A clever, colourful Notting Hill apartment belonging to artist Daisy Sims-Hilditch
“I wanted to create a space that would be a hideaway from the busy world outside,” says the artist Daisy Sims-Hilditch of her Notting Hill flat she shares with her boyfriend Alessandro, “somewhere I can feel calm and let my imagination run away with me.” Standing in the spacious open plan main room, it is easy to see why this apartment appealed. Although one of west London's busiest thoroughfares is only a minute or two away, very little of that noise and bustle penetrates on this quiet street. What does pour in, however, is light , via a glorious double height window that allows the room to be bright and airy even on a dreary winter's day. For an artist, light is everything: the flat was Daisy's studio before it was her home, and the temptation to paint in front of that window is still irresistible from time to time.
The process of transforming it from studio to home took place in 2021, and involved stripping everything back to start from scratch. Daisy had a dream team of advisers in the shape of her parents, John Sims-Hilditch, who co-founded Neptune, and Emma Sims-Hilditch, who runs her own eponymous interior design company. Both helped her to redesign the layout, particularly in the main room, which incorporates the kitchen, previously a separate and annoyingly poky room. “Dad was very helpful in coming up with an amazing kitchen design that gave me a lot of space,” says Daisy. It is indeed the pièce de resistance of the flat, with cabinets in Neptune's ‘Suffolk’ design arranged in an L-shape and running into the dining space at the end. It was also John's idea to install a charming internal window between the kitchen and the hallway, which allows light to flow into the darker hallway from the kitchen window.
The really fun part of the renovation, however, was of course the decoration. “This was my first ever project,” says Daisy, “and it opened up a whole new world of fabric and colour for me. I'd never really paid that much attention to it before, I've been so obsessed with painting, but having the chance to choose everything myself was so exciting. I was spending time I was meant to be painting just going down rabbit holes of patterns and paint cards.” Daisy has plenty to inspire her in her own family, not only her mother's serene and elegant designs, but also the interiors of her grandmother, who creates “such bright and fun interiors. I always feel inspired when I'm at her house."
Colour is a key part of the flat's appeal, and something Daisy is used to experimenting with in her paintings, particularly her expressive landscapes. “I wanted everything to be colourful and uplifting in here, colour puts me in a really good mood,” she laughs. The combination of Edward Bulmer's ‘Verdigris’ on the kitchen joinery with Farrow & Ball's ‘Pink Ground’ on the walls is especially delightful. “I’ve always loved verdigris, I put it in the skies in my paintings a lot," remarks Daisy. "From there I thought that a pale pink would work well on the walls and I liked ‘Pink Ground’. Even so at that stage it lacked contrast so I painted the Neptune bookshelf in the sitting room in a dark blue (Neptune's ‘Ink’), and eventually bought the Italian dining chairs from Retrouvius. I love the black lacquer with burgundy leather seats, and they are so comfortable.” Various shades of green run through the space: the pale green pattern of Soane Britain's ‘Seaweed Lace’ wallpaper in the hallway, and a wealth of green patterns and colours in the bathroom, which create an enveloping atmosphere. The two small bedrooms at the back of the flat, meanwhile, employ striking floral fabrics for the curtains and upholstery, laid against gentle, almost neutral hues.
Although the flat feels wonderfully airy, it is in fact a small space, and is filled with clever solutions well worth noting. The design for the kitchen includes a wall of floor-to-ceiling cabinets, with a ladder in place to aid in reaching the top, and a heavenly larder with plenty of storage for food. Banquette seating at the dining table helps that area to remain compact without impinging too much on the living space; it also has storage underneath and a useful little shelf running around the top where Daisy can display art and photographs in a temporary way. Best of all is what looks like a mirror on the wall between the kitchen and the living space–it is in fact a TV, cleverly designed by John for Neptune, and perfect for spaces where a big black device is not a desirable addition.
Efficient in its design and stylish in its look, the flat has become the sanctuary Daisy wanted. “I spend a lot of my time away on painting trips,” she notes, “so when I come home, it’s the perfect place to relax and be calm, to spend time thinking about my work and planning the rest of my time, surrounded by art and my books.” There is still plenty of space for her to bring in an easel on particularly beautiful days and paint at her window, as she used to do when the flat was her studio. And now that the interiors are so lovely, she sometimes paints them too.
Dean Hearne1/10Two paintings by Daisy lend colour to the kitchen: the top one is of the Hotel Bellevue Des Alpes, and leaning on the shelf is a small picture of her boyfriend Alessandro in a macelleria in Monterosso in Italy.
Dean Hearne2/10The kitchen is Neptune's ‘Suffolk’ design, painted in Edward Bulmer's ‘Verdigris’ and featuring Beata Heuman's ‘Bow’ handles. The back wall has floor to ceiling cabinets to maximise space, with a ladder to help reach the top, and open shelving in the middle to give it a greater sense of openness.
Dean Hearne3/10The bookshelves are from Neptune, and are painted in their own ‘Ink’. Wall lights on either side have lampshades from Howe. The sofa is Neptune's ‘George’ design, while the cane coffee table was a find from Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler. The rug is from Retrouvius.
Dean Hearne4/10A loveseat upholstered in GP&J Baker's ‘Magnolia’ pattern has cushions in one of Duro Olowu's fabrics for Soane, ‘Koro’. Daisy found the mirror at Lorfords. To the right hang a Degas print and a drawing by Laura Knight, one of Daisy's favourite artists. Behind the door it is just possible to see the TV disguised as a mirror, designed by Daisy's father John for Neptune.
Dean Hearne5/10A lamp from Soho Home sits on a side table from Julian Chichester.
Dean Hearne6/10The hallway is papered in Soane's ‘Seaweed Lace’. The mirror is from 8 Holland Street, and an Anglepoise lamp from Howe illuminates a bobbin console table from Chelsea Textiles.
Dean Hearne7/10The bathroom combines Adelphi Paper Hangings' ‘Otis Federal Stripe’ with Neptune's ‘Sage’ paint on the woodwork. The mirror is from Soane, and the same company's ‘Scrolling Fern’ fabric makes a charming sink curtain. A small painting by Daisy hangs over a Portobello Market find on the far wall.
Dean Hearne8/10In the main bedroom, Daisy has used Flora Soames' striking ‘Dahlias’ pattern for the headboard and curtains, against a calming backdrop of Neptune's ‘Alpine’ paint on the walls. The painting is by Daisy, and depicts the view from the bedroom window.
Dean Hearne9/10For storage in the bedroom, Daisy cut out the door panels from a capacious Neptune cabinet and backed them with Howe's sweet ‘Mr Men’ fabric. The antique chair is from The Lacquer Chest, and another of Daisy’s paintings, framed by the Lacy Gallery, hangs on the wall.
Dean Hearne10/10The spare bedroom has curtains in Le Manach's ‘Greuze’ fabric, along with a cushion in the same from Trove. A painting by Daisy of Richmond Bridge hangs over the bed.
