Hello and Happy Friday, I’ve been running around London Design Festival this week finding lots of amazing things to show you, but I still found a couple of cool houses for you to virtually visit. Starting with this two bedroom penthouse in Clerkenwell. It’s actually in Dance Square – how’s that for a brilliant address?
It’s on the market with The Modern House for £3,250,000 and I’m not entirely sure these pictures do it justice. There is, apparently, a living wing and a sleeping wing and the two parts are divided by an atrium and a huge water feature.
But never mind all that, let’s deal with the visible parts such as this poured resin floor and timber ceiling. That’s a really great idea; so often these very modern buildings, which look amazing from the outside end up a little cold and stark inside. The wooden ceiling (remember what I was saying last week) really softens these rooms.
I’m finding that kitchen a little too, shall we say “architectural”, for my taste and I think I would add another shelf and make both of them in glass and then fill them with white crockery and perhaps lots of herbs and suddenly it would take on a whole different look.
It would also mirror this fantastic roof terrace below which would be an amazing place to sit. I might sit here all winter long (wrapped in a blanket).
What do you think of the dining table? I love the flash of orange legs and, while I like the tree trunk stools – at least I do if I can think they came from a wood near the architect or vendor’s house – they don’t look that comfy to me. Not sure I’d be staying late if I got an invite to dinner here. Maybe that’s the plan.
Although, having said that, the multi-coloured sofas above are perfect for this house. Again they’re an unexpected choice for such a modern space and I think they work really well.
Now, where shall we go next? How about this maisonette in Notting Hill, west London, which is for sale through Domus Nova for £1,850,000. It has two bedrooms and a balcony and is on the second and third floors of a converted Victorian House.
It’s a silly price (obviously) but that’s because it’s in west London but it has great spaces and with a few tweaks would make an amazing home. The first of which is bigger rugs. These are too small. There is a sort of rule with rugs which is the four, four, two rule, no not that one.
Thus: either you have all four legs on the rug. Or you have just the front two. Or perhaps you have the front legs of the sofa and all four legs of the chair. Or variations thereof. The point being that while most arrangements – flowers, objets etc should often be in odd numbers, this requires evens. So you need big rugs.
Otherwise they look like tiny little islands floating in a sea of wood. Which turns them from an object of beauty into a trip hazard.
Otherwise I love the old table and more modern furniture although if you look closely at that grey chair it’s wearing protective socks on its back legs, which, if the rug was large enough, it wouldn’t need to. Hashtag just sayin’.
Also I would paint the kitchen really, really dark to match the stairs. And make a feature of it being enclosed and at the end of the room. But I’m about £1,849,000 short of being able to do that, so, dear reader, if you end up buying this then that’s my design advice for you! That and books. Those shelves are literally crying out for books. Weeping they are.
So enough house nosiness. I’ll see you back for more next week… There will be objects of design and more loveliness in the meantime.
fab voyeuristic start to the day thank you 🙂
totally agree with your comments….. and if only I had the money……