A Victorian Chelsea Apartment Transformed

There are projects that stretch you, and then there are the ones that sing. This Chelsea apartment did both and we are so proud to share it here.

Set within a handsome Victorian mansion block in one of London’s most beautiful neighbourhoods, this was a commission to fully refurbish a three-bedroom apartment to an exacting standard, from the electrics up. Two interconnecting south-west facing reception rooms, a kitchen diner, three bedrooms, a main bathroom and a shower room — not a single surface was left unchanged.

Restoring Character, Bringing it Forward

Our brief was as clear as it was exciting: restore the apartment’s original character whilst bringing it sensitively into the present day. Victorian properties have a habit of concealing their finest features behind decades of well-meant interventions, and this one was no exception. As ceilings and walls were opened up, the project became part detective work, part revelation — a process we’ve come to love.

What our clients wanted — and what we set out to deliver — was a home with a high degree of visual interest: one that felt layered, considered, and alive with colour, print, texture, scale and proportion. There is no griege here. The result is joyful, elegant, and gloriously calm. A perfect haven to escape into when ones cup is full from London living.

The Sitting Room – a study in blue

The sitting room is a study in blue. Our list of wonderful suppliers in this room is staggering. In the niche, in the far right back corner, we have one of our very own artists from the Artists Appreciate Initiative, Tess Chodan from hunter_and_collector with the exquisite butterfly dome. Tess, creates artworks using antique insect specimens from historical collections: Butterflies, moths, beetles, dragonflies – and bees, whose delicate wings she gilds. The artwork hanging above the couch is from an artist called Ben Fenske.

The Tiffany sofa is covered in a sumptuous midnight blue velvet from manuelcanovasparis and the walls are covered in a heavy weight Belgian linen from Stereo Interiors, which is exquisitely soft on the eye and helps to create a wonderful sense of calm with its sound absorbing qualities. The window seat and ottoman are covered in a beautiful thibaut_1886weave. Blinds are made in colefaxandfowler and lighting is from portaromanauk

A Kitchen with a most joyous Wallpaper

We discovered a false ceiling in this room that was housing a car crash of pipeworks. By reconfiguring the pipework we were able to reclaim the original ceiling height and restore much of the room’s character. Once we had fully reclaimed the space the more decorative side of the project could ensue and the starting point was this utterly joyful Thibaut wallpaper called Windsor— bold, characterful, and confident. From there, the palette built outward: we designed and fitted bespoke cabinetry painted in a soft blue drawn directly from the paper, vibrant glass pendants from Curiousa Studios catching the light overhead, and a border-laid floor from Charles Lowe and Sons, finished with a fine strip of brass inlay. The continuous Versailles pattern floor from C& L comes from their Generations range and is a perfect pairing for this characterful period property. It offers a continuous flow from the kitchen to the front door and then into the double aspect reception rooms, so helps to create a sense of flow and co-hesion suggesting it was always just this way when in reality we inherited a hodge podge of floor coverings, ceiling heights and wall finishes thought.

A Dining Room that Celebrates Art and Craftsmanship

This is a joyful space to spend time in for so many reasons – perhaps because there are so many beautiful elements that have been exquisitely crafted. The space is engaging and energised, yet calming. Almost everything you see here is bespoke and crafted to the highest standard.

We designed the furniture pieces that you see here; the round table and the two side boards. We designed these and worked collaboratively with one of the best furniture makers in the country to have them made. This process of working with our makers is a most joyful process of collaboration and always yields great rewards – this process of collaboration requires adaptive thinking and application – working closely with the makers knowledge, the materials capabilities and character and the design vision. These elements must meld together purposefully for marvellous outcomes. It’s a wildly exciting process. The wood grains used in these designs are curl mahogany, myrtle and ebony. The draw inserts are lined in a rich Whislterleather. Each of these pieces is a thing of beauty and made to be passed down from one generation to the next.

The artwork to the left is a commission piece completed by catcroxfordartist. Cat is a valued member of the #artistsappreciationinitiative The painting depicts a scene from the New Forest which has a special place in our clients memories. It really is very beautiful to behold and plays a crucial role in the success of this room.

Mirroring the walls either side of the chimney breast is one of our favourite tricks for dining rooms, because as well as increasing the sense of space, it instantly revs up the glamour score for the room. Adourning these mirrored alcoves are two Spry wall lights from portaromanauk. Between them is another captivating Ben Fenske artwork.

The Full Picture

A project of this scope required working across every discipline of a character property renovation simultaneously. This is what we do best – we deliver project for our clients from start to finish – ensuring a joyful, hassle free experience with the highest possible outcomes. Every project has a sticky middle to be overcome somewhere along the way, but we have proven time and again that we have the requisite grit and experience to navigate the unexpected. Here we were fortunate to work with clients who brought real trust, enthusiasm, and genuine taste to every conversation. Here’s what they had to say:

“We engaged Lindi and her team to fully refurbish our three-bedroom flat in a Victorian mansion block in Chelsea. She was involved right from the beginning and dealt with everything — from electrics, re-plastering and lighting design to bespoke furniture and cabinetry, kitchen and bathroom design and fitting, and much more. Lindi was brilliant to work with; able to help us see the big picture whilst paying attention to every last detail to ensure the final outcome was every bit as fantastic as we had hoped. She listened carefully to what we wanted, took on our ideas, improved on them and came up with creative solutions to any challenges along the way. The potentially overwhelming task of choosing colour schemes, fabrics and designs was made both manageable and hugely enjoyable, supported by Lindi’s wealth of professional experience and her extraordinary creative eye.”

— Sian and Mark Clarke, Chelsea and Westminster, SW London