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london homes

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WARLEY CLOSE

9th August 2018

You probably know me well enough by now to realise that I can’t resist interiors that have been designed around textures. Exposed brick, combinations of timber, metal finishes, concrete… throw texture into the mix and I’m sold. This warehouse conversion on Warley Close in London’s E10 is on the market with The Modern House and offers a striking example of how to use textures – both existing and new – as the foundation for an interior. This former industrial space has been redesigned and adapted for the current owners – a photographer/filmmaker and a musician – to create a flexible home that combines live and work spaces. Arranged over three levels, the scale alone is striking as there’s over 2,200 sq/ft of space here.

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A MONASTIC OASIS

5th July 2018

When I look at this house, just as a set of photos without any of the accompanying details, I’d never guess that it was located in London. From the choice of materials to the quiet restraint of the design, to details such as the pebbled courtyard garden, I visualise this house in a much less urban setting; a peaceful place away from the hustle of the city.

Yet this house sits on Tiverton Road, between Kensal Rise and Queens Park in London’s NW10, and this ‘quiet’ design offers a respite from the urban environment that extends out beyond it. Currently on the market with The Modern House, this property is described as a ‘monastic oasis’, and I can’t think of a better description for a design as pared back and beautifully simple and thoughtful as this.

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CUBIC STUDIOS

22nd November 2017

Okay, quiz time. What date was the film Notting Hill released: was it 2005, 2002, or 1999? Why am I asking this? Well, because I can’t believe that the correct answer is… a whole 18 years ago and in a different century! If you’ve watched the film, you’ll remember the Travel Bookshop that was owned by Hugh Grant’s character – the scene of the famous “I’m also just a girl, asking a boy…” line. All of which brings me to this apartment – the flat above the shop – that has been redesigned by the Notting Hill-based Cubic Studios.

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RUSTON MEWS

17th October 2017

Designer, author and photographer Claire Lloyd is passionate about light – as she writes on her website, ‘Light makes my spirit soar’ – and this is evident in Claire’s approach to each interior project, from her light-filled Greek island home, which was the subject of her 2012 book entitled My Greek Island Home, to this minimal mews house in London’s Notting Hill which Claire redesigned completely (she has since sold the property), photographed here by Nathalie Priem. From her early career working in art direction for magazines including Australian Vogue, to more recent work as an author of two books – her first, Sensual Living, was published in 1998 – Australian-born Claire’s eye for simplicity and refined detailing has resulted in interiors with a beautifully understated and quiet aesthetic.

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KENURE HOUSE

12th May 2017

Back in February 2015 I wrote about a house at 47 Old Church Street in London’s Chelsea that had been completed by the design studio and developer Echlin – you can find the accompanying Steller story here. It was a stunning property, and at the time I wrote: ‘This interior reminds you of what luxury really looks like: exquisite materials and detailing with a strong sense of craftsmanship, with some knockout features… and a floor plan conceived to enhance the space and flow and light.’

Two years on and I’m delighted to be sharing another project by Echlin that reflects these same qualities of craftsmanship combined with an impressive use and flow of space – with all photography by Nathalie Priem.

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SPROWSTON ROAD

16th February 2017

I’ve always been interested in textures – indeed, in my own home, textures have usually taken priority over colour or pattern. I’d always rather layer in interesting textures than add colours. But recently I’ve been drawn more and more to interiors that have a lived-in quality, where the patina is integral to the design of a space. A few years ago I visited a chapel conversion in Portobello – a conversion that had been tackled over a period of years by the owner – and I knew instantly that this was a house I could have moved into. The places I’ve loved for myself have all had that tactile quality: a touch of vintage, a touch of industrial, a touch of rustic, all mixed up together.

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