Matthews Rea is an interior design studio working on private homes and developer schemes across London. Our studio is on Portsmouth Road in Cobham, half an hour from the city, and London has been part of our work for years. Our projects there include two apartments in a Kensington development, a private apartment in central London, and the refurbishment of Coopers Cut, the steakhouse restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square.
How We Work in London
London interiors come with constraints that a Surrey house does not. Leasehold consents, listed building controls, conservation area rules, porterage and lift bookings, narrow stairwells and strict delivery windows all shape what is possible and how long it takes. We plan around those from the first visit rather than discovering them halfway through a build.
Space is the other difference. A London flat rarely has a square metre to spare, so storage, circulation and sightlines have to be resolved properly before anything decorative is decided. Most of our London work involves bespoke joinery designed for the specific room rather than bought furniture adapted to fit.
Private Apartments
Our private London work is layered and quite classical in feel. Textured wallcoverings, pleated curtains in natural cloth, commissioned rugs, antique and contemporary art hung together, and lighting designed in layers rather than a single pendant per room. The aim is a home that looks collected rather than installed.
Work for Developers
We also design apartments for property developers, where the brief is different again. A scheme has to photograph well, appeal to a broad buyer, and be deliverable at volume and to programme. Our two Kensington apartments take a lighter, more contemporary direction than our private work: pale oak joinery, limestone and plaster finishes, soft neutrals lifted with burnt orange and brass, and full height glazing left as open as possible.
If you are a developer looking at a London scheme, our show home and developer work page covers how we approach those projects, and our commercial interior design page covers larger buildings.
London Projects
Kensington Development Apartment II
Kensington Development Apartment I
Exclusive London Apartment
Talk to Us About a London Project
If you are planning a refurbishment, a new apartment scheme or a commercial fit out in London, we would be glad to hear about it. You can reach the studio on 01932 212646 or through our contact page.