A Lofty Penthouse Is Given A Mid-Century Modern Redesign

So our task was to decorate and refurbish a newly purchased, listed two-bedroom flat in a converted Post Office building, the landmark Beaux-Arts building in North London.

The design would incorporate the client’s taste for mid-century modern design, with loft-style industrial touches to keep the look modern and emphasise the beautiful height and airy feel of the property. As the client would not often be in the property, the design needed to be low maintenance, stylish and designed, without looking too of the moment, with the risk of becoming dated.

The building had previously been used as a Post Office, not a residential space, and was converted into flats in the 90s. The previous style was bland but functional so the idea was to give back some character to the space and combine industrial soft living with the client’s love of mid-century furniture. We chose a mix of vintage and new pieces for his home which added that depth to create a homely and relaxing yet sophisticated look. 

The apartment was a penthouse and had a real lofty feel due to the high ceilings; we wanted to further capture that feeling which is why we chose the crittall window. 

Our client is very sociable and occasionally has friends to stay, so the sofa bed on the mezzanine level now offers that last-minute flexibility. It also offers a cosy space to curl up in and watch a good film, which is something our client loves to do.

By re-sanding the parquet flooring and removing the yellow 90s tint, we exposed the beautiful natural wood finish, which finished off the feel of the room perfectly and fitted with the mid-century vibe. The outside space was brought in, with the use of plants and foliage. 

The stairwell doesn’t benefit from any natural light and is quite narrow, so we made the decision to paint every side a different colour. This was a real success as it brought the area to life. In fact, one of our favourite parts of the project is the staircase because the change has been huge. It has been completely transformed by the contrasting soft pink and bold blue hues, which bring in fun and excitement to what could potentially be a forgotten area. It is now an exciting section of the apartment in its own right.

In the bathroom we created an industrial feel through the dark towel rail and slightly rustic wooden unit, with clean white lines across the walls using timeless Metro tiles, contrasting with the smart black tap, with a little fun injected into the design with the novel toilet roll wall storage. Our client was very tall and was restricted to the old bathroom layout; so by switching the toilet and shower positioning, we were able to provide the client with a much more generous showering space.

We absolutely love the Leon Beton concrete cloud wall storage for spare toilet roll, which sits neatly above the toilet. It combines both humour and function. It comes in a few different sizes; you can see more on the Leon Beton site.

The client’s living space was extended to the outside terraces. These spaces were previously unloved but have been developed to offer outside cooking and dining. Now they are ideal for larger gatherings and summer evenings, you can sit out and look towards the amazing views of London.

Some of our favourite products from the project included the pink neon sign, injecting some fun into the loung, as well as the gorgeous leather occasional chair which comes from Maisons Du Monde. Check it out on their site here. 

Take a look at more images of the project in our portfolio.