Houzz Tour: 2 London Apartments Join to Become a Luxe Family Home
Spacious rooms, luxury materials and elegant furnishings create a dream home for a family with a love of art and entertaining
When the next-door flat came up for sale, the owners of this 1900s property in West London had an idea. Could an architect knock together the two adjacent spaces to create an apartment that felt as if it had always been one space? “Anything is possible — where there’s a will, there’s a means,” says John Russell of Tyler Mandic, architect and the project manager of the build. The owners, who have three young children, are very social and wanted a home where they could have friends over regularly. “We aimed to create an open, light space for a young, growing family. It needed to be child-friendly yet very elegant and suitable for entertaining,” says the interior designer on the project, Paolo Moschino of Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam.
“The clients asked for an impressive entrance and stairway for guests to come into the main entertaining area,” Russell says. “This was built into what used to be the hallway between the two apartments.”
Black marble was used to tile the staircase and hall floor. The antiqued mirrors were an existing feature, but there had been a skylight above them that looked rather dated. Russell updated the space by hiding the skylight and installing spots around the edges, which illuminate the mirrors to give the illusion of daylight. “The black honed marble with the mirrors gives a sense of contemporary living yet looks very grand,” interior designer Paolo Moschino says.
Black marble was used to tile the staircase and hall floor. The antiqued mirrors were an existing feature, but there had been a skylight above them that looked rather dated. Russell updated the space by hiding the skylight and installing spots around the edges, which illuminate the mirrors to give the illusion of daylight. “The black honed marble with the mirrors gives a sense of contemporary living yet looks very grand,” interior designer Paolo Moschino says.
“Because it was originally two separate apartments, there was quite a lot of reconfiguring to do,” Russell says. “For example, we had to create hallways that weren’t there before. It was a matter of enhancing the home without detracting from it.”
“The main challenge was to create a seamlessly uniform space,” Moschino says. “To make moving from one building to another as smooth as possible, as if it had always been that way.”
“The main challenge was to create a seamlessly uniform space,” Moschino says. “To make moving from one building to another as smooth as possible, as if it had always been that way.”
The living and dining rooms in particular reflect the owners’ personalities and their glamorous and eclectic tastes. “It’s an amazing double reception room with five French windows leading into the garden,” Moschino says. “It’s an open and elegant space that’s ideal both for entertaining and family life.”
Russell exposed and, where the condition wasn’t great, restored or replaced the original crown molding and paneling, which had all been covered in drywall by previous owners. A dark oak stain was used for the parquet floors, which need to be treated every two or three years to maintain their richness and depth of color.
A double-sided fireplace was fitted where the wall between the apartments used to be, and the chimney was built from scratch. It now acts as a divider between the living and dining areas. Because it was a new fireplace, obtaining the necessary permits, as well as taking the appropriate safety precautions to ensure it complied with all regulations, was a lengthy process. The fireplace also had to be created with the safety of surrounding art and furniture in mind. Moschino selected these antique armchairs, along with all the artwork.
The owners chose to keep the two spaces open so guests could move easily from one room to the next; that also maximized the light throughout. The layout and the lighting are what give the rooms a sense of space.
“We decided on two tables in the dining area, as they are ideal for an intimate, cozy dinner party or can be joined to create one long table for large gatherings,” Moschino says. The solid wood chairs have rings fitted to the backs to make them easy to pull out, while protecting the fabric.
Dining chairs: similar at Eichholtz; pendant lights: Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam
“We decided on two tables in the dining area, as they are ideal for an intimate, cozy dinner party or can be joined to create one long table for large gatherings,” Moschino says. The solid wood chairs have rings fitted to the backs to make them easy to pull out, while protecting the fabric.
Dining chairs: similar at Eichholtz; pendant lights: Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by photographer Chris Levine, titled Lightness of Being, is backlit. “It’s a stunning effect when you’re in the room,” Russell says.
The 550-square-foot kitchen was fitted throughout with Italian marble: Carrara for the counters and backsplash and Statuario for the floor. “The kitchen was the drawing room of the former flat, and I thought all marble would give a sense of space and contemporary luxury living,” Moschino says.
“The ceiling lights were inspired by catwalk lights, as the owner is involved in fashion,” he says.
The lighting rig enhances the molding in the kitchen and elsewhere, Russell adds.
“The ceiling lights were inspired by catwalk lights, as the owner is involved in fashion,” he says.
The lighting rig enhances the molding in the kitchen and elsewhere, Russell adds.
The giant photos on the wall, as striking as the other artwork in the flat, are blown-up versions of the owners’ own vacation snapshots.
The lights above the kitchen table create an intimate ambience after dark, giving the large, grand space a cozy feel for family dinners.
Dining chairs: similar at OKA
Dining chairs: similar at OKA
The owners wanted custom-fitted closets, complete with purpose-built compartments for clothes and accessories. Russell built these along both sides of the corridor connecting to the bathroom.
The closet design includes open, pullout storage for accessories, making things easy to find.
The bathroom is entirely custom and features brass fixtures and mirrored surfaces throughout. Most of them conceal storage spaces, making this an efficient as well as stylish space.
Faucets: similar at Lefroy Brooks
Faucets: similar at Lefroy Brooks
A little nod to the old apartment can be found in the guest bedroom. The material behind the decorative wooden detailing on the closet is actually the original curtain fabric from the room. It was starched and pinned to the doors in a clever bit of recycling.
The home gym is in a smallish, semi-open-plan space next to an informal sitting room. It feels light and airy thanks to the skylight. Russell also installed an air-conditioning system to keep it cool.
The gym and small sitting room are separated by an open bookcase to allow daylight into the living space, which the family uses as a comfy lounge.
The sitting room serves as the family TV room. “It’s very cozy to have a small TV room on the same floor as the bedrooms, and the same goes for the practical gym next to it,” Moschino says.
The children have a designated space where they can do their homework and play. “It’s their own little zone,” Russell says. Storage was a key request, and the room is filled with built-in cupboards by the door, long storage seats for toys and easy-access shelves for books and DVDs.
Jam office chair: Calligaris
Jam office chair: Calligaris
The first-floor plan shows how the entertaining spaces are connected. There’s one bedroom on this level, with four more on the floor above, along with the gym, sitting room and children’s playroom.
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Who lives here: A professional couple and their children, ages 9, 6 and 2
Location: West London
Size: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms
Designers: Architect John Russell of Tyler Mandic; interior designer Paolo Moschino of Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam
Key to this project was the fact that the family wanted the home to be easy to maintain, but without sacrificing style. Architect John Russell was careful to preserve and enhance the period features, such as the crown molding and paneling, as a simple and practical way to bring in detail. Many of the features were custom-built to match the period of the property. “We wanted everything to be sympathetic — to be mindful of the building rather than trampling over it,” Russell says.