'We were contacted by our clients after they saw a piece about us in a newspaper. They liked what they read, looked us up, and we set up a call,' says designer Irene Gunter of Gunter & Co. 'Our approach to color and use of playful accents chimed with their vision for their new family home.'
Dining Area: Texture is all in this space, where curtains and a tablecloth sweep the floor, alongside a fabric pendant and upholstered dining chairs. Aldwin fabric pendant, Soho Home. Astoria chairs, Studio Sam; covered in Karakorum, Dedar. Curtains in Satiro Oat, C & C Milano; with Honeycomb trim, Schumacher. Art (just seen) by Larry Poons
Home Office: Warm pinkish walls complement the vibrancy of the artwork in this corner of the sitting room, where a bespoke desk brings a nod to vintage style. Artwork by Erin O’Keefe, courtesy of London art gallery Seventeen. Artwork (left) by Guo Wei. Desk, Gunter & Co. Chair, Anthropologie. Lamp, Studio Atkinson
Irene describes her design approach as 'instinctive' and in this home, she and George Gardner, who was the project’s lead designer, leaned hard into this impulse, discarding the basic baseboards but keeping the elegant coving. 'We also replaced the architraves with ones more sympathetic to the period, while the flat, uninteresting doors within them were replaced.'
'The property felt disjointed,' she says. 'We added some key architectural elements, which made up for the lack of continuity in the design language, and removed others, enabling us to find the balance between what’s classical and what’s modern.'
Dining Space: An illuminated vitrine features tiles in a rich red, in contrast with the pale pink cabinetry, adjacent to which ‘metal doors in powder-coated green paint provide a profile you might find in a 1910 Paris apartment,’ says designer Irene Gunter. Earth zellige tiles, Terra Bella Interiors. Joinery, Gunter & Co. Handles, SDS London
Irene and George have carefully reworked the space with a focus on light and circulation. The original kitchen and dining room were one space, while a separate sitting room was poorly situated, overlooking neighboring buildings.
'Our biggest structural intervention was to remove a wall between the kitchen and dining room and sitting room and to then introduce soft-green framed glazed doors,' says George.
'This created an open-plan, generous and connected look across the spaces, delivering a cohesive heart of the home and allowing the greenery of the park to be seen throughout.'
Sitting Room: An existing white chair was the starting point for the furnishings here, its curves matched by a contemporary sofa. A wall unit uses a sliding system to disguise the TV with a large artwork. Hamilton sofa, Minotti. Art by Anna Genger. Chair cushion in Talmont, Pierre Frey. Joinery, Gunter & Co. Floor lamp, Soho Home
The rooms feel personal and lived-in; new pieces comfortably rubbing shoulders with antiques. The colors were inspired by the clients’ contemporary art and include blush pinks on cabinetry and forest greens on wallcoverings, alongside warm timber and pops of red.
The effect is thoroughly modern, most noticeably so in the sitting room. Here, a large painting forms part of a sliding system across a TV and shelving unit, which spans the wall.
'We had to work around the artwork to ensure the scale of the joinery perfectly complemented it,' says George.
This piece features bespoke travertine stone dividers between its shelves, which are essentially bookends that stand up beautifully to the design language required by such an elongated piece.
Kitchen: Design details are crucial to the polished finish Gunter & Co demands of itself. Decorative artist Henry van der Vijver custom-painted the power sockets so that they blend seamlessly with the marble walls. Kitchen with Fior Di Pesco marble and stainless-steel worktop, Gunter & Co. Units in Desert Rose, Paint & Paper Library. Antique pendants, Galerie Glustin
Curves rule here, with sofas and rugs carefully carved and shaped to suit the structure of the rooms, creating welcoming seating areas with varying degrees of formality.
'From the entryway, you naturally follow the curved angle of the rug in the sitting space and on through to the dining space,' says George.
Likewise, in the kitchen, a bespoke curved marble island acts as the centerpiece and is balanced with the practicality of stainless-steel worktops.
'It’s a pre-scratched stainless steel, so the patina is already built in. This, and the added benefit of a welded sink that is completely seamless, provides an effortless, stylish, and not remotely industrial feel,' says Irene.
Main Bedroom: ‘The back wall has been paneled in a luxurious green fabric with leather verticals. The detailing is superb,’ says George. Headboard in Vuk with Marabou border, Dedar. Cushion in Adagio, Nobilis. Bedspread in Odessa, Sister by Studio Ashby. Abaca Harvest wallpaper with Alma leather details, Phillip Jeffries. Art by Joshua Armitage. Lamp, Birdie Fortescue
The bedrooms are a masterclass in refined comfort, as Irene says:
'In the rooms without direct park views, such as the west-facing main bedroom, which was not an exuberantly light-filled space, we decided on a cocooning environment, layering in crafted detailing, from textured wallcoverings to leather-wrapped wall moldings. And in the dressing room, rope-carved cornices and verre églomisé mirroring on the wardrobes ensure every corner has its own sense of personality.'
This is certainly true of the guest bedroom, which has a chinoiserie wallpaper, giving the impression of a hand-painted mural. 'This can be more cost-effective than commissioning an artist,' says George.
Indeed, it’s just one of many clever details that will ensure this apartment is never again accused of lacking design identity.
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