Houzz Tour: Candy Hues Meet Industrial Chic in a London Loft
A minimalist warehouse apartment gets a gutsy makeover for its color-loving owner
Lara Sargent
July 8, 2017
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience writing for national magazines, newspapers and websites.
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience... More
When self-confessed color addict and former shoe designer Cleo Barbour bought her warehouse apartment, it had an extremely minimalist look that was the complete opposite of her style. “It was very much a 1990s bachelor pad,” says James Owen Webster, architectural designer at Alexander Owen Architecture, who helped realize Cleo’s vision. “Cleo was a shoe and accessories designer and, having grown up in an artistic family, she is obsessed with color and has an eye for design and detail. She wanted her home to reflect her personality as well as her brand, so it had to be bold and playful yet refined, with no boundaries when it came to color.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Cleo Barbour, a visual artist
Location: Westbourne Park, London
Size: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architectural designers: James Owen Webster and Richard Alexander Bridges of Alexander Owen Architecture
It’s difficult to imagine that Barbour’s vibrant, light-filled home was once a minimalist space. But that’s exactly what it was when she bought the apartment, which is in a building that had been a printing factory and then a bus station.
“Cleo bought the property because of its style, open space and warehouse feel,” Webster says. “Architecturally, therefore, we wanted to keep the detailing robust, telling the story of the domestic conversion by offsetting these details with refined materials, fixtures and fittings.”
Who lives here: Cleo Barbour, a visual artist
Location: Westbourne Park, London
Size: Two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Architectural designers: James Owen Webster and Richard Alexander Bridges of Alexander Owen Architecture
It’s difficult to imagine that Barbour’s vibrant, light-filled home was once a minimalist space. But that’s exactly what it was when she bought the apartment, which is in a building that had been a printing factory and then a bus station.
“Cleo bought the property because of its style, open space and warehouse feel,” Webster says. “Architecturally, therefore, we wanted to keep the detailing robust, telling the story of the domestic conversion by offsetting these details with refined materials, fixtures and fittings.”
The apartment is now packed with color and interesting detail. The double-height living space with mezzanine bedroom was already in place, but it got a kaleidoscopic overhaul. Bright pink and purple paint covers exposed steel girders, and an ombré wall sweeps from turquoise to white and back again.
“Cleo found the ombré wallpaper, but unfortunately the rolls weren’t long enough to stretch the entire height of the living room wall,” Webster says. “So we suggested hanging it from the top down and from the bottom up, creating the effect you see.”
Saraille wallpaper: Designers Guild; sofa: Loaf
“Cleo found the ombré wallpaper, but unfortunately the rolls weren’t long enough to stretch the entire height of the living room wall,” Webster says. “So we suggested hanging it from the top down and from the bottom up, creating the effect you see.”
Saraille wallpaper: Designers Guild; sofa: Loaf
Most of the apartment’s flooring consists of long wood planks.
“We designed the floor-to-wall junction with a shadow gap effect, which sees the walls disappear behind the timber,” Webster says. This gives a streamlined look.
Soap-washed Douglas fir flooring: Dinesen
“We designed the floor-to-wall junction with a shadow gap effect, which sees the walls disappear behind the timber,” Webster says. This gives a streamlined look.
Soap-washed Douglas fir flooring: Dinesen
Cleo requested a bold, playful light fixture in the main living space. It needed to be energy-efficient since she wanted to upgrade the apartment’s energy performance and reduce utility bills. It also had to be low-maintenance because of its high location. Plus, Cleo wanted it to provide both task and mood lighting.
“We designed a triangulated, aluminum framework that could be suspended beneath the existing roof windows,” Webster says. “This was painted candy pink — Cleo’s favorite color. Then low-energy, dimmable LED strips were fitted into recessed channels and covered with a frosted diffuser.”
“We designed a triangulated, aluminum framework that could be suspended beneath the existing roof windows,” Webster says. “This was painted candy pink — Cleo’s favorite color. Then low-energy, dimmable LED strips were fitted into recessed channels and covered with a frosted diffuser.”
As a tribute to the apartment’s factory past, a custom shelf in the living space was made to look like scaffolding. It fits perfectly under the large window that looks out to the terrace.
The main living area opens to the dining space and kitchen, which also are decked out with flashes of bold, bright colors and industrial-style touches.
A stainless steel-topped baking table, found by Cleo in an antiques shop in Staffordshire, England, creates a stunning focal point in the kitchen and provides more counter space.
The architects designed the bare bulb lighting rig and scaffolding shelves to complement the warehouse vibe.
“Being quite a small kitchen, it had to fit a lot in without feeling too cramped,” Webster says. “The open shelving aimed to give a better sense of space, and the concrete [exhaust] fan unit was designed by us to feel as if it were a continuation of the wall.”
Kitchen cabinets: John Lewis of Hungerford
“Being quite a small kitchen, it had to fit a lot in without feeling too cramped,” Webster says. “The open shelving aimed to give a better sense of space, and the concrete [exhaust] fan unit was designed by us to feel as if it were a continuation of the wall.”
Kitchen cabinets: John Lewis of Hungerford
Since Cleo wanted her apartment to be energy-efficient, the original steel windows got double panes.
“Each glazing piece had to be measured and installed individually and mapped for reinstallation into the correct aperture, as some of the framing had warped. This meant every double-glazed unit was a different size,” Webster says.
“Each glazing piece had to be measured and installed individually and mapped for reinstallation into the correct aperture, as some of the framing had warped. This meant every double-glazed unit was a different size,” Webster says.
The existing terrace was designed to match the colorful interior scheme.
“The client wanted a Moroccan-themed terrace, inspired by the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech,” Webster says.
“The client wanted a Moroccan-themed terrace, inspired by the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech,” Webster says.
Exposed steel in turquoise and pink reflects Cleo’s love of color.
“The original beams were boxed in, so we decided to expose them entirely to leave some of the original warehouse features in place,” Webster says. “They needed to be treated with intumescent paint for fire regulations.”
“The original beams were boxed in, so we decided to expose them entirely to leave some of the original warehouse features in place,” Webster says. “They needed to be treated with intumescent paint for fire regulations.”
The striking spiral staircase leading up to the mezzanine level was originally clad in tiles. It was stripped back to the metal and painted.
Candy-pink cabinets conceal the washing machine and dryer in the shower room. They match the pink tile grout.
The architects designed the interior doors.
“In terms of design, we wanted them to be simple, bold doors which would suit Cleo’s personality as well as the warehouse setting,” says Richard Alexander Bridges, Webster’s business partner. “They have magnets concealed in the door frame, instead of door catches and standard handles.”
“In terms of design, we wanted them to be simple, bold doors which would suit Cleo’s personality as well as the warehouse setting,” says Richard Alexander Bridges, Webster’s business partner. “They have magnets concealed in the door frame, instead of door catches and standard handles.”
Romantic and glamorous, the spectacular mezzanine master bedroom features a palette of turquoise, peach and pink, plus brushed gold fixtures and modern artworks by Peter McDonald and Tommy Penton.
“The radiator was custom-sprayed, and the wallpaper is a continuation of the living room paper,” Webster says. “The decorator nearly had a nervous breakdown — we had to ask him to rehang a few strips to reach an exacting standard!”
“The radiator was custom-sprayed, and the wallpaper is a continuation of the living room paper,” Webster says. “The decorator nearly had a nervous breakdown — we had to ask him to rehang a few strips to reach an exacting standard!”
Cleo asked for her bedroom to be left totally open to the downstairs floor.
“It isn’t screened from downstairs, but the external windows have blinds to the street,” Webster says. “We suggested designing a collapsing screen, but she was happy with it being open.”
“It isn’t screened from downstairs, but the external windows have blinds to the street,” Webster says. “We suggested designing a collapsing screen, but she was happy with it being open.”
At the other end of the mezzanine bedroom is an amazing custom “shoe wardrobe,” which is both glamorous and practical.
“The wardrobe needed to be a statement piece for Cleo,” Webster says, “but beyond that, it needed to be robust for constant use and also allow Cleo’s shoes to do the talking!”
When the glass door to each section is opened, a shelf glides forward with the selected shoes. “We used car parts to achieve the sliding drawer mechanism and also UV-protection glass, as Cleo didn’t want the sunlight to fade the color of the shoes in any way.”
“The wardrobe needed to be a statement piece for Cleo,” Webster says, “but beyond that, it needed to be robust for constant use and also allow Cleo’s shoes to do the talking!”
When the glass door to each section is opened, a shelf glides forward with the selected shoes. “We used car parts to achieve the sliding drawer mechanism and also UV-protection glass, as Cleo didn’t want the sunlight to fade the color of the shoes in any way.”
More storage hides behind giant sliding mirrored doors, which enhance the feeling of space in the room.
Coral-colored drawers in the closet open to reveal an orderly array of jeweled shoe trims and accessories.
Cleo stands beside her shoe wardrobe, which not only provides storage, but also acts as a standout feature.
The master en suite has a tropical vibe, with a lime-green roll-top bathtub and foliage to match the wallpaper.
This pink-and-turquoise door leads to the guest bedroom.
The guest bedroom has accents of purple and mint green to lift the otherwise monochrome scheme.
From the outside, you can get a glimpse of Cleo’s bold color choices.
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Just adorable. I would never have thought of putting colour into and industrial space. What a glorious achievement. I'm bursting with admiration. So imspiring.
Love the funky colourful design except purple sofa But everything else is great. Plants in bathroom I love and have incorporated same in mine. They do transform a once sterile looking bathroom.
Fun place, love the interior doors !