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  • Milward Teverini

    The client brief was to furnish and style this three bedroomed apartment in the heart of Chelsea. We needed to inject warmth and personality into this new build property that lacked any personality.

    About the Project Design and installation

    Our clients’ main residence is in the Far East, and this three bedroom property is based in Chelsea in a new development, and is used as a holiday home when she is in London. Although bright and airy, it was very much an uninspiring white box when we first went to take the brief.  She asked us to create a home that had more warmth, texture and personality.

    She used to be an actress and is a very glamorous woman, her favourite fashion designer being Chanel, so our scheme was inspired by, and had to reflect all these different elements. We also wanted to create something that had a hint of ‘1950’s style glamorous chic’ as felt this look reflected the owners personality. The work would include window dressing, walls and floors and the sourcing of all furniture, lighting and accessories.

    In the reception room the striking painting we commissioned from an artist in Ibiza was the inspiration for the scheme and the use of the pink was a direct play on the clients love of the baby pink colour used for the classic tweed Chanel jacket.

    A neutral scheme provided the backdrop for the pink colour injection to stand out. Detail was added with layers of texture in the form of different materials; a white herringbone rug, an antique mirror glass coffee table, linens, velvets and quilted cushions, again a playful and subtle take on the Chanel quilted handbag.

    The glamorous look was continued throughout the apartment, with the use of a mix of beautiful finishes from the linen wall coverings used in the bedrooms, a luxurious mix of fabrics apparent upon the soft furnishings and also a combination of new and vintage furniture pieces.

    The clients own antique bottle green floor lamp provided the inspiration for the master bedroom colour palette and to compliment this we sourced some original vintage brass 1950’s antique mirrors to flank the bed.

    Practically, we completed the scheme within a relatively short deadline, just in time for the client to come over to celebrate Christmas and she couldn’t believe the transformation when she walked in as aside from her feeling that the property had lacked personality, she also initially had some real practical concerns and had been worried that the apartment was possibly too cramped for her storage needs.  However, with the addition of various walls that we clad with mirror glass in strategic places, meticulous space planning to provide bespoke storage solutions and the addition of simple elegant furnishings, the apartment now looks both spacious and luxurious, which definitely fulfilled and exceeded the client’s expectations.

     

    Favourite / key aspect of the project

    The second bedroom was not the most light filled in the apartment so we felt that the best solution was to create a cosy and atmospheric room and try to work with the light levels, so we decorated in moody charcoal grey and dark neutral tones, accented with gold detailing and a black feather Juju hat provides a playful feature above the bed. We also found the perfect retro antique mirror with an illustration of a Chanel perfume bottle from Portobello market that completed the room perfectly.

    The third bedroom was inspired by the clients’ own very traditional oil painting that had a real retro feel. We took these colours as our inspiration and created a vintage style bedroom with silver grey walls, 1950’s style bedsides in a French grey green, paisley Andrew Martin cushions and textured velvet quilt accents the bed, creating a very serene and peaceful retreat.

     

    Why does the design work so well?

    Milward Teverini understand the level required to create exclusive living spaces and no attention to detail was spared when selecting all the elements that make up this special apartment. The scheme although luxurious, exudes a quiet opulence that retains the essence of a unique yet personal home which is what the client wanted. Also, Millward Teverini managed the entire project for the client as she was overseas bringing the scheme to life and co – coordinating all the various trades involved. This results in a scheme that is glamorous and refined with the addition of personality that the special one off pieces bring to the design.

     

    How do you feel the design integrates into the wider environment?

    The apartment is set within a secure residential development and is ideal for those seeking a central location in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It offers the very best in residential property, situated in one of the cities most sought after areas within a stones throw of the Kings Road.

    Although a modern development, the apartment blocks sit comfortably with the Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the area so we felt our interior design scheme had to reflect a contemporary yet classic style to sit well within it’s environment and work for the client.

    Also although this is a prime location, at the same time it is quiet and peaceful which we have tried to reflect in our interpretation of a quiet luxury visible within the interiors, providing a comfortable yet understated and luxurious home. This is also combined with all the latest technology that has been discreetly installed into the apartment working seamlessly to enhance the owners’ life.

     

    What specialist artisan skills were involved in making of the project?

    We used specialist glass fitters to install bespoke mirror glass clad walls in the living space and also commissioned an artist to create the show piece painting in the reception room.

     

    Final thoughts / any other information?

    We worked hard to ensure that the interior had some character and felt like a home as we really wanted each room to still have an individual feel so we ensured that different colour palettes and slightly different looks were used in individual rooms to ensure this was the case. The owner said they wanted something luxurious and unique to them, which we feel we have achieved.

     

    Key suppliers:

    The majority of the furniture was made in the UK as a bespoke package. Some of the companies we used include Decorus, Ecco Trading, The Sofa and Chair Company and Tom Faulkner. Feature Lighting was provided by Porta Romana and Heathfield Lighting. For the wall finishes we used Phillip Jeffries and also Stereo wallpapers and Chelsea Glass for mirror glass wall finishes.

    www.milwardteverini.com

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