1Bridge for Design Spring 2015

152 Bridge for Design Spring 2015

SOPHIE PATERSONInspired by

WORDS MARK THOMPSON | PHOTOGRAPHS RAY MAIN

A Chelsea townhouse once painted jet black by a rock star gets an uplifting makeover

153Bridge for Design Spring 2015

LEFT: The client wanted to reuse her leather furniture from Poltrona frau, Sophie added some textile cushions to break up the leather and toned down the yellow in the furniture by adding a taupe rug from the rug company. The geometric cabinets on either side of the fireplace are from Birgit Israel and their bold design balances the previously dominating leather furniture. The walls were covered in a silk wall covering for a touch of luxury and to add another layer of texture in the room. The blinds in their dark taupe silk with black inlaid border coordinate perfectly with the geometric banding on the black lacquer and mirrored cabinets.TOP: Sophie Paterson, best known for her classic contemporary style

Y ou might think that a designer on being told by her client that they didn’t want an interior like anything she had designed previously might want to ‘run for the hills’. But not Sophie Paterson, she saw it as a challenge.

‘As a designer it can be quite disconcerting not being able to work with your signature style. There were aspects of previous projects that she liked but not whole rooms and certainly not whole projects – at first I wasn’t sure why she hired me! But I knew immediately even if it would take me a while to immerse myself into her aesthetic that I would enjoy working with her.’ Two years on and after thousands of e-mails in each others inboxes discussing every element of the house the house is finally finished and the pair remain firm friends. The house in question is in the heart of London’s Chelsea and was once owned in the 1970’s by David Bowie who, during the miner’s strike, painted the entire interior jet black to try and understand the conditions experienced by those who worked in the coalmines. Today the five-storey stucco townhouse is a little more uplifting. The imposing hallway with its antique silk rug and oversized chandeliers from Jamb leads to a glamorous kitchen which spans the entire ground floor with a rich palette of high gloss Macassar ebony, Arabescato marble and smoked mirror inspired by the décor in Tom Ford boutiques.

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TOP: The conservatory area at the end of the kitchen- this previously unused area was made much more comfortable by replacing the previous 1960’s modern conservatory with a traditional wooden framed conservatory more in keeping with the architecture of this Georgian townhouse. Pinoleum blinds shelter the space from the south facing garden and strong sunlight giving a dappled light and airconditioning ensures it doesn’t get too hot in the summer. The leather chesterfield was previously in the client’s living room but fitted just perfectly and works with the masculine design of the kitchen. The antique Louis Vuitton trunk was sourced by Sophie for her client who is now an avid collector. The wall lights with the subtle use of macassar ebony tie in perfectly with the kitchen and the painting was one of the client’s existing pieces that she hadn’t found a home for before the renovationRIGHT: The four poster bed from Ralph Lauren was the client’s starting point for her dream bedroom, Sophie mixed in a combination of antiques such as the rug along with bespoke contemporary pieces such as the leather upholstered wardrobes and leather armchair from poltrona frau, which again was an existing piece that belonged to the client.

To the rear of the kitchen there is a compact conservatory used as a sitting area with a traditional black leather chesterfield and antique Louis Vuitton trunk doubling up as a coffee table, French doors open onto a paved garden with raised flowerbeds. On the lower ground level there is a guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom, a utility room and a TV room lined in taupe suede. The formal living room is on the first floor furnished with antiques and contemporary furniture. The master bedroom takes up the whole of the second floor with a grand four poster bed from Ralph Lauren while the fifth floor houses two guest bedrooms – with one which doubles up as a study – and further stairs to a roof terrace with views across London. The clients, both partners in a law firm, had owned and lived in the house for 18 months prior to instructing Sophie to redesign the interiors. They wanted to fully understand how they wanted to live in the property and the changes they wanted to make. The project was complete refurbishment: reconfiguring the layout, reinstating

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TOP: The glamorous bespoke kitchen with high gloss macassar cabinets and arabescato marble work tops and smoked mirror splash backs. The high gloss finishes bounces light across the space, countering the dark colour palette ABOVE: This side board in the formal living room is made from high gloss macassar ebony, one of the client’s favourite wood grains. It houses their extensive collection of board games. The geometric paintings were acquired by the client after the room was finished and happen to tie in perfectly with the geometric patterns in the cushionsLEFT: The dining area in the kitchen- the client wanted this space to feel very glamorous, as it is the sole dining area in the property and so she wanted to be able to host dinner parties in here without it feeling too informal despite being open plan with the kitchen. An oversized chandelier was installed to emphasize the grand ceiling height and create a dramatic focal point. The faux shagreen wallpaper on the chimney breast zones this area and creates a visual barrier between the preparation area of the kitchen and the dining area of the kitchen. Sophie chose the blue grey colour scheme to complement the client’s existing painting of the elephant.

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Interio | 555 Kings Road | Chelsea London SW6 2EB | +44 1202 717017 | Email: sales@interio.co.uk

John-Richard | 306 Eastman | Greenwood, Mississippi 38930, USA | 866.389.6642 | www.johnrichard.comSophie Paterson InteriorsT: +44 (0)137 246 2529

www.sophiepatersoninteriors.com

TOP: The third guest bedroom with lamps and side tables from Porta Romana. The zebra print cushions are from Andrew Martin, with Ralph Lauren throw LEFT: The grand entrance hall has a strong contemporary stair runner to create a focal point and dramatic entrance. The chandeliers from Jamb complement the period features and tie in with the bronze ironmongery used throughout the house. The antique mirror was sourced by Sophie for her client in Petworth, West Sussex which is one of her favourite places to source for antiques for her clients. The console in macassar ebony was designed bespoke for the space by Sophie, the half moon shape is less intrusive than a sharp angled piece but provides a convenient place to house a candle and store post

architectural details such as cornices and fireplaces, new bathrooms, kitchen flooring and furnishing throughout. They wanted to have a lot of input themselves and to approve every single detail. The brief they set was that they wanted the house ‘not to look as if it had been interior designed’. They wanted the interiors to reflect their own personal taste and for the furniture to feel like it had been collected over time rather that ordered and installed at once. ‘We clicked from the beginning and had a lot of mutual respect so it was just such a satisfying journey for us to create the perfect home for her together – a unique space that is unlike any other I have ever designed,’ says Sophie. ‘All in all we spent two years creating the home together and didn’t use a single mood board!’