Three Design Considerations for Award-Winning Interiors
Our Kensington Private Development has been shortlisted for both the Society of British & International Designers Awards and the International Design & Architecture Awards.
The Society of British & International Designers is an organisation that offers interior design accreditation, making the SBID Awards one of the most important global events of the year.
Design et al is a UK interior design magazine that hosts the International Design & Architecture Awards. Only 16 projects per category are shortlisted making it an exciting achievement for us.
We’re giving you a behind the scenes look at how we designed the interior of this modern London apartment.
Inspiration
What inspires you?
“Nature, travel, art, fashion, sitting in a great restaurant, looking around constantly. Inspiration comes from everywhere.” - Louise Rea
We took our inspiration for this scheme from the architectural detailing of the apartment as well as the arts and crafts heritage of the surrounding neighbourhood.
The large windows overlooking the courtyard let an abundance of natural light into the space and allow great views to the beautifully designed landscaping. This gave us the idea to use a neutral colour palette with warm earthy tones to bring nature indoors.
Subtle colours are used throughout the apartment to add gentle points of interest. We softened the contemporary kitchen by installing colourful hand-blown glass pendants from a Derbyshire-based company. We know how important it is to support local artisans and these red-tinged pendants add organic shape to an angular space.
Texture and craft played a big role in our design to combine both a natural aesthetic and the artistic history associated with the area.
We used curated art and sculpture throughout the space - particularly in the hallway where you can rest for a while on the suede-covered bench and take it all in.
Collaboration
What skills do you need to succeed in interior design?
“Great communication skills.” - Lauren Matthews
“Patience and a willingness to listen to the client and guide them through the process.” - Louise Rea
A big part of our projects is collaboration as we work closely with our clients and the development team.
In this private development we met with the architect frequently to thoroughly understand their design ethos for the apartment. We were able to pay close attention to the clean lines and the connection between each room to create a comfortable flow.
Everything fits seamlessly into the space with the help of bespoke furniture, custom joinery, and unique details. We collaborate with our suppliers to create custom luxury pieces for our designs.
This live edge table from Konk Furniture is hand-crafted, further bringing in natural elements that soften this modern apartment.
Customisation
What trends are you loving?
“We are moving away from taupe and grey and seeing more colour in our homes, earth tones – shades of chocolate, wine, olive green, and yellow ochre are all taking over, with soft gold and bronze details, and real plants are back rather than faux flowers.” - Louise Rea
We provided a mix of bespoke pieces from well-known suppliers for this project - keeping in mind our inspiration from nature, art, and craft.
The sofa in the living room was custom made for us by Origins Design to perfectly fit the space for comfort and luxury. Yellow ochre cushions add a touch of colour to the sofa. Even the rug from Colbourns is bespoke to bring in warm textures to the space.
On top of subtle colours present in the furniture, colourful and textured art is used throughout the apartment - including a one-of-a-kind painting from our very own Creative Director, Louise Rea.
The overall response to the design of this apartment has been overwhelmingly positive! The fact that our hard work has been recognised by two international awards is proof enough.
We would appreciate your support by voting for this project on the SBID website.
