A neglected London penthouse transformed into a riot of colour and pattern
A sympathetic synergy between client and decorator is the perfect springboard towards a successful outcome; and it is certainly what Nina Litchfield achieved with this particular client, who came to her looking to transform his pied-à-terre in south-west London. The penthouse flat, which perches on top of a 1950s building, is small, but packs a lot into its 180 square metres. The proportions are unusual but charming, with low vaulted ceilings throughout, glass exterior walls with sliding doors, and a decked terrace wrapping around the apartment on every side. When the owner first saw it, it looked bleak and neglected, with the cold London light bouncing off several mirrored walls and dismal PVC frames on the sliding doors. Nevertheless, he fell for it immediately.
It's not hard to see why: the spectacular views above the rooftops, level with the chimneys, are reminiscent of the magical scenes in Mary Poppins, and, as you step out of the library, there is a deeper terrace where five people can dine in comfort, overlooking some magnificent chestnut trees in the communal garden below. Nina's mission was to take this decidedly intriguing raw material and bring it back to life, and it began with this outdoor space. As is so often the case in town, the inside wall of the terrace was a dirty depressing white; Nina had the inspired idea of painting it a muted bottle green, right up to its lip, eliminating all grubby imperfections and creating a harmonious backdrop for plants on the terrace.
When it came to the interiors, the client was keen to offer his opinions, and was well-provided with ideas on the decoration of the flat. “He was a joy to work with” explains Nina, “knowledgable, decisive and open to suggestion. He wanted it to be joyous and to represent his experiences in London; he loved the clash of colour and fabric that he saw at the club 5 Hertford St and the light spirited interiors of the Kit Kemp hotels and he had several ideas for materials he wanted to use”.
The open-plan living space incorporates the library at one end, adjoining the terrace, a dining area in the middle, and a sitting room with the TV at the other end, with Nina’s favourite jute matting from Sinclair Till linking them together. The only architectural intervention related to the separate kitchen, which annoyingly encroached on this space. Nina and her architect Blanca Perez Gonzales realised they couldn't move the kitchen without incurring huge extra costs and long delays. And the owner wanted to move in ASAP. Their solution was to push back the wall between the two rooms and turn the kitchen into a galley kitchen. In doing so they released a foot in depth for the living space, and at the same time streamlined the walls of the kitchen that were cluttered with pipes and ducts. The result is a cool clean lined rectangle, with elegant wine coloured units by DeVol.
The library is a pinnacle of daring; so much light floods through the glass walls that Nina was able to line the ceiling in a luxurious navy blue cashmere without it feeling oppressive. An off-white rope trimming, used in various rooms throughout the flat, introduces a nautical theme - and the woodwork is painted in both blue and green gloss. “Gloss paint as opposed to matte,” explains Nina,” zips things up and brings the whole space into the 21st century. These two colours are like denim; they meet happily and go with everything.” A red and white striped fabric by Flora Soames lines the back of the custom-made bookcase, and is reflected in narrow strips of antique mirror that run up the sides and along the top, and it is picked up again on the small free standing George Smith banquette in the dining area.
A spectacular whimsical animal print chosen by the owner covers the walls and ceiling in the main living space, giving it a tented feel; this fabric continues into the TV area and down the corridor. A sand-coloured background lends a warm sophistication to the fabric and prevents it from seeming childlike. The purple ottoman and the paisley chairs at the far end of the room, level with the TV, are given a modern twist – Nina describes this as a “Pop Art feel” – by using a contrasting deep white fringe and the same white rope trimmings as in the library.
The two bedrooms at the other end of the apartment are just as bold and colourful. A riot of turquoise and orange pomegranates envelop you in the guest bedroom. “It is a fabric by Christopher Farr, quite tropical, that I have always wanted to use” explains Nina. “Its exuberance and colour remind me of my native Brazil. My client loved it and because the spaces are so small in this flat, you need to be bold and the fabrics need to speak out.” The master bedroom is more subdued with gentle stripes on the walls. But Nina’s gaiety of spirit re-emerges on the headboard, which is covered in a joyous botanical fabric by Penny Morrison on its front and a fiery red cashmere on its back. Two different gloss paint colours were used on the woodwork: a burgundy and a green.
“On a grey November day, says Nina, “you no longer see the white PVC window frames. You look through them now and feel embraced by an interplay of textures and colours.” We couldn't agree more.
Dean Hearne1/14Looking from the dining area into the library. The banquette was made by George Smith, and is covered in Flora Soames' ‘Plain Stripe Ruby’. The dining chairs are by Kit Kemp, and the patterned ‘Noah’ fabric that covers the walls and ceilings are from Andrew Martin.
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Dean Hearne3/14The library's walls and ceiling are lined in a navy blue Loro Piana cashmere, trimmed with rope piping by Samuel & Sons. Flora Soames' ‘Plain Stripe Ruby’ lines the back wall. The sofa and chairs are all from George Smith.
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Dean Hearne5/14Outside the apartment, the terrace railings are painted in a bottle green shade, ‘Hunter Dunn’, from Paper and Paints Library.
Dean Hearne6/14The blinds are made up in a wide grey herringbone from Holland & Sherry, edged in a purple trim by Loro Piana. The armchairs are from George Smith, and covered in an Etro paisley fabric from Turnell & Gigon. The sofa is from Oka.
Dean Hearne7/14The hallway of the flat is lined in the same fabric as the living space. The kitchen opens up to the right as you go down the hallway, with the main bathroom at the end and two bedrooms on the left.
Dean Hearne8/14The kitchen is by deVOL and is painted in their “Refectory Red" shade. Chrome fittings were chosen for the units to give them a more contemporary look. Above the hob, is an extra strong hanging rack by McKinney which can take the weight of cast iron pans. The mosaic floor is in Fired Earth's ‘Chequers Court’ tiles, and the ceiling lights are by Ralph Lauren.
Dean Hearne9/14At the end of the corridor is the main bathroom.
Dean Hearne10/14The guest bedroom is lined in ‘Carnival’ by Christopher Farr Cloth. The headboard is upholstered in a Loro Piana cashmere.
Dean Hearne11/14The bedside tables are from Oka.
Dean Hearne12/14In the main bedroom, the walls are covered in Ian Mankin's ‘Vintage Stripe’ fabric, trimmed in a navy blue Samuel & Sons braid.
Dean Hearne13/14The headboard is upholstered in Penny Morrison's ‘Arabella’ fabric, trimmed in a blue and white piping from Samuel & Sons. The back of the headboard is covered in a red Loro Piana cashmere.
Dean Hearne14/14In the ensuite bathroom, fixtures from Lefroy Brooks and lights from Original BTC provide notes of glamour against black and white marble.
