Luke Edward Hall & Duncan Campbell's flat
If you have a look at artist and interior decorator, Luke Edward Hall's charming online journal, you'll quickly get an idea of his taste. Influenced by dusty country houses, mid-century architecture and colourful parasols on Italian beaches, his aesthetic is nothing if not eclectic. Having done a two-year stint working for Ben Pentreath, he's recently ventured out on his own as an artist and interior designer. 'My first project is the interior of a handsome Georgian house in Kent,' explains Luke.
It's of little surprise then that the north London flat he lives in with his partner, Duncan Campbell, takes the form it does. Duncan, 29, one half of creative consultancy Campbell-Rey, bought the one-bed Camden flat eight years ago when it was in a rather sorry state. 'It had been rented out to students and I found it in a bit of a wreck,' says Duncan. But the flat had ample potential, occupying the second floor of an impressive mid-nineteenth century house, which was split up into flats in the 1980s.
The heart of the flat is the large open-plan space, which incorporates the sitting room, kitchen and dining space. When Duncan moved in, pipes and wires were in strange places and the layout struggled to make the most of the space.
Duncan set about renovating and reconfiguring the space. 'I had it rewired, re-plastered and put a new ceiling in the main living area,' says Duncan. 'I moved the kitchen out of the tiny nook in the corner and put seagrass flooring down in the main room. I made the nook into a study.' Then a student, Duncan borrowed bits of furniture from his mother and kept the walls a safe white.
Luke moved in six years ago, and since then the flat has further evolved. Paint colours have become bolder, art has been added to the walls, curious pieces of furniture have been sourced and smart hardwood flooring has replaced the seagrass. 'I think it's normal that your taste evolves - we had much more classical furniture to start with, but it started to feel a bit too Victorian. It's nice to mix the old with the new,' says Luke.
One thing Luke and Duncan have really excelled at is making every inch of the three-room space work. It's designed with careful consideration, but also with fun and a certain boldness.
Luke Edward Hall1/12The large main living area is painted in Leyland's bold 'Forest Storm', which makes the space cosy. Although there was initial concern about how dark it was ('I did think for a moment, what have we done - we're living in a dungeon,' says Duncan), the final result is very beautiful. The room fortunately benefits from two large sash windows, so it remains bright and light.
Luke and Duncan's decision to steer clear of beiges is typical of their decorating approach. 'People spend so long thinking about paint colours, but you can very easily change them,' says Luke. In this spirit, they are hoping to soon replace the green walls with a dusty, faded pink, which will compliment their collection of houseplants. 'I think it's good to look at lots of different paint brands before settling on a choice. I like Farrow & Ball's range of colours very much, but I won't always find the colour I'm after. Paper & Paints in Chelsea is also a wonderful shop, with a range of punchy colours. Dulux and Leyland are good too though,' says Luke.
The 1960s tan leather Walter Antonis chair is a recent acquisition from Goldwood by Borris, a dealer in Antwerp, Belgium, and it is decorated with a vintage kelim cushion. A collage of framed prints and pictures surrounds the chair, including an oil pastel sketch and a print by Luke, a large Rene Magritte poster from the Penny Guggenheim Collection in Venice and a Pablo Bronstein print. 'We buy lots of old exhibition posters from eBay - they're great value and lots of fun,' says Luke.
Piles of books sit by the window, hinting at Duncan and Luke's inspirations. The books chronicle everything from Cecil Beaton to mid-century architecture, and Fornasetti to Nigel Slater.
Luke Edward Hall2/12Duncan and Luke have displayed their collection of butterflies, sourced from eBay and junk shops, on the wall between the kitchen and the study nook. The ceramic cactus on the cabinet is from The Conran Shop and the lamp was found at Ebury Trading. Just showing is a cushion covered in Svenkst Tenn's 'Celotocaulis' fabric.
Luke Edward Hall3/12The study nook is cosy, compact and functional. Duncan works from home most days with his business partner Charlotte Rey, and finds his micro-office 'a great place to work'. It benefits from good light due to the glass door to the right of the desk, which leads out onto a small balcony. 'People always ask if it's hard to work from a desk in our living area, but you don't feel like you are in the same room. There's also a lovely view from the desk out onto the trees in the square,' explains Duncan.
Duncan put the heavily laden bookshelves in when he first moved in, and has had to add a few reinforcements over the years! 'They were on the brink of collapse at one point,' says Duncan. The walls either side of the desk are covered with framed art, including fern prints found on eBay and a Paolo Bronstein print.
Luke Edward Hall4/12A mustard velvet sofa from Sofa.com, decorated with cushions from Svenskt Tenn and from Luke's range, sits opposite Duncan's study nook.
Luke Edward Hall5/12A mid-century style dark green 'Fleetwood' sofa from Sofa.com marks the division between the seating area and dining table, and was chosen for its neat size. 'As much as I'd love a big squishy George Sherlock sofa, they're not always practical in a London flat,' says Luke. A colourful array of cushions, including a velvet ikat and a burgundy cushion from Luke's own range, decorate the sofa. A spectacular 1960s Fontana Arte mirror, found on 1stDibs, hangs above the sofa. 'I love the segments of peach and blue glass together and the bronze frame on this one,' explains Luke. The mirror is framed by a pair of shell sconces from The English Lamp Company and a pair of plaster ones from Peter Hone. They're ideal for balancing a couple of pineapples on when throwing a party, according to Luke! The peach coloured marble topped table was found at one of their favourite shops, Ebury Trading and was something of an investment piece. They have balanced it with six Marcel Breuer style chairs, which were a steal from eBay. 'It's good to mix things up; it's worth spending money on important items that you've fallen in love with, but not everything has to cost lots of money,' says Luke.
Luke Edward Hall6/12Nestled behind the dining table is a wonderful 1940s rosewood bar cabinet by twentieth century Italian architect Paolo Buffa. With malachite panels, the cabinet has a lit, mirrored interior. Duncan and Luke first coveted it at Battersea Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair and eventually bought it, about a year later, from Gallery 25. A very fun pineapple ice buckets sits on top. The painting above the cabinet was a present from Duncan's mother, and is by Scottish artist, Marion Notman.
Luke Edward Hall7/12The hallway is painted in Farrow & Ball's fresh 'Folly Green' colour, which brightens a potentially dark space. A colourful antique kilim from the Rug Store in Richmond sits on the floor beside a plaster ionic capital by Peter Hone. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with framed prints, exhibition posters and maps. Luke and Duncan collect 20th century exhibition posters from the likes of Picasso, Hockney and Calder, with the yellow Matisse one in the hall being a favourite of theirs. For framing, they use Circa 48 on Brecknock Road, which is just a stone's throw from their house. 'It's incredibly reasonable and they can supply just about any frame you wish,' says Luke.
Luke Edward Hall8/12Duncan and Luke overhauled the bathroom four years ago, putting in a roll top bath and a large shower. They decided to install tongue and groove panelling on the bottom half of the wall, which is painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Pigeon'. The walls are hung with 'Apothecary's Garden', a 1926 Charles Voysey design, which is printed by Trustworth Studios.
Luke Edward Hall9/12Duncan and Luke use this charming mahogany cabinet to store sheets and towels in. 'It's from my mother's house and although I've passed things back over the years, I've kept hold of this piece,' says Duncan. Hyacinths, tulips, candlesticks and magazines sit on top of the cabinet, transforming a potentially dull corner of a bathroom into a spectacle. 'We'd like to put some ferns, in the bathroom. Plants add so much life to an interior,' explains Luke.
Luke Edward Hall10/12An ebonised oval mirror sits above the sink in the bathroom, and the large flamingo print compliments the wallpaper.
Luke Edward Hall11/12The emerald green tiles above the sink chime with the Voysey wallpaper, and the blue marbled-effect ceramic toothbrush pot is a nice touch.
Luke Edward Hall12/12In Luke and Duncan's bedroom, the walls have been painted in 'Oval Room Blue' from Farrow & Ball. The mahogany sleigh bed occupies most of the space, but the room doesn't feel cramped and the high ceilings give the illusion of it being larger. The curtains are made from a thick pink Pierre Frey velvet.
