A Notting Hill flat with a surprisingly airy interior by Natasha Quick
So often the interiors that really capture the imagination are those that have something a little surprising about them – that aren’t quite as they first seem, unfolding in a way that isn’t immediately obvious. The surprise at this west London flat starts at the front door, sandwiched between a couple of shopfronts in Notting Hill, which leaves it almost invisible amidst window displays. Once you do step beyond its pale blue glossy front door, the sight that greets you is a corridor – in fact this is all that there is on the ground floor. Other than the pretty floral curtain hung at the far end, there is little hint of that once you’ve climbed the set of stairs off to the right, you will find a wonderfully airy and elegant three bedroom apartment, spread across two floors. And then there is the fact that the first room you enter, sandwiched between the kitchen-dining area and living area, is an entirely unexpected generous entrance hall, with a central table and upright piano. ‘It’s an incredibly lovely London pied-à-terre and you don't imagine there to be all these beautiful, light-filled open rooms from the busy shop fronts outside,’ says interior designer Natasha Quick, who spent the best part of a year working on the project for her clients, a cool creative couple with a young family. They had found her through Instagram, no doubt attracted by her pretty, layered style, which feels classic but entirely right for today.
The couple had already lived in the flat for three years, so Natasha’s first task was to identify what they wanted to keep and where there was scope for a rethink. A pair of Soane’s ‘Scrolling Fern’ curtains in the sitting room were to stay, as was a large painting by Sahara Longe, which the wife – who works for art consultancy Act One – had bought some years before. So too was the piano, which is a vital bit of kit for the husband who works in the music industry. The layout, with the open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting area on the first floor and bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs – worked well, but they decided to carve out space for a third bedroom by building above the area where the dining table now resides. In turn, this prompted them to rethink the kitchen, which moved from where the dining table now is to the opposite side of the room. A loo – ‘the world’s smallest I’m sure,’ jokes Natasha – was squeezed in just off the sitting area, while an area next to this that had been a bit of dumping ground was transformed into a glamorous bar area and painted in ‘Deep Brunswick Green’ by Little Greene. ‘The owners love to entertain, so this made complete sense,’ explains Natasha.
Elsewhere, space was carved out for much-needed storage, designed to ensure the interior would feel uncluttered and serene. Niches were added in the main bedroom, as well as either side of the piano in the brilliant entrance hall space. There are even little pull-out shelves. ‘They just give you somewhere to put your notes and drink when playing the piano,’ explains Natasha, who closely collaborated with the wife to ensure that they got all the little details just right.
Although the flat occupies a Victorian building, a lot of original features had been stripped out. ‘It was all a bit 1990s,’ says the designer, who cut her teeth working for Joanna Plant and had previously worked under the name Philamena before rebranding her studio this year. ‘We wanted to reinstate what we could.’ As such a Jamb fireplace was added to anchor the sitting room – a not insignificant task that was carried out with great skill by the builder Ben Lappin from T.L Lappin, who managed and orchestrated all of the building work. ‘They really are the best builders that I’ve ever worked with and always had a solution,’ recalls Natasha. Full height panelling was added in the ground-floor hallway, turning what Natasha describes as a ‘boring blank box’ into something that aligns much better with the rest of the space. Panelling was also chosen to bring an extra layer to the dining area – its a subtle design, but it helps ground this corner, along with a bespoke banquette Natasha had built in. Metal bannisters were replaced with wooden ones, adding softness and texture.
The desire to create a peaceful and calm London hideaway was the driving force when it came to the decoration. The neat U-shaped kitchen, for instance, feels like it would be just at home in the countryside, with units painted in Edward Bulmer’s ‘Lute’ and blinds made from a heavenly floral fabric, ‘Les Groseilles ’ by Dècor Barbares. ‘The owners love yellow and wanted this room to be really charming,’ explains Natasha. She has certainly delivered. In the sitting room, walls in ‘Stone White 40%’ by Edward Bulmer provide a serene backdrop to an array of furniture, much of which the clients already owned and Natasha had reupholstered to pick up the colours of the existing Soane curtains and art work, including a Robert Kime sofa in Lee Jofa’s ‘Entoto Stripe’ and an armchair in a dark green corduroy from Rose Uniacke. Upstairs, the main bedroom is a masterclass in elegance, with walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘White Tie’ and a pretty curtain hanging behind the headboard – both of which were made from a bespoke colourway of Namay Samay’s ‘Kadva’ by curtain maker Emma Stewart. ‘We wanted it to feel serene and grown up,’ explains Natasha.
Equally, she also knew where to amp up the decorative flourishes, as the pretty childrens bathroom proves. Here a bath – just squeezed in – is flanked by pretty fabric shower curtains and framed by a wall of tiles that are hand-painted by Hattie Eavis with a sweet floral motif. Just as charming is one of the children’s bedrooms, which has been wrapped in Robert Kime’s ‘Grille’ and features a built-in bed, along with oodles of storage. And really that’s what this flat is all about – balancing the practical and the pretty to create a space that truly works for the owners. ‘The idea was that it would be a chic and classic space that my clients would be able to grow into and build on,’ explains Natasha. I think we can all agree she has delivered on all of that and more.
Natasha Quick: natashaquick.com
Sarah Griggs1/10An armchair already owned by the client was upholstered in a dark green corduroy from Rose Uniacke, while the ottoman was made by Isabelle Baldwin and is upholstered in Claremont's ‘Ikat Stripe'. The table lamp is from Susie Atkinson.
Sarah Griggs2/10Natasha carved out space for a little loo just off the sitting room, which is something of a jewel box, wrapped in Soane's ‘Persian Maze’ wallpaper. Natasha designed the joinery to house the sink and had it painted in ‘Caddie’ by Paint & Paper Library. The curtain is made from another Soane fabric, while the tiny lampshades were made bespoke by Eloise Scotland.
Sarah Griggs3/10Natasha added a bar area into what had previously been a bit of a dumping ground, colour drenching it in ‘Dark Brunswick Green’ by Little Greene.
Sarah Griggs4/10In the main bedroom, walls in Farrow & Ball's ‘White Tie’ provide a backdrop to a pretty bed with a headboard in Namay Samay's ‘Kadva’ in a bespoke pale pink colourway. The curtain hanging behind the bed, which like the headboard was made up by Emma Stewart, is also in the same fabric. Howe's ‘Silhouette Bench’ sits at the end of the bed. The wardrobe doors were already there, but Natasha moved the wardrobes to the other side of the room and had the doors repainted and added new handles.
Sarah Griggs5/10
Sarah Griggs6/10Curtains made from a Rose Uniacke linen add the feeling of calm in the main bedroom.
Sarah Griggs7/10An elegant bathroom features units made to Natasha's design and Jamb wall lights.
Sarah Griggs8/10In the childrens' bathroom, Natasha carved out space for a bath, which she framed with a shower curtain made from a Rose Uniacke linen and a pretty Nicole Fabre fabric. Tiles, featuring a floral motif drawn by Hattie Eavis, frame the shower behind the bath and mirror the shape of niche that the bath occupies. The vanity unit is painted in ‘Pompadour’ by Edward Bulmer, with the inner beading painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Pointing’.
Sarah Griggs9/10For one of the children's bedrooms, Natasha created a book for the bed, papering the walls throughout in Robert Kime's ‘Grille’ in the dove colourway. The blind fabric is Octavia Dickinson's ‘Albie’, while the pendant was made bespoke by Eloise Scotland. The antique kantha quilt came from Nushka Home, while the pretty antique white blanket was sourced from Antique Textiles Company – one of Natasha's favourite sources. A rug from Tate & Darby provides pattern on the floor.
Sarah Griggs10/10In the children's bedroom, the little armchair – which the owners already had – was upholstered in Robert Kime's ‘Susani Yellow’.
