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    Linda Boronkay selects bold shapes and colours for The Sessile

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    Former Soho House design director Linda Boronkay drew on her experience of members’ clubs when creating communal spaces at The Sessile, a rentable apartment block in north London.

    Created by contemporary rental brand Way of Life, The Sessile is a 310-apartment building in Tottenham Hale.
    Linda Boronkay has created the communal spaces at The Sessile in Tottenham HaleBoronkay designed the interiors for the building’s communal areas, which include a rooftop orangery and a private dining area as well as a gym, a yoga studio and a dedicated vinyl listening room.
    “We opted for bold colours and pieces with lots of personality,” said the interior designer, who founded her own practice in 2020.
    The rooftop orangery opens onto wide terraces”We also integrated vintage finds like we always do, so the ingredients and our approach were very similar to how we would work on a members’ club design,” she told Dezeen.

    The 10th-floor rooftop orangery is the largest of the spaces, opening onto planted terraces with sweeping views of the surrounding area.
    Marble and dark timber feature in the private dining roomBlack terrazzo flooring was paired with gleaming green and crimson tiles, which line the windowsills and a tall central fireplace. Boronkay chose a trio of spindly, ornate chandeliers to contrast with these colour-blocked accents.
    Large skylights illuminate an open kitchen and various seating areas encircled by textured armchairs. Bespoke rugs decorated with bright patterns add “a layer of art and graphic design” to the space, said Boronkay.
    Boronkay selected lighter hues for the yoga studioThe private dining room is more intimate, with sliding timber joinery that allows a graphic, coloured tapestry to give way to a concealed television.
    “Joinery, artwork and drapery allow residents to instantly change the function or ambiance of a room,” explained Boronkay.
    The gym is illuminated by sculptural lampsTranslucent glass discs were clustered together to create a chunky overhead lamp, while burnt orange curtains and veiny marble sideboards add a touch of luxury.
    Lighter hues were chosen for the yoga studio, finished with “natural” earthy colours on the floors, walls and ceilings. Muted tones also evoke a sense of calm in the gym, complete with sculptural sandy pendant lamps.
    The vinyl listening room was created as a “private nook”A squiggly neon ceiling light features in the vinyl listening room, designed as a “private nook for reflection”. The space is characterised by open blood-red shelving displaying stacks of records.
    “We were conscious about coming up with a new colour scheme and new identity for each room,” said the designer.

    Careers guide: Linda Boronkay explains what it’s like to be design director for Soho House

    Boronkay also included a ping-pong table in the room that can be used or stowed away depending on residents’ preferences.
    “We aren’t very used to designing in new build architecture,” reflected Boronkay.
    Terrazzo flooring was included in the interior design”Most of our projects are in historical heritage buildings and their story and style is an important building block in our design and narrative. At The Sessile, we had to almost ignore the architecture and create a world of our own that you experience as soon as you step inside,” added the designer.
    Elsewhere in London, local firm Studio Est referenced the industrial heritage of Battersea Power Station when creating the interiors for an apartment inside the redeveloped landmark. Archmongers studio recently renovated a home inside North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.
    The photography is courtesy of Way of Life.

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      Intervention Architecture hides fold-out furniture behind walls of Florin Court flat

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      British studio Intervention Architecture designed bespoke plywood joinery to conceal furniture including a pull-down bed and a collapsible dining table inside this micro apartment in north London.

      The flat is located within Florin Court, a nine-storey art deco building overlooking Charterhouse Square that was designed by Guy Morgan and Partners and built in 1938.
      The 24-square-metre flat at the rear of the building was previously the servant quarters for a larger residence facing the garden at the front.
      Intervention Architecture has designed the interiors for a London micro apartmentIts current owners, a couple of young artists, commissioned Intervention Architecture after seeing images on the studio’s website of another tiny flat it designed in London’s Barbican Estate.
      Similarly to this project, the Barbican flat featured reconfigurable joinery that allowed for optimal use of the compact space.

      “The brief here was to create joinery for lots of storage and to have it all hidden behind doors to make the apartment feel more spacious,” Intervention Architecture founder Anna Parker told Dezeen.
      Furniture in the Florin Court flat is concealed behind built-in joineryA storage wall lining one side of the living area houses a bed that folds down to rest on a moveable bespoke sofa. Shelving above the bedhead provides space for books with built-in reading lights positioned on either side.
      The sofa, which can also be used as a daybed, was built to contain four bespoke flatpack stools. These can be arranged around a dining table that can be broken down and stored within the wall.
      The living area houses a daybed that transforms into a moveable sofa when foldedA focal point of the space is the open shelving that functions as a library along the end wall.
      Here, a recurring arch motif that references the building’s art deco architecture is used to frame the book-filled niches.
      The puzzle-like construction of the shelving was also informed by Florin Court’s claim to fame as the residence of Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot in the popular ITV television series.
      Open shelving functions as a library with art deco-style arch motifsIntegrated into the storage units in one corner of the room is a study nook featuring a bespoke seat and a built-in drawing board that can be raised and adjusted to provide an ergonomic work surface.
      Joinery throughout the space was constructed using a single material – poplar plywood with a white oiled finish. The floorboards were sanded and given the same treatment to reinforce the cohesive aesthetic.
      “We wanted to retain a sense of calmness and singular surface tone of one natural material in the apartment to create an even tone of light from the one main window opening,” said Parker.
      Joinery was constructed using poplar plywood with a white oiled finishThe ceiling, walls and window frames are painted a simple off-white shade that helps to brighten the space. This hue is complemented by the tactile boucle upholstery chosen for the sofa.
      The room is illuminated by a single bulb above the study area and a central cluster hung at different heights from the ceiling. A pair of matching bedside lamps provides additional task lighting.

      Studio Est adds “brutalist elements” to Battersea Power Station apartment

      While the living area is minimal in its use of colour, the adjoining bathroom and kitchen are saturated in bold hues that introduce an expressive element to the scheme.
      “As the clients are two formidable artists, where the use of colour is intrinsic to their work, we wanted to reference a singular use of two colours in the two spaces ancillary to the main studio,” Parker added.
      The bathroom is clad with blush-pink tiles chosen to evoke a hue that might be found in a 1930s ocean liner. All-white aluminium taps, sanitaryware and a Japanese-style bathtub contribute to the clean and simple aesthetic.
      Blush-pink tiles cover the bathroom, contributing to a clean and simple aestheticThe kitchen is entirely painted in a vibrant shade known as International Klein Blue after the French artist Yves Klein, who used it extensively in his artworks.
      According to Parker, the use of saturated colour creates an “immersive experience” within the tiny two-square-metre space, which manages to squeeze in a hob, oven, dishwasher, fridge, sink, spice rack and concealed bin storage.
      The two-square metre kitchen is painted in International Klein BlueIntervention Architecture was founded by Parker in 2015 and is based in Birmingham, England. The interdisciplinary practice adopts a collaborative approach to its projects, resulting in bespoke solutions with their own unique personality.
      The studio has previously worked on several projects in its home city, including an extension clad in cedar battens and a brick extension featuring arched windows that resemble a colonnade.
      The photography is by Tom Bird.

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      Studio Est adds “brutalist elements” to Battersea Power Station apartment

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      London interiors firm Studio Est referenced the industrial heritage of Battersea Power Station when creating the interiors for this apartment set within the redeveloped landmark.

      The apartment’s owner wanted to transform the empty shell into a space that would reflect both his personal tastes and the home’s setting within the former art deco power station.
      Studio Est has transformed the interiors of a Battersea Power Station apartmentKnown for its quiet luxury interiors, Studio Est applied a palette of subtle neutral shades to unify the apartment’s open-plan spaces and provide a consistent backdrop for various characterful furnishings and artworks.
      “We wanted to keep it simple but introduce subtle brutalist elements that evoke the building’s history,” founder Louise East told Dezeen. “These are complemented by softer textures that add a more feminine touch.”
      Mario Bellini and Charles Rennie Mackintosh chairs feature in the dining roomAlthough some areas of the redeveloped power station feature steel beams and other industrial details, East found the apartment entirely devoid of original elements.

      So the studio turned to furniture, artwork and accessories to introduce character and visual interest to the living spaces.
      A dramatic painting is set against the neutral wallsDramatic pieces, including a large painting in the dining room and a bespoke geometric sofa in the lounge area, were chosen to ground these spaces and introduce a masculine feel.
      East then layered these with textural details including cushions, lampshades and linen-wool blend curtains, all of which were custom-made for the project.
      The room also houses a metal reinterpretation of Gerrit Rietveld’s Zigzag chairAlongside the bespoke items, Studio Est sourced various vintage pieces including leather chairs by Italian designer Mario Bellini, which surround the dark wooden dining table.
      A Hill House Chair by Scottish art deco architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a metal reinterpretation of Gerrit Rietveld’s seminal Zigzag chair also feature in the dining room.

      Archmongers celebrates “raw beauty of brutalist concrete” in Trellick Tower apartment refresh

      The two bedrooms display distinctly different approaches to colour and materiality. The principal bedroom is painted in a rich terracotta hue that lends the space a warm, enveloping atmosphere, while the second bedroom incorporates textures chosen to complement the adjacent gardens.
      “Although it’s an open-plan apartment, we didn’t want all the rooms to look the same,” said East, who established her studio in 2020 after 15 years of working for other architects and interior designers including Russell Sage and Martin Brudnizki.
      A bespoke geometric sofa centres the lounge area”It’s good to be able to move from one space to another and have a different look and feel,” she added. “The main bedroom is intentionally different to the living areas because we wanted to make this a space where the client can come after a day’s work and feel comfortable reading a book.”
      Throughout the apartment, the owner’s ceramics collection is displayed on characterful plinths, carefully positioned to emphasise specific views within the spaces and of the landscaped gardens outside.
      Cushions and curtains were made custom for the projectBattersea Power Station was designed by British architect Giles Gilbert Scott and built by the London Power Company in several phases between 1929 and 1955. It was decommissioned in 1975 and subsequently given Grade II listed status.
      A lengthy redevelopment of the site on the south bank of the River Thames introduced accommodation, hospitality, offices and retail space while preserving the building’s iconic chimney stacks and facades.
      The principal bedroom is painted in a rich terracotta hueLondon architecture firm WilkinsonEyre oversaw the restoration and conversion of the former power station, which now features a glass lift within one of its chimneys.
      UK studio Foster + Partners designed an office for technology brand Apple inside the building as well as a store for the company that retains four original brick pillars.
      The photography is courtesy of Studio Est.

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      Archmongers celebrates “raw beauty of brutalist concrete” in Trellick Tower apartment refresh

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      Newly exposed concrete walls are paired with a matching terrazzo in this sensitive home renovation by London studio Archmongers in North Kensington’s Trellick Tower.

      Led by architects Margaret Bursa and Johan Hybschmann, Archmongers reworked a duplex apartment on the 23rd and 24th floors of the listed 31-storey tower block.
      Archmongers has renovated a Trellick Tower apartmentThe design stays true to the original layout and materials palette but some small adjustments help to emphasise the building’s brutalist character.
      Bursa and Hybschmann chose to expose the coarse concrete aggregate walls, while new fixtures and surfaces are made from industrial-style materials in complementary tones.
      Materials were chosen complement the newly exposed concreteThe effect is most striking in the kitchen, where the speckled brown and cream terrazzo sits alongside brushed stainless steel counters, white cabinets and matt-black linoleum flooring.

      Archmongers designed the home for a client who divides their time between London, Italy and Switzerland.
      “Our client was looking for a refurbishment which was true to the simplicity and modesty of the original fit-out,” Bursa told Dezeen.
      Matt-black linoleum provides flooringThe aim, she said, was to embrace “the raw beauty of brutalist concrete” and emphasise “the use of honest materials in every intricate detail”.
      “The contemporary update is drawn from the original architecture,” she said.

      Trellick Tower apartment revamped to resemble “cool concrete loft”

      “We exposed the in-situ cast concrete walls in the living spaces and on the stairs, adding material richness to the interiors and linking to the course aggregate concrete of the exterior facade.”
      Completed in 1972, Trellick Tower was designed by Hungarian-British architect Ernö Goldfinger and famously features a separate staircase tower connected to the apartment floors by enclosed bridges.
      A secondary doorway was replaced with an internal window to create extra storageArchmongers made few changes to the apartment layout, which they described as “very efficiently designed”.
      The largest intervention closed up a secondary doorway that previously led through to the kitchen, instead creating an internal window above additional storage and counter space.
      The same material palette features in the living roomAn adjustment was also made on the upper level, where some of the space from the cloakroom was reallocated to make room for an extra shower.
      In bathrooms on both floors, tap and shower fittings sourced from Italian manufacturer Fantini Balocchi provide flashes of bright red and yellow that reference the coloured tiles found throughout Trellick Tower.
      Bathrooms feature white tiles with putty-coloured grout and brown terrazzo”The communal hallways of Trellick Tower each have a different tiled colour theme, which inspired our use of colour,” Bursa explained.
      Warm tones emanate from other surfaces in these rooms, including a terrazzo with the tone of walnut wood and white tiles outlined by putty-coloured grout.
      Tap and shower fittings provide flashes of bright red and yellowThe Trellick apartment is the latest in a series of mid-century renovations that Archmongers has completed and not the first to feature in a famous estate.
      Past projects include reworks of a duplex in the 1950s-built Golden Lane Estate and an apartment in the Barbican, as well as a revamp of a 1960s terrace.
      A new hand-carved walnut handrail was added to the staircaseHere, the building’s Grade II* listing meant that Archmongers was required to retain the original metal lightswitches, even though they couldn’t be certified after the electrics were rewired.
      “There are now two sets of light switches; one new and one original but no longer working,” Bursa said.
      Other sensitive additions include a new hand-carved walnut handrail for the staircase, which runs parallel to the modernist-style metal and timber balustrade.
      The duplex is located on the 23rd and 24th floors of Trellick Tower”Preserving the architectural integrity of the building was paramount,” Bursa added.
      “The Trellick Tower project serves as both an homage to the building’s historical significance and a timeless update that elevates its legacy to new heights.”
      The photography is by French + Tye.

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      Trellick Tower apartment revamped in line with Japanese design principles

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      German interior designer Peter Heimer and joinery studio Buchholzberlin used a restrained material palette of concrete, oak and aluminium when renovating this flat inside London’s brutalist Trellick Tower.

      The Grade II-listed building, designed by architect Ernö Goldfinger, originally opened in 1972 to provide social housing for the neighbourhood of Kensal Rise but has since become a landmark of brutalist architecture thanks to its distinctive lift tower.
      Peter Heimer and Buchholzberlin have renovated a Trellick Tower flatThe renovation works were carried out in a privately owned apartment on Trellick Tower’s 21st floor that had not been significantly altered in several years and as a result, was host to narrow rooms and lacklustre white walls.
      Its owners wanted the open up the 86-square-metre floorplan to create the impression of a “cool concrete loft” while offering better views of the surrounding cityscape.
      Views of the London skyline took centre stage”Their taste was also trained by contemporary Japanese design, so they wanted to use a reduced range of pure materials,” Buchholzberlin told Dezeen.

      “Since Trellick Tower is subject to strict preservation requirements, our hands were tied so to speak. But we were able to push through with small improvements.”
      Oak was used to form the kitchen’s cabinetry and breakfast counterThe wall separating two former children’s bedrooms was knocked through to create a larger unified space that now serves as the living area.
      The team also exposed the building’s original concrete walls, laid oak flooring and installed slender aluminium lights across the ceiling.
      A bench seat with inbuilt storage boxes was fitted beneath a row of windows at the front of the room, allowing for uninterrupted vistas of northwest London and beyond.
      A pull-out guest bed is concealed within the desk in the studyThe two doors that previously led to the respective children’s bedrooms were left in place. Between them now stands a huge, double-faced oak sideboard.
      An inlaid mirrored panel reflects the distant skyline and in turn “brings an impression of the city into the apartment’s centre”, according to the team.

      “We couldn’t stop Balfron Tower from being privatised. In fact we probably helped it along”

      More concrete and oakwood surfaces can be seen in the kitchen, which occupies the former living area. Low-lying cabinetry was installed along the room’s back wall, while a large breakfast counter was placed at its centre.
      The counter was custom-built to stand at the exact same height as the railing of the apartment’s balcony, ensuring that sightlines aren’t compromised when the clients sit down to eat.
      The desk also discretely hides new water pipesThe former kitchen, meanwhile, was converted into a study with an oakwood desk snaking around the edges of the room.
      Its base conceals a network of water pipes that had to be redirected to serve appliances in the new cooking quarters. One side of the desk also conceals a pull-out bed that can be used when guests come to stay.
      An oak headboard wraps around the principal bedroomThe principal bedroom was left in its original place but – like the rest of the apartment – was stripped back to expose its concrete walls.
      Oakwood was used here to form the base of the bed and its lengthy headboard, which extends along the lower half of the walls.
      Heimer and Buchholzberlin also removed the time-worn laminate that once covered the small flight of stairs leading down from the apartment’s entrance, revealing the concrete steps beneath.
      Concrete steps were revealed in the apartment’s hallwayTrellick Tower is just one example of the striking council estates that can be found across the British capital, which were recently chronicled in a book by photographer Jack Young.
      Others include Holmefield House with its graphic tiled facade and the Brunel Estate, which has a monumental slide sweeping through its public pathways.
      The photography is by Heiko Prigge.

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      Tala Fustok fills Hyde Park apartment with contemporary art and vintage furniture

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      Tala Fustok Studio has transformed the interior of an apartment in west London into a “calm sanctuary” containing carefully chosen artworks and furnishings influenced by the travels of its owner.

      The Palace Gate apartment is located on the fourth floor of a Victorian mansion block neighbouring Hyde Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
      Tala Fustok has designed the The Palace Gate apartment in LondonLocal interior designer Tala Fustok set out to turn the four-bedroom property into a relaxing pied-a-terre containing a collection of contemporary artworks.
      “I wanted to create a calm sanctuary to balance the hustle and bustle of the city and the owner’s lifestyle,” Fustok told Dezeen.
      “Our client is an ardent traveller, frequenting North Africa and copious European cities,” she added. “We wanted to ensure this was reflected in the design, as a sort of escapism and bringing a dose or reminder of those settings to their London home.”

      Integrated storage conceals steel beams in the living roomThe interior features a palette of soft colours intended to evoke a sunset, with textures of stone and earthy fabrics adding to the nomadic and natural feel.
      The 252-square-metre interior was reorganised through several structural interventions that opened up the living and dining area, as well as combining two bedrooms to form a large principal bedroom and dressing area.
      A woven chair and a vase from east London’s M.A.H Gallery stand in the entrance hallIn the main living space, steel beams are concealed within a room divider featuring curved surfaces and open shelves that allow light and views throughout, while providing spaces for displaying artwork.
      Deep hues and textures including plastered walls and velvet upholstery add richness and variety to the scheme, making the most of the light that floods into the southwest-facing spaces.
      Wooden cabinetry contrasts with brass details in the kitchenA monochromatic colour scheme forms a simple backdrop for the artworks, vintage furniture and bespoke elements created to enhance the home’s restful atmosphere.
      Fustok’s studio was involved in selecting the unique furnishings and art for the home in order to elevate the spaces and create consistency throughout the different rooms.

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      A pared-back entrance hall – containing a Venetian mirror, a woven chair and a vase from east London’s M.A.H Gallery – leads through to the dining room where a mirror from The Antique Mirror Company hangs above a painted brick fireplace.
      A 1970s Italian travertine table combines with a curved sofa to create a space for informal dining. On top of the table is a centrepiece from London’s Vessel gallery and beneath sits a shaggy rug by designer Tim Page.
      A huge pink-velvet bed is the centrepiece of the bedroomFustok added double arched doors to connect the dining room with the adjacent kitchen, where wooden cabinetry contrasts with brass details including the cooker hood.
      The living room features a travertine fireplace along with a mirror and rug that match those used in the dining room. Bespoke furnishings made of bleached plywood, brass and timber contribute to the space’s relaxed, rustic character.
      The same pink tones carry over into the bathroomIn the main bedroom, a 1960s-style bed upholstered in dusty pink velvet provides a bold centrepiece.
      The tapestry above the bed is from London gallery Schmid McDonagh, while a bespoke mirror by French artist Christophe Gaignon is positioned above the stone fireplace.
      A dressing area alongside the main bedroom is arranged around a bespoke storage island wrapped in leather and plywood, which is illuminated from above by a pendant light from British design studio Pinch.
      The dressing room is arranged around a bespoke storage islandThe Moroccan-informed en-suite bathroom contains a bespoke travertine sink and zellige tiles in the shower. The design of this space encapsulates the nomadic inspirations seen throughout the residence.
      Tala Fustok studied at the Architectural Association before setting up her studio in west London.
      Her previous projects include a Manhattan loft with a calm ambience and an office for game developer Ninja Theory in Cambridge, which features a blood-red bar and an all-blue cinema room.
      The styling is by Sania Pell and photography by Michael Sinclair.

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      London apartment features fish and chip shop-informed kitchen

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      A steel kitchen that references London’s many fast food shops takes centre stage in this apartment designed by local studio Holloway Li for its co-founder Alex Holloway, which also has a bathtub in the living room.

      Located in north London’s Highbury, the apartment is set in a converted Victorian house and was renovated to create a home-cum-photography-studio for Holloway and his partner Elle Parmar Jenkins, founder of vintage furniture store Goods In.
      The apartment includes a custom-built stainless steel kitchenHolloway Li sought to update the single-storey space while also maintaining many of its original features.
      Part of this process included removing the master bedroom entirely to create an open-plan living space from what were originally separate rooms, and adding two extra windows to illuminate this interior.
      Holloway Li looked to local fast-food shops to create this design”We exposed and retained the original timber verge beam keeping all the screws and not cleaning it up at all,” said Holloway, who founded the studio with Na Li in 2018.

      “We wanted to express the formation of the external butterfly roof internally by opening up the ceilings to show the vaulted geometry internally,” he told Dezeen.
      This triple-aspect living space contains a striking kitchen clad in circle-brushed stainless steel with a curved splashback that takes cues from the kebab and fish and chip shops that Holloway grew up surrounded by in London, according to the designer.
      Pink and orange accents feature throughout”A lot of our studio work often fuses aspects of what people might consider ‘low culture’ with a more high-brow aesthetic,” said Holloway, who explained that the kitchen was not created as a parody, but rather intends to honour the materials found in fast food outlets.
      “This is what London is – a mix of high and low always across the road from one another. It’s part of what makes it interesting, and having grown up here it was important to add those vernacular visual flavours into the space,” he added.
      “Also, I hadn’t seen that material [circle-brushed steel] used in a domestic setting before so I knew it would be unique.”
      A bathtub was inserted into the living spaceThe studio chose a neutral colour palette interrupted with pops of vibrant colours such as orange and blue, which was led by the rosy-hued exposed plaster walls that frame the space.
      Breaking with tradition, Holloway decided to insert a bathtub into the living space where the master bedroom used to be to make use of its panoramic natural light and to add an alternative touch to the apartment.
      The same resin used to create the dining table top is found in the bathroomIt is positioned next to a bespoke timber Holloway Li desk and a vintage Eames office chair that Parmar Jenkins uses when she works from home, while light-hued Douglas fir flooring and chunky geometric sconce lights add to the warm interior.
      Other furniture pieces by the studio include a chubby orange armchair that Holloway Li launched at this year’s London Design Festival in collaboration with Uma Objects as well as the dining table and a shower screen that were both formed from a gridded resin off-cut salvaged from a previous project.

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      Holloway’s favourite element of the apartment is “the windows and reflections,” he said. “It is very rare to have a room in a Victorian terrace that has windows on three out of four of its sides.”
      “The kitchen in turn – on the old side that doesn’t have a window – reflects the opposite windows so it actually feels like you are surrounded by light,” he added.
      Colours in the living space are also hinted at in the apartment’s one bedroomThis apartment is not the first of Holloway Li’s interior designs that intend to directly respond to their contexts.
      Previously, the studio dressed the Wunderlocke hotel in Munich in hues that nod to the paintings of the late Munich-based painter Wassily Kandinsky, while it designed bathroom brand Coalbrook’s showroom with industrial materials that echo the building’s original function as a tobacco-pipe factory.
      The photography is by Edmund Dabney. 

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      Maison Pour Dodo by Studio Merlin is a north London flat with a “spectrum of storage”

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      Studio Merlin has revamped a Stoke Newington flat for its founder, Josh Piddock, by incorporating an abundance of storage to form serene, clutter-free living spaces.

      The project’s nickname, Maison Pour Dodo – which loosely translates from French to “house for sleep” – was inspired by Piddock’s desire for a tidy, restful home that had little material noise.
      To achieve this brief, Studio Merlin decided to install a range of storage throughout the two-floor flat that could comfortably accommodate Piddock’s and his girlfriend’s belongings.
      A tall bookshelf has been erected in the living area”The ‘spectrum of storage compression’ idea was taken from previous work assessing museum collections where some objects are in dense storage and others are on display and readily accessible,” explained Piddock, who founded Studio Merlin in 2020.
      “We all filter and organise to some degree and the answer is more cupboards and shelves, but specifically repurposed for a domestic setting,” he added.

      “The real principle is of auditing one’s possessions to create a hierarchy between household articles that reflect their value, favour and practical needs on a daily basis.”
      An opening looks through to the kitchenOne of the first rooms Studio Merlin tackled was the flat’s living and dining area, where a large floor-to-ceiling shelf has been erected to hold the inhabitants’ collection of books and ornaments.
      At the heart of the space is a plump blue sofa by Muuto, which directly faces onto a wall where the inhabitants will project tv shows and movies. This solution was chosen instead of a television to avoid the space becoming “dominated by consumer electronics”.
      The room’s warm, plaster-coloured surfaces and pale Douglas fir floorboards are also meant to add to the calming ambience.
      The cabinetry features smoke-blue cupboards fronts from ReformA newly created opening looks through to the kitchen, where there’s a wall of deep-set IKEA cabinets with smokey blue door fronts from Danish brand Reform.
      Matching low-lying cabinets run along the other side of the room, topped by a concrete counter from Caesarstone where food can be prepared.
      In the corner of the kitchen, there’s also a small seating nook above which are a series of open, pantry-style shelves where the owner can display jars of cooking ingredients.
      Blue paint forms a faux balustrade in the stairwellA paint in a similar shade of blue as the kitchen cabinetry has been applied on the white walls of the apartment’s stairwell to form a faux balustrade.
      Stairs on the first-floor landing are fitted with what the studio describes as “in and out storage”, designed to hold day-to-day essentials that inhabitants need to grab before heading out the door.
      An arched cut-out leads to the cat’s litter trayThe second-floor landing houses more storage cupboards, one of which has been punctuated with an arched cut-out through which Piddock’s cat can access its litter tray.
      There’s also a small study nook for working-from-home days, complete with a desk and Douglas fir stool.
      A small study nook offers a place for inhabitants to take work callsThis second level of the home accommodates the sleeping quarters. In the principal bedroom, built-in wardrobes help to neatly conceal the inhabitants’ clothes.
      Douglas fir offcuts have also been used by the studio to fashion custom curved bedside tables, where books and other trinkets can be tucked away.
      Built-in wardrobes conceal clutter in the bedroomPart of the original bedroom was sectioned off to allow space for a tub in the adjacent bathroom, which features terrazzo-style flooring and gold-tone hardware.
      Storage has been considered here, too – above the toilet is a series of vanity cabinets that have been made to sit flush against the room’s dark green walls.
      “The effect is a composed space where each thing has a home; sometimes concealed, densely packed and understated, others as pride of place, carefully curated and easily physically or visually accessible,” concluded Piddock.
      The bathroom subtly incorporates more storageLondon’s trendy Stoke Newington neighbourhood is host to a number of design-focused homes.
      Others include Two and a Half Storey House, which has an extension that’s hidden from the street, and Gallery House, which features a huge storage wall where the owner can display his personal collection of ceramics and glassware.
      Photography is by Richard Chivers.
      Project credits:
      Architect and interior design: Studio MerlinEngineer: Elliott WoodMain contractor: H Quality Construction

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      Fettle designs apartment block The Gessner to resemble a private members' club

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      Interiors studio Fettle took cues from hospitality spaces when fitting out this contemporary residential block in London, which houses 164 apartments alongside a co-working area and an in-house cafe.

      Managed by property developer Way of Life, The Gessner is set in a former pencil factory in the rapidly regenerating industrial area of Tottenham Hale.
      The Gessner’s lounge doubles up as a workspace for residentsFettle created refined and cohesive interiors for the development, informed by its experience in designing hotels such as The Hoxton in Boston and Schwan Locke in Munich
      “Most of our work as a company currently is hotel-based, so we have a strong understanding of what makes these kinds of spaces special,” co-founder Andy Goodwin told Dezeen.
      There’s also a cafe inside the apartment block”A lot of the other commercial clients we work with are aiming to achieve a very layered, somewhat residential feel to their spaces so there is a lot of overlap,” he continued.

      “We utilised many of the same suppliers we use within members clubs, hotels and restaurant projects.”
      As well as apartments, The Gessner includes guest suites for temporary visitorsAfter coming through the ground floor entrance of The Gessner, residents arrive at a lobby that’s richly furnished with sofas, patterned armchairs and a mix of vivid artworks curated by art consultant Kate Anniss.
      During the day this area serves as a communal workspace, while in the evenings it can be used as an oversized living room where residents can convene and chat.
      Nearby, there’s a cafe with wood-lined walls, tan leather seating and a terrazzo service counter inlaid with orange aggregate.

      Fettle designs Schwan Locke Hotel in homage to early German modernism

      Furnishings and fabrics found on The Gessner’s ground floor are also incorporated throughout the apartments, which are available furnished or unfurnished, as well as in a pair of guest suites located on the building’s 13th floor.
      These can be reserved by residents who have friends and family coming to visit, or by other travellers hoping to stay in the area.
      Residents can make meals in the building’s communal kitchenThe 13th floor plays host to a number of other communal facilities, which were designed to encourage socialising among residents.
      This includes a large dining room and kitchen with wooden cabinetry and a greenery-filled gantry that stores pots and pans.
      The kitchen adjoins a private dining roomThere’s also a lounge and a spacious outdoor terrace complete with sun loungers, beach-style umbrellas and a BBQ station set beneath a shady pergola, where residents can while away the warmer summer months.
      “One of the key things with both hotels and apartment buildings is having some synergy between the public and private spaces, which was successful at The Gessner as they feel like a continuation of each other,” Goodwin said.
      Residents can also make use of The Gessner’s roof terraceFettle was established in 2013 by Andy Goodwin and Tom Parker.
      The Gessner isn’t the only project to come from the studio this year. Last month, the duo finished work on The Malin, a homely co-working space in New York with loft-style interiors.
      The images are courtesy of Way of Life. 

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