Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Midcentury Character in a Bright City Apartment
A perfect mix of calm greys and bright accents sets the right tone in this light top floor flat
When interior designer Bhavin Taylor first met the owner of this central London apartment, she had already made a start on the bathrooms. “Her business had taken off and she’d run out of time, so the master bathroom suite was in the living room,” says Taylor. “It was chaotic, so my aim was to get her back her home and create a restful place for her to retreat to after work.”
The bay window was previously fitted with office blinds, so Taylor removed these and had some sheer roller blinds made instead. “It can get very hot in the apartment, so these are perfect for the summer,” he says. A curved track holds light curtains that can be pulled across when the owner wants a more cosy feel in the evening.
Behind the sofa was an area of dead space. It made sense to put the owner’s piano and cello there and turn it into a music corner.
The sofa was custom-made in a soft, yellow-toned fabric. “The walls are grey and muted throughout, but I wanted to give each room its own character,” says Taylor. “I chose the floral pattern on these cushions, which picked out the yellow shade in the sofa, and selected the other cushions to tie in with the scheme.”
Sofa, custom-made by Charlotte James Furniture. Fabric on sofa and curtains, Harlequin. Cushion fabrics, Thibaut and Harlequin. Coffee table, West Elm. Curtain tracks, Silent Gliss.
Behind the sofa was an area of dead space. It made sense to put the owner’s piano and cello there and turn it into a music corner.
The sofa was custom-made in a soft, yellow-toned fabric. “The walls are grey and muted throughout, but I wanted to give each room its own character,” says Taylor. “I chose the floral pattern on these cushions, which picked out the yellow shade in the sofa, and selected the other cushions to tie in with the scheme.”
Sofa, custom-made by Charlotte James Furniture. Fabric on sofa and curtains, Harlequin. Cushion fabrics, Thibaut and Harlequin. Coffee table, West Elm. Curtain tracks, Silent Gliss.
“The client was wary of using too much heavy pattern,” says Taylor, “but this bold, midcentury wallpaper in a muted colourway was a good compromise. I chose a similar shade for the paint on the pillar and protruding wall to soften the whole look.”
Taylor spotted this sideboard on Instagram and sent a photograph to his client. “She instantly told me to go for it, and that was one of the first things we purchased for the apartment.”
Hicks Hexagon wallpaper, Cole & Son. Sideboard, Lucy Turner. Chair, Out There Interiors.
Find essential pieces for a midcentury mood
Taylor spotted this sideboard on Instagram and sent a photograph to his client. “She instantly told me to go for it, and that was one of the first things we purchased for the apartment.”
Hicks Hexagon wallpaper, Cole & Son. Sideboard, Lucy Turner. Chair, Out There Interiors.
Find essential pieces for a midcentury mood
The kitchen was to be kept as it was, so Taylor worked with the existing units. “I wanted to bring the tone of the wood into the rest of the room without it looking too dark,” he says. “Walnut flooring was a good choice, as it contains a range of tones. We could then include other woods in the room without them jarring.”
Taylor’s team removed the original flooring and installed underfloor heating, before laying the walnut boards. In the kitchen, he chose water-resistant porcelain tiles and laid them at a 45 degree angle to add interest.
The lampshades here work well with the wallpaper and add to the midcentury feel. All the artwork is the client’s own, but Taylor had it reframed.
Lampshades, Hokolo. Sideboard, West Elm.
Taylor’s team removed the original flooring and installed underfloor heating, before laying the walnut boards. In the kitchen, he chose water-resistant porcelain tiles and laid them at a 45 degree angle to add interest.
The lampshades here work well with the wallpaper and add to the midcentury feel. All the artwork is the client’s own, but Taylor had it reframed.
Lampshades, Hokolo. Sideboard, West Elm.
The master bedroom has two large windows, so Taylor wanted to make sure the view was the key feature.
“We designed this to be a really restful room,” he explains. “We used the same soft grey paint as elsewhere, but added some shimmer with a wall of feature wallpaper.”
The curtains have a bold pattern on the fabric, which changes the look of the room when they’re drawn. In the centre of the ceiling hangs a beautiful string-wrapped pendant light, with an LED loop that changes intensity and colour.
“My client asked me to choose a piece of artwork to fit the room from a company she’d found at a market,” says Taylor. “I chose the circular design to repeat the shape of the pendant lamp. It has an Asian paper background, with little cutout butterflies laid on top.” Taylor also repeated the circular shape with the bedside tables.
“We chose the dark pinky-red and striped cushions to give the room a feminine touch, and added blue lampshades to take the design further. Both colours are picked up in the artwork on the wall.”
Curtain and cushion fabric, Harlequin. Wallpaper and cushion fabric, Osborne & Little. Pendant lamp, Rubertelli Design. Artwork, Paper Moon. Lamps, John Lewis. Bedside tables, West Elm. Bedding, The White Company.
Discover simple ways to boost the feeling of calm in your home
“We designed this to be a really restful room,” he explains. “We used the same soft grey paint as elsewhere, but added some shimmer with a wall of feature wallpaper.”
The curtains have a bold pattern on the fabric, which changes the look of the room when they’re drawn. In the centre of the ceiling hangs a beautiful string-wrapped pendant light, with an LED loop that changes intensity and colour.
“My client asked me to choose a piece of artwork to fit the room from a company she’d found at a market,” says Taylor. “I chose the circular design to repeat the shape of the pendant lamp. It has an Asian paper background, with little cutout butterflies laid on top.” Taylor also repeated the circular shape with the bedside tables.
“We chose the dark pinky-red and striped cushions to give the room a feminine touch, and added blue lampshades to take the design further. Both colours are picked up in the artwork on the wall.”
Curtain and cushion fabric, Harlequin. Wallpaper and cushion fabric, Osborne & Little. Pendant lamp, Rubertelli Design. Artwork, Paper Moon. Lamps, John Lewis. Bedside tables, West Elm. Bedding, The White Company.
Discover simple ways to boost the feeling of calm in your home
Next to the bed is a vintage shoe cabinet, which Taylor sourced from a shop in Highgate. “The owner’s shoes were all stored in boxes, so it was nice to put them out on display.”
The bright blue shade ties in with the other lamps in the room. Three pieces of artwork behind the cabinet have been reframed to work with the rest of the bronze in this space.
The bright blue shade ties in with the other lamps in the room. Three pieces of artwork behind the cabinet have been reframed to work with the rest of the bronze in this space.
The client had started the design process for her master bathroom, and everything had been selected to create this calm space with a spa feel. Taylor worked with the contractors to get it all installed.
The second bedroom is both a guest room and an office. “It feels different to the rest of the apartment,” says Taylor. “To create a motivational and inspirational atmosphere, I chose an orange and white colour scheme.”
The owner was cautious of the bold palette at first, but the small pattern on the wallpaper has a balance of tones that doesn’t overwhelm the space. “In a way, it’s quite calm,” says Taylor. “I didn’t want the room to feel overcrowded, so I kept open bookshelves to provide ample storage, instead of a heavy cupboard.”
An elegant desk sits in the window, so the client can look out at the Royal Albert Hall below.
A custom-made ottoman houses a pull-out bed, while two wall lamps can be moved around the room to light the desk space when needed.
Ottoman, Wawa. Orange fabric, Harlequin. Chevron fabric, Romo. Curtain fabric, Anna French. Desk and chair, West Elm.
The owner was cautious of the bold palette at first, but the small pattern on the wallpaper has a balance of tones that doesn’t overwhelm the space. “In a way, it’s quite calm,” says Taylor. “I didn’t want the room to feel overcrowded, so I kept open bookshelves to provide ample storage, instead of a heavy cupboard.”
An elegant desk sits in the window, so the client can look out at the Royal Albert Hall below.
A custom-made ottoman houses a pull-out bed, while two wall lamps can be moved around the room to light the desk space when needed.
Ottoman, Wawa. Orange fabric, Harlequin. Chevron fabric, Romo. Curtain fabric, Anna French. Desk and chair, West Elm.
The second bathroom was the only room that had been finished by the client. The wooden cabinet contains the washing machine, which had been moved from the kitchen.
The hallway wasn’t wide enough for a console table, so Taylor opted for a floating drawer shelf instead. A mirror adds interest and is practical, too. A coat rail with a looped ribbon design sits next to the two items and the whole space has been kept white to ensure it’s not overpowering.
Floating drawer shelf, Out There Interiors. Coat rack, HeadSprung. Mirror, John Lewis. Walls painted in Antique White, Eico.
What do you think of this calm yet vibrant apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Floating drawer shelf, Out There Interiors. Coat rack, HeadSprung. Mirror, John Lewis. Walls painted in Antique White, Eico.
What do you think of this calm yet vibrant apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A single woman who runs her own business
Location Southwest London
Property A flat at the top of a tall, 1960s apartment block
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Designer Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design
Photos by Jake Fitzjones Photography
“My client told me she had a preference for midcentury design, so that was a good starting point,” says Bhavin Taylor. “However, she didn’t want it to be too chaotic and crazy.”
The view from this room is amazing, so Taylor made sure it was the main focus of the space. “I chose glass for the pendants above the dining table, as they don’t block the view from the kitchen. We also kept the furniture low, so as not to obstruct the window,” he says.
“The main issue in this room was the pillar,” says Taylor. “It was in an awkward position and, of course, couldn’t be moved.” He decided to incorporate it into the layout of the room. “We used the pillar to help divide the space and create three different zones – a dining area, a living room and a music corner,” he says.
Walls painted in Antique White, Eico. Pendant lights, West Elm.