In This Small London Apartment, a Minimalist IKEA Kitchen Mixes with Characterful Antiques, Family Heirlooms, and Collected Artwork – It's a Lesson in High-Low Design

Home to Ananth Ramaswamy, one of Homes & Gardens' Next in Design stars, this eclectic London apartment is a testament to how diverging styles can form a coherent whole

By Dominic Lutyens

published 4 February 2026

in Home-tours

A warm, eclectic living room featuring dusty pink walls, a burnt orange velvet sofa, and woven cane armchairs arranged around a stone coffee table

(Image credit: Sim Canetty-Clarke)

The eclectic style of interior designer Ananth Ramaswamy’s home, shared with his barrister husband Alexander Drapkin, took shape as their relationship was taking off.

The couple embraced the transformation of an apartment in south London into their inviting one-bed home with the same gusto as their budding relationship. Meeting a new partner includes discovering an interior design style that aligns with or differs from the other person’s. Ananth points out that they fell into the former camp.

‘My aesthetic is more modern than Alex’s. I like 1970s and 1980s design and contemporary lighting, while he loves Georgian furniture for its simplicity and honesty.’ Not that their divergent tastes proved irreconcilable, evidenced by the way they’ve fused Alexander’s more traditional taste with Ananth’s pluralist eye.

A man sits on an orange velvet sofa, wearing a white robe and reading a book titled "A Short History of British Architecture" beneath a large framed textile — Living room: Ananth relaxes in the comfortable surroundings of this space, made all the more personal by a global art collection, carefully chosen with his husband Alexander. Sofa: New Guinea tapa cloth, Chiswick Auctions. 1970s coffee table, Lots Road Auctions. 1960s teak table by Kaj Winding, 1stDibs. Wall in Setting Plaster, Farrow & Ball.

‘Alex bought the flat in 2018,’ says Ananth, who was born in Bangalore and in 2008 moved to London to study at the Architectural Association. ‘I moved in with Alex in 2020.’ The flat, formerly student accommodation, needed a lot of work.

‘What’s lovely about it is that it spans two houses and is very wide,’ says Ananth. ‘Alex had a brainwave – to swap a large bedroom for a smaller room as we spend the least amount of time in it. We converted the former to a dining room as we love entertaining.’

A bright, white kitchen with a marble countertop and a wooden table set for breakfast with fresh bread, a chrome teapot, and blue patterned plates hung on the wall — Kitchen: Ananth and Alexander, who frequently entertain, wanted this all-white space to be functional and clean-lined. Lampe de Marseille wall light by Le Corbusier, Nemo Lighting at Aram. Black Karipot cooking pot, Tiipoi. Blue and white plates, Ceramiche De Simone.

The house is part of a terrace tucked away from nearby Elephant & Castle. Ananth wanted to work with the house’s architecture, which helped dovetail the pair’s contrasting tastes. ‘We worked with the Victorian bones,’ says Ananth. ‘For the dining room, I chose a Cole & Son chinoiserie wallpaper with pagoda and weeping willow motifs.’ The neighborhood’s feeling of relative calm deepens as you enter this cocooning home.

A moody dining room with red patterned wallpaper and a wooden table set with silver plates, colorful glassware, and a centerpiece of flowering branches — Dining room: Ananth’s desire to respect the apartment’s Victorian past is reflected in the choice of chinoiserie wallpaper and antique chairs, given to Alexander by his parents. Drinks cabinet, Lots Road Auctions. Water glasses on table by Salviati in Murano. Wine glasses by Dior, Selfridges. Mirror, Oka.

The couple did the work in a methodical way. ‘Alex first decided to sand the timber floorboards, which had a nasty dark stain. This revealed beautiful old pine floorboards which we loved. We took a phased approach as we didn’t have the budget to tackle everything at the same time. Early on, we upgraded the electrics and had joinery made to add storage space.’

Flexible lighting was a core consideration. ‘My clients are in hospitality, so for me good lighting is crucial,’ says Ananth. His ingenuity with lighting is evident throughout the flat.

A detailed view of a living room corner showing a vintage architectural painting of a church, a tiered floor lamp, and white floating shelves filled with books — Living room: The couple have given many inexpensive sofas and chairs a new lease on life by reupholstering them in high-end fabrics. Sofa (by window), Dudgeon Sofas. Bullion fringe on sofa, Samuel & Sons. Floor lamp lampshade, Munro and Kerr. Wall-hung niche, Roseberys Auctioneers.

In the living room, a black articulated pendant light casts light over different areas of the space, while mirror-backed sconces support candles that animate it with their flickering flames. ‘The second phase was redoing the kitchen and bathroom. We wanted a very practical kitchen.’

This now has ultra-minimal IKEA kitchen cabinets, although a Carrara marble work surface adds a ritzy feel. ‘We had a bath installed in the bathroom. I prefer a shower but Alex loves a bath. That was non-negotiable.’

A cozy reading nook with a wooden bookshelf, a cane-back chair with a bright yellow pillow, and a large classical plaster relief sculpture mounted on a pink wall — Living room: Books are stored in Victorian bookcases, one of which was inherited from Alexander's grandmother. Wall in Setting Plaster, Farrow & Ball. Pouffe and cushions, Kutnia. Framed lithographs by Eugène Burnouf from Paris market Porte de Clignancourt.

Soon after, raw-silk window treatments made in Bangalore were installed. When furniture-hunting, the couple scoured auction houses. In the living room, their finds include Danish mid-century nesting tables and lamps incorporating ostrich eggs, redolent of 1970s designs by David Hicks and Neil Zarach. Alex already owned antiques, including a revolving Victorian bookcase that contains Penguin paperbacks, whose orange spines tone with a sofa in velvet from Rubelli.

‘The last, most important layer for me is art,’ continues Ananth. In the dining room hangs a stylized portrait of a woman, reminiscent of Modigliani’s paintings, by Russian-born artist Jacob Kramer. In the living room is a framed embroidered textile that Ananth’s father brought back from Uzbekistan as a gift. ‘My father, who’s passed away, was very cultured,’ he says. ‘My sensibilities come from him and my mother, who loves fashion, travel, and food.’

A minimalist bedroom featuring a bed with a woven cane headboard, a dark wood nightstand, and a light gray door — Bedroom: This light-filled, pared-back space was intended to be a simple, calming room – 'a retreat.' Rich wood tones add texture and warmth. Bed, Cotswold Caners. Bedside lamp, Oka. Artwork by Vasu Sellamuthu. Tapestry cushion, Jules Pansu.

Ananth has introduced Indian artifacts, such as a pair of heads made using a woodworking craft called kinnal, a gift from a friend. And he’s acquired Italian glassware by Salviati and cushions covered in colorful handwoven textiles by Turkish company Kutnia.

Did Alexander defer to Ananth when it came to decorating decisions, given his design expertise? ‘I’d say we struck a balance.’ The end result, he says, was ‘definitely collaborative’. And with the potential to add more art and artifacts, this project is ever-evolving.

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