How a Small London Apartment Went From ‘A White Box With Great Bones and No Soul’ to a Cozy, Colorful Alpine Chalet–Inspired Home

For this Notting Hill apartment, Sarah Southwell – one of our Next in Design rising stars – knew just how to combine the owner’s Swiss and British roots to create schemes that welcome you in effortlessly

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A bed with light blue linens and green decorative pillows set against a delicate floral trellis wallpaper. A teal built-in bookshelf sits to the right, filled with blue and white ceramics.
(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

This garden apartment in Notting Hill is a masterclass in how pattern, color and a little visual trickery can turn a pale, rather joyless space into a home with verve and heart. Reimagined by Sarah Southwell, a former artisan handbag maker turned interior designer, the three-bedroom apartment is now an elegant, feminine home that’s at once composed, characterful and faintly mischievous.

Its owner, who divides her time between London and the Swiss Alps, was keen to weave elements of both sides of her heritage into the house design. ‘I wanted this flat to reflect the homes I grew up in,’ she says. ‘In my first conversation with Sarah, we talked about my love of painted joinery and woodwork – they remind me of my family’s house in Switzerland, which dates from the 1600s.’

A narrow hallway featuring light blue built-in cabinetry and door frames, a natural fiber runner with a red border, and a staircase with a red striped carpet.

Entryway: Millwork in a smoky gray-blue is punctuated with notes of red in the runner, rug trim and lampshades. Millwork in French Blue, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Wall lights, Pooky. Ticking stripe shade, Beatrix Interiors on Etsy. Trent stair runner in Raspberry, Roger Oates Design. Red-trimmed rug, Alternative Flooring.

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

The owner arrived at that meeting with just two wallpaper swatches: a trellis design by Colefax and Fowler and a graceful floral by Manuel Canovas. The trellis reminded her of her late mother, a Swiss interior designer who had used a near-identical paper in their London home. ‘Sarah took that as a starting point,’ she recalls, ‘and somehow managed to bring together the two places that meant the most to me.’

The apartment required no structural work – it even came with some well-made millwork – but it was, in Sarah’s words, ‘a white box with great bones and no soul’. The brief was to create a home that felt warm and uplifting, a place for relaxed evenings and lively dinners. ‘Lighting and mirrors were key,’ Sarah recollects. ‘I wanted reflection and glow wherever possible.’

A dining area featuring a table covered in a ruffled pink striped cloth, flanked by built-in benches. The walls are covered in a pale green floral and bird motif wallpaper.

Dining area: A chinoiserie wallpaper blurs the boundaries between house and garden.
Modern Chinoiserie wallpaper, Rockett St George. Spindler dining bench, Perch & Parrow. Planter and butter dish, Tooka.

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

In the dining area, which opens directly onto the garden, she lined one wall with foxed mirrored tiles – a clever device to bounce light and widen the narrow room. The opposite wall is papered in a verdant chinoiserie print, drawing the eye to the garden beyond. Hidden within the mirrored wall is a secret door leading to a tiny cabin bedroom: a cocoon-like space with a built-in bed and painted trim inspired by Alpine chalets. ‘Designing small rooms is one of my favorite things,’ says Sarah.

A cozy built-in sleeping nook with light blue wood-paneled walls, red gingham pillows, and a striped yellow roman shade. Built-in shelves above the bed hold toys and books.

Children's bedroom: ‘Everyone is obsessed with this room – children and adults alike,’ laughs the homeowner. Shelves lined in Trousseau wallpaper, Dado Atelier. Quilt, Antique Quilt Company.

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

Green became the thread that runs through the apartment – from the emerald cabinetry in the bathroom to the soft moss tones of the bedroom’s trellis – complemented by shades of aqua, teal and smoky blue. In the entrance hall, Sarah painted the millwork in pale blue, contrasting it with a runner and lampshades in punchy reds. Even the backs of the bookshelves are painted a deep radicchio tone, giving flashes of warmth between books and objects.

A cozy living room featuring a white sofa with red striped cushions and a large gold-leaf painting of a cherry blossom tree. A red and white striped ottoman sits in the foreground on a sisal rug.

Living room: A luminous painting brings a gentle glow. Art by Jack Frame at Clarendon Fine Art. Ottoman, Sarah Southwell Design + Interiors; in Devon Stripe, Ian Mankin; skirt in Improvisation, Ottoline. Isla sofa, Sofa.com. Lampshade covers, 46 Stitch

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

The living room centers on a luminous painting of a cherry tree in bloom, its gold-leaf background casting a gentle light around the space. ‘When I told the artist I was buying it because it reminded me of my mother, he renamed it after her,’ says the owner. Around it, ruffles and stripes – on cushions, lampshades and table skirts – add movement and texture without ever feeling twee. ‘Stripes are a constant in my projects,’ observes Sarah. ‘They bring rhythm and joy and keep things from feeling too polite.’

A pale sage green kitchen with a red and white vertical striped backsplash. The wooden countertops hold fresh herbs and a red teapot, with open shelving displaying glassware.

Kitchen: A lively striped wallpaper and red-painted cabinet backs were chosen to lift the existing cabinetry. Tangier Red Stripe wallpaper, Alice Palmer & Co. Back of cabinetry in Radicchio, Farrow & Ball. Rug, Swedish antique.

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

Sarah’s respect for what already existed is evident throughout. In the kitchen, she simply lined the backsplash in a striped paper by Alice Palmer & Co, sealed with Plexiglas for practicality. ‘I’m a huge advocate of working with what you have,’ she explains. ‘Paint, wallpaper, a change of hardware – they can all make a world of difference.’

A vibrant green bathroom vanity with floral-patterned door panels and a white stone countertop. A white scalloped shower curtain and matching shell-shaped dishes add a vintage touch.

Bathroom: A rickrack trim and a frilled bath mat temper the bold green. Woodwork in Emerald Green, Farrow & Ball. Inserts in Bianca wallpaper in Nacre, Manuel Canovas at Colefax and Fowler. Bath mat, MG & Co.

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

In the bedroom, the owner’s two cherished prints finally come together: the trellis wallpaper and a blind in the favorite floral. The same botanical reappears in the adjoining bathroom, this time in another colorway and inset into the emerald cabinetry. ‘When I first saw the green paint, I thought it was possibly too bright,’ admits the owner. ‘Then the wallpaper went up and it all made sense.’

A bed with light blue linens and green decorative pillows set against a delicate floral trellis wallpaper. A teal built-in bookshelf sits to the right, filled with blue and white ceramics.

Bedroom: Blue paintwork adds an uplifting contrast to the trellis wallpaper. The painting is a much-loved piece that belonged to the owner’s mother. Leaf Trellis wallpaper, Colefax and Fowler. Woodwork in Vert de Mer, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Wall lamp, Pooky. Lampshade, Beatrix Interiors on Etsy. Round cushion covers, TBCo.

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)

Her affection for the neighborhood has deepened since moving in. ‘I thought the Notting Hill Carnival would be chaotic, but it’s magical,’ she says. ‘The local steel band on the Thursday before is one of the most moving things I’ve experienced – the sound goes straight to your soul.’ As indeed does the flat itself. Once a white shell, it is now layered, glowing, and deeply personal – a home alive with color and memories.