Houzz Tour: Newly Built London Apartment Is Big on Personality
Guided by some of his client’s furnishings, a designer fills a white box of a space with color and pattern
When interior designer Bhavin Taylor first visited his client’s new-build apartment in London, the space was a white box. “He wanted it to feel [homey] and full of character,” Taylor says. By using a few of the owner’s key pieces as inspiration, Taylor designed a space that combines bold color and pattern, but his careful choices when it came to tone and cohesion help the space feel harmonious.
Taylor chose a solid mustard-colored sofa to pick up the color, and he added further layers of vibrancy with patterned pillows and a patterned armchair (shown in the next photo).
“I went for mirrored side tables to help reflect the light and to add further depth by reflecting the pattern,” he says.
The artwork fits with the mustard-and-gray theme but adds bright reds and greens to the mix of colors.
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“I went for mirrored side tables to help reflect the light and to add further depth by reflecting the pattern,” he says.
The artwork fits with the mustard-and-gray theme but adds bright reds and greens to the mix of colors.
Shop for contemporary mirrored tables
The kitchen was already in place, so Taylor paired the soft gray cabinets with dining chairs in a similar shade. “It was important to incorporate a dining table,” he says, “as the owner wanted somewhere to host dinner parties and to work from home.”
He chose a round table, as it takes up less space but still seats four people comfortably. The walnut finish works well with the warm tones in the flooring.
“The kitchen felt quite separate from the rest of the open-plan room,” Taylor says. To bring it back into the space, he persuaded the owner to make the bold decision of going for a mustard paint color on the kitchen walls. “It instantly connected the spaces,” he says.
A strip of white wall near the hallway door showcases a floor lamp the owner already had.
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He chose a round table, as it takes up less space but still seats four people comfortably. The walnut finish works well with the warm tones in the flooring.
“The kitchen felt quite separate from the rest of the open-plan room,” Taylor says. To bring it back into the space, he persuaded the owner to make the bold decision of going for a mustard paint color on the kitchen walls. “It instantly connected the spaces,” he says.
A strip of white wall near the hallway door showcases a floor lamp the owner already had.
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Next to the dining table is a ladder shelving unit that displays a collection of accessories.
Browse bookcases on Houzz
Browse bookcases on Houzz
“The hallway is quite large, so rather than ignore it, I wanted to make it a separate room in itself,” Taylor says. He chose a bold watercolor-effect floral wallpaper, leaving a couple of walls white (not pictured).
“The wallpaper has some mustard tones in it, so it connects to the living room,” Taylor says. “The blue tones tie in with the bedrooms.”
“The wallpaper has some mustard tones in it, so it connects to the living room,” Taylor says. “The blue tones tie in with the bedrooms.”
Taylor moved the console table from the owner’s bedroom to the hall and put a mirror above it to create a useful focal point.
The designer was mindful of the apartment’s fairly low ceilings when choosing the light fixtures. For the hallway, he went for a short stem and a shallow pendant light with blue and wood tones.
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The designer was mindful of the apartment’s fairly low ceilings when choosing the light fixtures. For the hallway, he went for a short stem and a shallow pendant light with blue and wood tones.
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The homeowner already had this bed, so Taylor worked around the brown headboard, choosing a sea grass wallcovering from Thibaut with brown and blue tones. “It brings the bed color into the scheme but lets the blue be the main shade in the room,” he says.
The dark blue carpet and the warm-toned nightstands and armchair give a cozy feel, while the light blue lamp bases and curtains pick up the tones in the wallpaper.
Taylor had hoped to hang linen curtains at the windows, but since the apartment is close to the river, the moisture would have damaged the fabric over time. Instead, he went for a polyester-linen mix to overcome the problem.
The dark blue carpet and the warm-toned nightstands and armchair give a cozy feel, while the light blue lamp bases and curtains pick up the tones in the wallpaper.
Taylor had hoped to hang linen curtains at the windows, but since the apartment is close to the river, the moisture would have damaged the fabric over time. Instead, he went for a polyester-linen mix to overcome the problem.
Two vibrant paintings above the bed liven up the soft blue and brown tones in the room.
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The guest bedroom’s color scheme is similar to the master bedroom’s but has a little more pattern. “As it’s not a space where someone’s sleeping every night, a little bit of chaos is OK,” Taylor says, laughing. He chose a Cole & Son wallpaper with a striking design, but the soft tones give it a calm feel.
The cabinet is another piece the owner already had. Taylor repeated the metal finish with a bedside table that has metal legs.
The cabinet is another piece the owner already had. Taylor repeated the metal finish with a bedside table that has metal legs.
The top of the bedside table is a warm-toned wood, and the shape of the legs prevents them from taking up too much space visually.
“The glass lamp base also creates a visual openness,” Taylor says, “and it’s nice to be able to see the wallpaper pattern through it.”
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“The glass lamp base also creates a visual openness,” Taylor says, “and it’s nice to be able to see the wallpaper pattern through it.”
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Taylor wasn’t instructed to redesign the bathrooms, but he dressed them with a few playful accessories.
More on Houzz
9 Ways to Define Spaces in an Open Floor Plan
Read about other remodeled apartments
Find a pro to help with your project
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More on Houzz
9 Ways to Define Spaces in an Open Floor Plan
Read about other remodeled apartments
Find a pro to help with your project
Shop for home products
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: A single man
Location: Wandsworth Town, south London
Size: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design
The seating area is part of an open-plan living space. “It’s a large and long room, so it was important to create clearly defined zones,” Taylor says. “They needed to feel separate but also part of one whole space.”
The owner’s charcoal-and-mustard rug kicked off the design. Taylor found a geometric Cole & Son wallpaper to work with the rug and then based the rest of the design around it.
“Rather than put the wallpaper on just one wall, I added it to the two opposite walls to really create an impact,” he says. “The white wall and sheer curtains help to balance the space and prevent the pattern being too overwhelming.”
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