How the colours of the seasons are captured in a Belgravia apartment
Luxury residential is an established part of the London landscape, but in recent years developers have been moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to the interiors of these prime properties, giving designers more freedom to inject them with a personality and a point of view.
A perfect example of this new approach is the apartment in the Chelsea Barracks development designed by Studio Squire. Founder Angelica Squire used the project as an opportunity to celebrate the best of contemporary British design and craft, while rooting it firmly in its iconic London location.
Without a specific individual to design for, Angelica looked to the surroundings of the building for inspiration for her scheme, which draws, in particular, on the changing colours of London’s famous plane trees.
‘We took inspiration from the Mulberry Square seasonal garden and the nearby Chelsea Flower Show and Chelsea Physic Garden,’ she explains, ‘looking at the different colours and tones one sees throughout the year within flowers and nature.’
The apartment enjoys spectacular views across the city, taking in London’s most famous landmarks as well as the canopy of trees that turns from vivid green to gold and cinnamon brown across the year. ‘These shades can be seen repeated in upholstery pieces, artwork and accessories throughout the apartment,’ she adds.
Angelica was keen to showcase the output of the best British craftspeople making today, turning to nearby Pimlico Road for many of the makers including Pinch, Rose Uniacke, Colefax & Fowler and Soane Britain.
‘We enjoyed commissioning and designing bespoke pieces that are beautifully crafted and to be treasured for years to come,’ she says, adding, ‘we also sourced antiques from 1stDibs, Brownrigg Interiors and Dorian Caffot de Fawes.’
The seasons are subtly woven into the spaces; one of her favourites is the dining room with its autumnal palette and rich velvet textures. It is painted in a moody mossy green – Bauwerk’s ‘Moreton Bay Fig’ – with a striking four-metre-long dining table in black American walnut by Ed Keyser and huge rattan and brass pendant lights from Soane Britain above.
The main bedroom continues the nature-inspired narrative, with wintry hues of pale blue and cream, and cocooning layers of cashmere and wool.
Angelica also injected more character into the interiors through art; pieces were sourced from internationally acclaimed London gallery Lyndsey Ingram and include work by Michael Landy, Kate Friend, Ramón Enrich, Andrew Viner, John Goodison and Hannah Ludnow.
Without knowing exactly who is going to be living here, Angelica has designed a home full of colour and character that is perfectly suited to this charismatic corner of the city and all that it has to offer. ‘Our scheme had to take into consideration the lifestyle of the future residents,’ she notes. ‘We’ve created a space that will be vibrant year round and appeal to a range of needs, from relaxing and working to entertaining.’ studiosquire.co.uk
