Inside a Warm, Layered London Pied-à-Terre

a burl wood clad sitting area with built in shelving, a beige couch and a painting of cowboys on the wall — (Image credit: Carden Cunietti / Styling Claudia Bryant / Photography Jon Day)

Soul was definitely the missing ingredient in this vast and airy new-build apartment at the heart of London’s Hampstead.

When the owners bought the property, they were greeted with an open-plan, all-white house design. Wishing to give it a smart glow-up, they engaged interior design studio Carden Cunietti to reimagine it as a warm, layered, and intelligently zoned pied-à-terre.

‘Their brief was, “Can you make sense of this so that the areas are more defined and we feel comfortable?”’ explains co-founder Audrey Carden.

a paneled main bedroom with navy and wooden panels, a ceiling wooden area, floral upholstered bed, with a blue ottoman at the base of the bed — **Main Bedroom:** Walls are wrapped in pale oak and wool panels to enhance the tactility. Wall panels in Coast Cosmos, Bute. Softbay bed, Porada; in fabric by Métaphores. Cushion in Feline Safari, Métaphores. Bespoke bench, Carden Cunietti; in Okapi, Hodsoll McKenzie. Custom carpet, Tai Ping. Curtain in Wool Fleece in Cappuccino, Holland & Sherry

She embraced the challenge with gusto, masterminding zones that speak to each other and taking inspiration from the area’s Arts and Crafts legacy, as well as nearby Hampstead Heath, by weaving in green accents, wooden paneling, and natural textures that root the design in its setting.

Audrey’s reimagined scheme packs a punch as soon as you enter the atmospheric hall. ‘My idea was to create a sense of arrival,’ she explains.

So stark white walls gave way to bespoke chocolate-hued sycamore paneling that evokes a warm and cocooning space.

a dark wooden panelled entryway with a large Penguin book artowrk and an orange settee bench — **Entry:** The ceiling reveal was made a feature by decorating it with a print that complements the timber paneling. Mount Edo fabric (on ceiling), Liberty. Custom sofa, Carden Cunietti; in Andes in Spice, Holland & Sherry. Rug, Amini. Artwork by Harland Miller. Unique wall light, Venicem

‘We discovered that the client adores texture more than color or anything else – she loves bouclés, wools, and tapestries, and also wooden paneling. It’s so great to have a client who buys into beautiful paneling. I knew this needed a touch of Arts and Crafts, which is why I wanted to incorporate a frieze running above the paneling, and we showcased an embroidered Liberty fabric. The client loves the warm colors – it’s a slight nod to art nouveau, Arts and Crafts, and Japanese style, with a contemporary twist.’

An eye-catching artwork by Harland Miller makes a statement, while a clean-lined, caramel-toned sofa lends a New York apartment vibe.

a burl wood clad sitting room with paneled ceiling, bespoke bookcases, a large green rug, caramel couch and statement cowboy painting — **Snug:** Audrey has layered the room with velvet, fringing, paneling and a rug that grounds the scheme. Green chairs, Sedilia. Rug, La Manufacture Cogolin. Sofa, Maxalto. Bespoke ottoman in Glencoe, Holland & Sherry; fringing, Samuel & Sons. Artwork by Paul Slater. White chair, Monography

Audrey reconfigured the rest of the apartment, introducing walls to segment the vast footprint and create more intimate, functional spaces.

The airy aura of the open-plan sitting and dining area contrasts with the cosseting library-like snug next door, where dyed burr poplar paneled walls and ceiling form a warm backdrop to bold artwork.

‘We wanted to heighten the color in here,’ says Audrey of the emerald green velvet chairs and stack rug, which dial up that all-important texture, along with the retro undertones of the fringed ottoman.

a neutral sitting room with curved ceiling cornice detail, a large white and rust red patterned carpet, tweed armchairs and a neutral couch style with black round coffee tables and plants — **Sitting Room:** ‘The sofas are modern classics, pleasing from all angles,’ says designer Audrey Carden. Because of the size of the room, acoustics were an issue so woven wall panels with dyed burr poplar were installed to help absorb the sound and bring a textural element. Sofas, Flexform. Tweed swivel chairs, Man of Parts. Rug, Riviere. Coffee table, Henge. Wallpaper, Dedar

In the living room, curved cornicing was used to soften and frame the ceiling, with warm white walls enhancing the cozy ambiance.

Textural wood and woven leather panels grace the walls, while a tri-circular bronze coffee table, rounded wool sofas, and curved graphic tweed swivel chairs infuse further tactility.

‘We chose a black and white tweed for a bit of a pop,’ explains Audrey. An abstract geometric rug, meanwhile, brings retro hints and a burst of rich color underfoot.

a close up shot of a dining room with a dark wooden screen, a dark dining table and green boucle chairs — **Dining Area:** This formal entertaining space overlooks the terrace, so Audrey brought the outside in with tactile green bouclé chairs. A hand-carved wooden screen separates the dining area from the kitchen so that guests don’t feel they are sitting in a cooking zone. Claire chairs, Monography. Dining table, Van Rossum. Screen, Zanat. Curtain in Chance, Opuzen

The space eases gently into the dining area, which continues the emphasis on form and texture with green bouclé dining chairs that ‘reminded the client of a Vivienne Westwood corset’, according to Audrey.

An alluring screen, hand-crafted by artisans in Bosnia and Herzegovina, helps zone the space while still allowing daylight to filter through. ‘It looks like hammered bronze, but it’s actually made from carved wood,’ notes Audrey.

a modern home bar with a dark wooden cabinet area, arched mirror and green bar stools

To introduce depth and functionality, the designer created a breakout moment with a custom-made home bar nook where emerald green bar stools continue the natural palette and the client’s love of the color.

This nook is echoed in the kitchen’s aesthetic, where, against a backdrop of moody, dark wood cabinetry, a generous island showcases handmade green tiles.

a modern kitchen with a large green tiled kitchen island with a hanging shelf display styled with plants — **Kitchen:** Dark wood paneling and cabinetry evoke a unified and considered look, while the thread of green is picked up on the handmade tiles on the oval island. A rack above mimics the island’s shape and provides essential storage. Bespoke kitchen, Carden Cunietti. Tiles (on island), New Terracotta (Portugal). Abi bar stools, Van Rossum

‘There was a very small island here originally, but the proportions were wrong with the long run of cabinetry,’ explains Audrey. ‘Because their kids are young adults and wanted somewhere to hang out and chat, we doubled the size of the kitchen island and tiled almost all the way round it. As the tiles are handmade, the tiler had to pick out the ones that were straighter for the bottom and the ones that could be used on the curve. He did an amazing job!’

Topped with a floating green quartzite work surface, the island brings the wow factor to the space.

Such bold decisions have resulted in an interior that oozes personality and yet feels both warm and serene.

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Interiors have always been Vivienne's passion – from bold and bright to Scandi white. After studying at Leeds University, she worked at the Financial Times, before moving to Radio Times. She did an interior design course and then worked for Homes & Gardens, Country Living and House Beautiful. Vivienne’s always enjoyed reader homes and loves to spot a house she knows is perfect for a magazine (she has even knocked on the doors of houses with curb appeal!), so she became a houses editor, commissioning reader homes, writing features and styling and art directing photo shoots. She worked on Country Homes & Interiors for 15 years, before returning to Homes & Gardens as houses editor four years ago.