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      Wood and stone surfaces bring “rich texture” to Primrose Hill House interior

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      Architecture for London has updated a 1960s house in London, creating an open-plan interior filled with natural materials and an improved connection to the rear courtyard garden.

      The house is one of two detached properties set in a modernist estate in Primrose Hill that primarily consists of painted brick courtyard houses and small terraces.
      Primrose Hill House was designed by Architecture for LondonThe new owner asked Architecture for London to transform the interior into a modern layout that is better suited to their lifestyle.
      “The house had a very broken plan consisting of lots of small rooms,” the studio’s director Ben Ridley told Dezeen. “The client wanted to create a family house that was more open plan with better views of the garden.”
      The studio added a rooftop extension clad in white bricksThe remodelled interior improves the connection with the garden by incorporating a large picture window in the kitchen, along with sliding wood-framed doors in the living area.

      The ground floor also contains a smaller reception area next to the entrance hall, with folding doors allowing this space to be separated from the kitchen and dining area.
      Sliding wood-framed doors open the living room up to the gardenA bespoke blackened-steel staircase provides access to four bedrooms on the first floor, including a main suite with a juliet balcony overlooking the garden.
      Following a detailed cost and sustainability review, a decision was made to demolish all of the property’s interior walls and rebuild them in order to achieve the required spaces.
      The interior was finished in a rich material paletteThis solution also offered the best energy-efficiency potential, according to Ridley, with a layer of wall insulation added alongside a heat recovery ventilation system (MVHR).
      The home’s first-floor plate was replaced using steel beams and timber joists to enable the demolition of the ground-floor walls and the opening up of the interior.
      Flooring was used to define different zonesspThe project also involved the addition of a timber-framed rooftop extension, clad with white-painted brick to tie in with the rest of the house and set back so it’s largely hidden from view.
      The extension contains a flexible mezzanine space for yoga and meditation that is accessed from the main bedroom suite.

      Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate studio founder’s home

      Throughout the home, Architecture for London applied a pared-back palette of natural materials that is intended to create a sense of calmness and connection with the garden.
      Internal walls treated with breathable lime plaster provide a neutral backdrop for furniture including a dining table made from locally sourced London plane trees.
      Doors and windows are framed with wood”We intentionally didn’t use a lot of colour so there’s a strong feeling of consistency,” Ridley said. “The choice of stone and timber brings a rich texture to the palette.”
      A reference image of a Portuguese manor house, featuring a tiled trompe l’oeil frieze around a doorway, informed the use of materials to define space within the interior.
      The shared living areas have an open-plan layoutIn the living room, stone floor tiles in different shades create a border around the room, as if an area rug has been placed on the floor to demarcate where furniture could be placed.
      Ben Ridley founded Architecture for London in 2009 following his studies at London’s Barlett School of Architecture. The studio aims to create places that improve how people live and work, with a focus on reducing their operational emissions.
      Wood lines the interior walls of the homeRidley’s own London house recently featured in our round-up of five UK house renovations designed to improve energy efficiency.
      “Ultimately we are going to have to accept some changes in the appearance of our traditional homes,” he said, speaking to Dezeen as part of a feature on architects who have retrofitted their own homes.
      The photography is by Christian Brailey.

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      A-nrd brings “beachfront feel” to restaurant in London's Soho

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      London design office A-nrd has used a palette of neutral and natural materials to give this restaurant in Soho a laidback atmosphere reminiscent of an Australian beach club.

      Milk Beach Soho is the brainchild of Sydney-born restaurateur Elliot Milne, who wanted to create an all-day eatery and night-time hotspot influenced by some of Australia’s casual dining venues.
      A-nrd has designed London’s Milk Beach Soho restaurantThe restaurant, which can seat 150 people, is located within the Ilona Rose House development in central London and occupies what was previously an empty shell and core unit.
      A-nrd set out to design a transportive space for the eatery that replicates the feeling of coastal hospitality in Sydney’s Milk Beach neighbourhood without feeling alienating in its urban setting.
      The eatery features natural materials like wood and rattan”We chose a natural, neutral palette to give the restaurant that beachfront feel,” said Alessio Nardi, who runs the studio together with Lukas Persakovas.

      “We wanted to avoid any direct nautical motifs or tacky references to the seaside,” he told Dezeen. “Our design is intentionally quite minimal and plays with textures and subtle colours instead of using obvious motifs like ropes or model boats.”
      Bamboo pendant lights by Lion Iron hang from the ceilingThe bright and airy space is grounded by a polished Palladiana terrazzo floor that was laid in situ, with large chunks of tonal marble set into a base of sand-coloured cement to create the effect of walking on a beach.
      Walls treated with stucco and limewash bring warmth to the spacious interior, as well as creating a sense of consistency throughout the dining area and the adjacent bar.
      The bar area is backed by glossy white tilesArt deco buildings found in Sydney and the surrounding area informed some of the shapes used in the restaurant, including a curved nine-metre-long bar and the stuccoed wall that separates it from the main space.
      The bar’s backsplash is formed from glossy off-white tiles that nod to the facade of the Sydney Opera House. The tiles alternate between a plain and relief pattern, adding texture and visual interest to the space.

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      The ceiling above the bar was lowered and clad in oak slats to create a cosier atmosphere, helped by flush art deco-style lights.
      A-nrd designed much of the furniture for the restaurant, including sofas, banquettes and tables with soft shapes that extend the art deco influence.
      Other bespoke designs used in the space include the two-metre-wide pendant lights that were crafted from bamboo by British metalworker David Barker’s company Lion Iron.
      Sandy-hued Palladiana terrazzo covers the floorThe use of natural materials also extends to the restaurant’s seating, made from timber and rattan or woven leather. The tables feature solid travertine tops and sculptural oak legs.
      Wall lights made from Japanese paper by artist Celine Wright and an Abaca fibre pendant from Pinch provide warm, diffused illumination within the dining area.
      Travertine was used to form tables throughout the restaurantThe layout of the space takes advantage of the building’s large lightwell, which floods the interior with natural light and provides views to the exterior.
      The restaurant is designed as an indoor-outdoor experience, making the most of a large courtyard area with seating for 65 guests.
      Art deco-style sconces bring a warm glow to the interiorAlessio Nardi founded A-nrd in 2015 and was joined in 2018 by long-term friend and collaborator Lukas Persakovas.
      A-nrd’s previous work includes the interior of London restaurant Kol, which aims to capture an authentic sense of Mexico through its material palette and furnishings.
      The photography is by Charlie McKay.

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      Office S&M unveils its own colourful office with plastic-bottle-wall enclosed meeting room

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      Architecture practice Office S&M has completed its own office inside a former paint-making workshop in Hackney, London.

      With an entire wall of material samples and areas for modelling and sketching, Office S&M’s workspace aims to act as a laboratory to support its ongoing exploration of materials “that are both practical and fun.”
      Material samples are loosely placed to allow experimentation in the officeThe studio, headed by architects Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen, frequently experiments with materials and colour.
      For its own office, complementary shades such as electric blue, yellow, red and green, were combined.
      The office combines bold colours”For this workspace, we particularly used an electric blue and a bright yellow to contrast with each other and make the space larger,” McEwen told Dezeen.

      “At the same time, because the workspace is south facing, we used the blue to cool the light and even out the warmth of the sun when looking at samples or drawings.”
      The space has been broken into spaces for different usesThe office features a separate meeting room acoustically isolated with sheets of recycled plastic bottles.
      The plastic-bottle wall also works as a point of light thanks to the bulbs it contains inside.
      According to the architects, the recycled-plastic-bottle “provides excellent acoustic insulation””For our own office, we decided to use another common waste material, plastic bottles, but reimagined, to build a soundproofed meeting room,” said Stewart.
      “The recycled plastic insulation is easy to work with, and irritation free, compared to traditional insulation.”
      The studio also includes ergonomic workstationsThe space was divided into areas focused on collaboration, discussion and making to reflect Office S&M’s commitment to community-led design.
      “We live in east London, and do much of our work in the areas near where we live and work,” said McEwen. “This gives us really local knowledge, so we can make sure projects have the most impact and can give back to the area.”
      The building is owned by Bootstrap, a charity that supports emerging businesses in HackneyAdditionally, Office S&M added plants, air purifiers and ergonomic workstations that intend to maintain the well-being of its occupants.
      Other projects by the studio include a rental home for a young property developer that aims to offer a solution to London’s rental market, and the renovation of the Mo-tel House, a residence that features pale colours and bathroom counters made of discarded milk bottles and chopping boards.
      The photography is by Ellen Christina Hancock.

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      David Thulstrup decorates Ikoyi restaurant with copper walls and curved metal-mesh ceiling

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      Copenhagen-based designer David Thulstrup drew on spice-making processes when designing the interior of London’s Ikoyi restaurant, which features a variety of materials including copper and oak.

      The 150-square-metre restaurant, which has a menu based on seasonal British produce and spices from sub-Saharan west Africa, is located inside the brutalist 180 The Strand building in central London.
      Studio David Thulstrup has clad London’s Ikoyi restaurant in copper sheetsThulstrup completely renovated the interior, adding panels of a specially-designed metal-mesh weave that curve up from the restaurant’s windows and cover the ceiling. The ceiling design was informed by the process of spice production.
      “I was inspired by sifting spices and thought the mesh could both capture and reflect light coming from the outside, the street light in the evening and sunlight in the daytime, but also be respectful to the exterior,” Thulstrup told Dezeen. “The lights from inside the restaurant will be captured and ‘sifted’ towards the street.”
      Decorative metal mesh was used to cover the ceilingThulstrup also layered materials to create a restaurant interior that references the “boldness and intensity of the gastronomy” delivered by Ikoyi’s founders Jeremy Chan and Ire Hassan-Odukale.

      The restaurant walls were lined with oxidised copper sheets finished with beeswax, while the floors were covered in Gris de Catalan limestone that was flamed and brushed to develop a hammered surface.
      Ikoyi is located inside a brutalist buildingThe custom-built furniture and built-in joinery were made from British oak, while banquettes, chairs and wall panels were lined with ginger-coloured leather.
      “I always work with contrasts and I like honest juxtapositions of materials that activate your senses – the copper that is warm in colour but cold when you touch it, the warm natural ginger leather against the colder steel mesh and the rough Catalan limestone floor against the warm English brown oak,” Thulstrup said.
      The colour palette was kept warm and earthyThe earthy, rustic hues chosen by Thulstrup for the interior were informed both by the restaurant’s food and the building in which it is located.
      “Ikoyi is placed on the ground level of the beautiful and very active brutalist building 180 The Strand,” he said.

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      “The restaurant’s gastronomy plays an essential role in the palette as well,” he added. “It’s not an interpretation of a dish but an exchange in colour and tracing ingredients back to their natural form and colour.”
      On arrival, visitors to the restaurant are also greeted by a large copper-clad fridge that shows the produce served at Ikoyi, with slabs of meat and fresh fish hanging from meathooks.
      Large copper fridges showcase fresh produceThulstrup wanted the fridges to remind people of where their food is coming from.
      “[The idea was] that we know where a piece of fish comes from and that we are aware what a piece of meat looks like,” he said. “It traces the story back to when the animal was alive and underscores that we have to take good care of them and appreciate them.”
      “I thought it would be a modern interpretation and celebration of our awareness of food.”
      Wooden and leather-clad furniture was used for the interiorThulstrup founded his studio in 2009 and it is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The studio works in architecture, design and interiors.
      Previous projects by the studio include an office in Borough Yards, London, and the revamp of a winery in California’s Sonoma County.
      The photography is by Irina Boersma.

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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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      Renovated Mayfair pub The Audley is filled to the brim with art

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      Artworks by Andy Warhol, Lucian Freud and more can be seen throughout The Audley pub and its restaurant in London’s Mayfair, designed by architecture studio Laplace.

      The venue occupies a listed five-storey building dating back to 1888, which formerly functioned as a pub with rooms for staff upstairs.
      Laplace designed The Audley pub (above) and its restaurant (top image) in LondonNow, the ground-floor public house has been restored while the upper levels were converted into the Mount St Restaurant, complete with four private dining rooms.
      The renovation was commissioned by Artfarm – the hospitality company of Hauser & Wirth founders Iwan and Manuela Wirth – with the aim of upgrading the pub’s interior while preserving its original features.
      British artist Phyllida Barlow has created a colourful collage on the pub’s ceiling”The word Audley is English Anglo-Saxon for ‘old friend’ and the pub has been an old friend to people who live and work in Mayfair ever since it opened in Edwardian times,” said Artfarm’s CEO Ewan Venters. “We wanted it to remain just that.”

      “This area is so rich in culture and history, and where better for those stories to continue than at the local pub?”
      Mount St Restaurant sits above the pub on the building’s first floorFrench studio Laplace was selected to lead the pub’s redesign, having already worked on a number of Hauser & Wirth’s international art galleries including its outposts in Somerset and on the Spanish island of Menorca.
      In the ground-floor pub, the studio freshened up the woodwork and brought in a team of specialists who, over the course of eight weeks, hand-polished almost every surface of the interior.
      Restoration work was also carried out on The Audley’s 19th-century clock and fireplace, and a new chestnut-brown leather banquette was installed.
      Artworks cover every wall of the restaurantThe ceiling is now covered in a newly commissioned collage by British artist Phyllida Barlow. It comprises brightly coloured sheets of paper that were pasted into an abstract pattern, at points forming arch shapes that mimic the curvature of the pub’s windows.
      More artworks by the likes of Turner Prize-winner Martin Creed and Canadian artist Rodney Graham were mounted on the walls.
      The salt and pepper shakers take cues from artist Paul McCarthy’s Tree sculptureThe Audley sells traditional pub snacks while in the upstairs Mount St Restaurant, a full menu of classic London dishes is on offer.
      This first-floor space is jam-packed with art pieces including a self-portrait by Lucian Freud, a lobster print by Andy Warhol and an abstract landscape by painter Frank Auerbach that depicts London’s Primrose Hill.

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      The floor is taken over by a bold mosaic created by American artist Rashid Johnson and made up of different types of marble. Another American artist, Matthew Day Jackson, is responsible for the crimson-coloured dining chairs with wriggly frames.
      Art also inspired the restaurant’s finer details; the salt and pepper shakers are modelled after Paul McCarthy’s playful sculpture Tree while the lamps that centre each of the leather-topped tables are based on Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s work Powder Box.
      “We have created coherent spaces in which art and design flow naturally, avoiding the pitfalls of obsolete artistic or aesthetic statements,” explained Laplace.
      The Swiss Room is one of four private dining rooms on siteThe project also saw the studio create four private dining spaces on-site, which are available for hire.
      On the building’s second level is The Swiss Room, designed to celebrate the nationality of Iwan and Manuela Wirth, who founded Hauser & Wirth together with Ursula Hauser in Zurich in 1992.
      Here, the parquet oak floor was stained brown, red and teal-blue to emulate a watercolour by Taeuber-Arp.
      Palazzos inspired the rich look of The Italian RoomNearby is the Italian Room & Bar, which draws on the aesthetic of grand palazzos. Its walls are painted a rich mustard-yellow hue, while deep-green Verde Alpi marble from Italy was used to craft the countertop of the bar and the flooring.
      The building’s third level accommodates The Scottish Room with a nine-metre-long oak table at its centre surrounded by hand-carved chairs, each inlaid with a custom tartan designed by weaver Araminta Campbell.
      Directly above hangs a dramatic antler chandelier.
      An antler chandelier is the focal point of The Scottish Room. Photo by Sim Canetty-ClarkeFinally on the fourth level is The Games Room, which Laplace styled to have the feel of a “clandestine enclave”.
      It features tasselled ceiling lamps, a blood-red tufted sofa and a one-off rug made by Laplace in collaboration with the former assistant of French-American artist Louise Bourgeois.
      At this level, guests can also see the inside of the building’s turret, which features an erotic fresco by British artist Anj Smith.
      Plush furnishings fill The Games Room. Photo by Sim Canetty-ClarkeLondon’s affluent Mayfair neighbourhood is a hotspot for bars and restaurants.
      Among them is the recently-opened Bacchanalia, which features giant mythology-inspired sculptures by Damien Hirst, and The Red Room bar inside The Connaught Hotel, which is designed to feel like an art collector’s home.
      The photography is by Simon Brown unless stated otherwise. 

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      Dishoom Canary Wharf recalls 1970s Irani cafes near Bombay Stock Exchange

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      Prolific restaurant Dishoom has opened its first new London venue in five years, featuring an interior designed around a “financial fraudster from the 1970s”.

      As with previous venues, restaurant co-founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar teamed up with architecture studio Macaulay Sinclair on the design of Dishoom Canary Wharf.
      Dishoom Canary Wharf is the restaurant’s sixth venue in LondonReferencing its setting near many of London’s banking headquarters, the design imagines an Irani cafe near the Bombay Stock Exchange in 1970s India.
      “When we create a Dishoom, we always start with a story,” explained Shamil Thakrar.
      The entrance leads into a double-height bar”We imagined the fictional owner of the restaurant to be a financial fraudster from the 1970s who owns a cafe on Dalal Street, close to the Bombay Stock Exchange,” he told Dezeen.

      “This story gave us an opportunity to experiment with the aesthetic and feeling of the 1970s in Bombay, which, as you can imagine, has a rich history of financial intrigue.”
      The backdrop to this space is a high-gloss teal wallKey to the design is the retro furnishings that feature throughout the 750-square-metre restaurant.
      Vintage chairs, lighting fixtures and ornaments were sourced from antique dealers in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), carefully restored and shipped back to the UK.
      “The procurement process for each Dishoom starts with the sourcing trip,” said Ian Roome, associate director at Macaulay Sinclair.
      A vintage clock provides a focal point within the bespoke joinery of the barOne of the most important finds was a vintage diamond-shaped clock, which is set into bespoke joinery as the focal point of a grand bar that greets guests when they first arrive.
      According to Roome, this element draws inspiration from the lobby clock in Mumbai’s West End Hotel, which is located in the same neighbourhood as the Bombay Stock Exchange.

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      “The position of the 10-metre bar servery is, in our opinion, the key component in the restaurant,” he told Dezeen.
      “It creates an impressive focal point in the Permit Room bar, engaging with guests from all angles and viewpoints.”
      Restored vintage furniture features throughout the dining spacesThis double-height arrival space is naturally divided into zones by different furniture types that include low-slung lounge seats, banquette booths and cushioned leather bar stools.
      Rotating ceiling fans and rattan panelling – both Dishoom staples – also feature here, while the backdrop is a glossy teal wall that takes its cues from the Bombay Gymkhana.
      “We researched 1970s Bombay extensively,” said Roome, before reeling off a list of places in Mumbai’s Fort area that were visited as part of the design process.
      “They guide every single detail of the design aesthetic and tone,” he said.
      Retro wallpaper infills timber wall panellingThe dining spaces are more intimate in scale, set beneath a mezzanine-level kitchen.
      These spaces are filled with texture, thanks to parquet and patterned-tile floors, panelled walls infilled with retro wallpaper, and a mix of wood and marble tabletops.
      Seating upholstery comes in patterned fabric and leather in shades of green, yellow, brown and red. A family room sits off to one side, with colours that reference the stairwell of the Parsi Lying-In Hospital.
      The family room features green leather seating upholsteryThe Dishoom restaurants, which first launched in 2010, are based on the Irani cafes that were once widespread in Bombay but are now increasingly rare.
      There are now six Dishooms in London, including one in a former transit shed near King’s Cross station, plus outposts in Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester.
      Shamil Thakrar explained the concept in a 2010 interview with Dezeen founder Marcus Fairs.
      Old photographs hang on the wallsWith Dishoom Canary Wharf, Thakrar hopes to have created a stronger sense of 1970s glamour than in any of the restaurants.
      “It feels like one of the richest designs we’ve created,” he said. “The room furthest back feels to me like the Air India first class lounge circa 1973, although I’m too young to remember this of course.”
      “I also love the artwork, which works again to reinforce the character and the time setting of the protagonist in our story.”

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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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