building itself still carried the elegant bones of its Art Deco origins, the house design had been stripped of all original features, leaving behind a blank canvas devoid of charm.
'The overall style and aesthetic embodies classic contemporary throughout,' says Sophie. 'It was a style we felt suitable for the property's period, as well as the client’s likes and loves from our previous projects. Executing that blend of classical architectural details with contemporary furnishings and accessories completely ensures timelessness.'
Set within a building with unmistakable Art Deco character, the apartment sits behind a façade that still hints at its heritage. 'The building still retains those bones as you enter,' Sophie explains.
'The property itself, when we took it on, unfortunately had been unsympathetically renovated with no period features retained, meaning our interior architectural proposal included an array of period features to reinstate that feeling in the home to reflect the original building’s intent.'
Stripped back, the apartment became a blank canvas for Sophie and her team. Rather than imposing a purely contemporary scheme, they took cues from the building’s era, carefully reintroducing architectural language that felt both authentic and refined.
Living and Dining Area: 'Ceiling moldings were a heavy consideration in this project. Creating this element of grandeur on the ceilings restricted the need to consider the drop in ceiling height, and most often, we find people forget to look up.' Screens by SWD Bespoke Doors, all sofas and dining table, custom.
'Our clients are based in the Emirates and approached us wishing to renovate a newly bought apartment, which they intended to be their summer residence here in London,' Sophie explains.
'They were a young family, and welcomed a newborn during the renovation,' she continues. 'With this in mind, it was imperative to create an additional bedroom, space to entertain, and an abundance of storage fit for busy family life.'
Many of the most impactful changes, however, are almost unnoticeable at first glance.
'The internal layout was changed minimally to suit the client's day-to-day life. Small amendments to door locations, swapping, and adding clever stud walls allowed for a smoother flow, and opened opportunities for things such as cleverly recessed storage,' she adds.
Entry: On entry, you're greeted by a series of archways that lead you into the home. The custom-made bench by Ben Whistler sits on tiles from Mandarin Stone, and the wall lights are by Visual Comfort.
The high-level apartment opens into an entryway that immediately sets the tone for everything that follows.
'This entrance hall acts as the perfect thoroughfare and anchor to allow you to venture into every piece of the home,' says Sophie. More than just a transition space, the entry introduces the apartment’s love of arches and quiet luxury palette.
'On your right, there is space to sit before entering the rest of the home, and just further on, and also on your right-hand side, our ‘jewel box’ powder room is situated conveniently for this end of the home,' she adds.
Sitting Area: The custom sofa is framed by drapes made bespoke by Harper Collection. The end table is from Arteriors, and the photo frames are by Addison Ross.
At the heart of the home lies the open-plan living and dining space divided by two decorative screens – spaces designed to bring the family together, while still allowing for moments of pause and relaxation.
'Emphasis was placed on achieving a space that reflected these needs, and I really feel we’ve created a space within the home that feels unique and special to the rest,' Sophie explains. 'The balance of finishes is, the multi-use nature of eating/conversing and watching all in one space, the warm natural light we’ve welcomed in, the clever joinery pieces holding personal mementos and discreetly hiding vitally important equipment.'
'This room packs a punch, and reflects the success of this apartment.'
Sitting Area: On the opposite side of the room, the artwork hanging system Sophie had custom-made by Harper Collection. The coffee table and stools are by LOOM Furniture, the wall lights are Visual Comfort with shades from Porta Romana.
Natural light pours into the room, amplifying the warm, neutral palette. Here, texture takes the lead with soft upholstery, layered textiles, and carefully chosen materials that build depth without disrupting the sense of calm.
'Our clients loved a warm and neutral palette, with mixes of texture,' Sophie explains of the color scheme for the whole home. 'This does ensure a common thread throughout the home; however, we endeavored to inject small brush strokes of color through accent cushions and decorative accessories.'
Layered into this central space is a special personal detail. 'The gallery-style hanging artwork we had procured for the client is hung within a central wall molding panel. We spent months meticulously discussing each piece with our client, as they reflect a part of London that the family loves and enjoys when they visit from the Emirates. We’re so pleased with how they’ve turned out.'
Kitchen: The custom-made kitchen has been accessorized with cabinet handles from Armac Martin, accent pieces from The White Company, and artwork by Paynes Grey.
In keeping with the home’s considered palette, the kitchen is a space that feels calm and timeless. Much of its success lies in the strategic decisions made early in the planning process – most notably, the relocation of its entrance.
'We mirrored the entry to the kitchen to the opposite side to achieve a more comfortable and suitable spatial layout of the kitchen once inside, which in turn provided an opportunity for a central island, a very desired feature by the client,' Sophie explains.
'The kitchen itself works incredibly hard, which is vital for any apartment in prime London,' she continues. 'It takes on a classical style with in-frame cabinetry, but combines wonderfully with brand new contemporary Gaggenau appliances. Via a hidden sliding door, you’ll find the re-purposed boiler cupboard, now a utility room, which the client can choose to separate or connect to the kitchen space.'
Primary Bedroom: 'We specified a bespoke wallpaper from our Fromental collection, called Branches in the Breeze. We inset the wallpaper into the wall paneling to give that classical feel and ensure it remained in keeping with the rest of the apartment.' Nightstands, LOOM Furniture, are styled with lamps by Porta Romana, while the custom bed is styled with bedding by Gilly Nicolson.
Past the functional spaces, we're led into the bedrooms and bathrooms of the home.
'Each bedroom carries its own identity, specific to the user (the parents, children, and newborn), but maintains the design thread throughout the home,' says Sophie. 'At the end of the hallway, before heading off to the children’s rooms, we find the serene principal suite. Your view of the bedroom is initially delayed as you first enter via a lobby area, where you are introduced to the material palette.'
'As you walk through, the bedroom reveals itself, and the softness of the room speaks volumes. With luxurious Fromental silk wallpaper set within traditional paneling on the wall, a grand coffer ceiling with subtle LED lighting, this room creates a sense of calm.'
Primary Bathroom: The primary bathroom is a serene space, composed of a custom-made vanity Parker Howley with handles from Armac Martin. The wall light was sourced from Hector Finch, and all sanitaryware from Samuel Heath.
The adjoining ensuite bathroom continues this sense of hotel-style luxury, pairing rich, natural materials with meticulous detailing.
'Just off the lobby area, we have the principal ensuite, offering a bath, a private WC & separate shower cubicle,' Sophie notes. 'With Dark Bronze sanitaryware by Samuel Heath and luxury marbles such as Fior de Bosco and White Crystalis, it may well be my favourite bathroom to date,' she adds.
Boys Bedroom: To provide the boys with a truly enviable bedroom, Sophie had custom beds made with canopies by Harper Collection. She then styled the twin beds with bedding by Gilly Nicolson and throws from Society Limonata. The desk and desk chair are by Chelsea Textiles, with lighting from Heathfield & Co, and wallpaper by Colefax & Fowler.
The children’s bedrooms introduce a more imaginative layer to the home.
'On the other side of the hallway from the principal suite, we find two children’s rooms, equally special and tailored to the two sons and daughter,' Sophie explains.
'The boy’s room features ceiling-mounted tent-like canopies and striped wallpaper,' she notes of the twin canopy beds, which adds a cocooning and zoning touch to each sleep space.
Girls Bedroom: For the client's daughter, Sophie chose a custom headboard and paired it with artwork by Lina Gordievsky. The nightstand is from Chelsea Textiles, and the table lamp is by DavidTS Lighting.
In contrast, the girl’s bedroom is defined by softness.
The daughter's room is enveloped by a picturesque mural-style wallpaper featuring a scene of rolling hills, ever-growing tree branches with perfectly placed birds & butterflies,' Sophie describes.
This scenic backdrop introduces a sense of movement and whimsy, while the palette remains elegant – allowing the room to feel timeless. Layered textiles and classic furniture shapes further ground the space, ensuring it can evolve beautifully over time.
Bathroom: In this bathroom, the internal door is a Cotswold design by SWD Bespoke Doors in a taupe finish with hardware from Corston. The bathroom vanity is a bespoke Windsor design by Parker Howley with handles from Armac Martin.
In keeping with the rest of the apartment, the bathrooms in the home balance luxurious materiality with functionality. Marble touches bring grandeur and subtle pattern, while bespoke joinery adds warmth and practicality, ensuring the spaces feel connected to the wider palette.
'Architectural details such as cornice, skirting, marble edges, inset flooring details, and wall paneling feature consistently throughout each space, telling a continuous story from the moment you enter to the last room you see,' Sophie explains.
'Introducing varied types of furniture and finishes ensures a freshness and uniqueness to each home we design, but building a solid foundation of architectural details proved important to achieving a cohesive home on this project.'
'Our vision for their home was completely trusted from the very beginning, and they were the dream client in this respect; it was an honor. Every design presentation was a joy to do, and being able to deliver a home they loved in the end was a truly magical feeling.'
'Inviting, soft, and timeless' is how Sophie describes the finished home, and it’s an aesthetic that resonates from the moment you step inside.
She adds that the apartment is a 'showcase in how a lacking, dated apartment can be completely re-imagined and transformed to a luxury, comfortable family home, showing nods to its original period, that can withstand the demands of today’s contemporary era.'
'We hope people enter and feel a disconnect to their busy lives, and feel inspired to make memories and ultimately live comfortably.'
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