MADE IN - Sophie Paterson Interiors

MADE IN
CHELSEA
Luxurious materials are teamed with a chic
palette, resulting in a top class look.
PHOTOS PATRICK BUTLER-MADDEN
WORDS AMELIA THORPE
The beautiful lines of the
walnut veneer kitchen
cabinetry work wonders
alongside a mirrored wall,
with a glamorous dining
area within easy reach.

‘I used exotic timber and mirror to add glamour
and prevent the space looking too utilitarian.’
DESIGN PROFILE
The four floors of this Chelsea town house are
dressed to impress. A bespoke walnut veneer
kitchen, designed to accentuate its beautiful
horizontal grain, blends beautifully with
glamorous dining and living areas. A mirrored
splashback, polished Nero Assoluto counter
top and chrome handles reflect maximum
light in the room, while Macassar Ebony
veneer detailing completes the look. The
master bedroom is an inviting retreat with a
private terrace and en suite, while the guest
bedrooms and family bathroom feature a
similar colour scheme with individual accents.
Design: Sophie Paterson Interiors.
Tel: 020 7370 2210.
sophiepatersoninteriors.com.
Prices available on consultation.
Amidst the stucco-fronted Georgian
houses of Chelsea, the exterior of
this house on one of the area’s most
gracious streets looked just like its
neighbours. But, open the front door, as interior
designer Sophie Paterson did one morning,
and things rapidly took a turn for the worse. ‘It
was a total wreck,’ recalls Sophie. ‘The interior
of the house was in such a bad condition that
the only thing to do was rip everything out and
start again from the beginning.’
Sophie’s next visit was slightly more
promising. Her client, a property developer,
had begun installing a basement, as well as
renovating the entire house, adding new
floors, heating, wiring and plumbing. But, as
the only way to view the rooms on the top
floors was up a rickety ladder, Sophie decided
that a full survey of the project would have to
wait just a few more weeks until the new
staircase was in place. ‘It did give me time to
think,’ she says. ‘I started to envisage the type of
people who might live there and that really
helped me to put together the interior design
scheme for the house.’
So just who did Sophie imagine might buy
the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home?
‘In my mind’s eye, I built a picture of quite a
cosmopolitan couple wanting a luxurious
London base,’ she explains. ‘I imagined that
they would like to entertain and have guests to
stay, so I spent quite a lot of time spaceplanning
the house, working out the
individual functions of each room.’ While the
basement was to accommodate the home
theatre, Sophie also created a guest suite
Above A contemporary
glass hood works
perfectly with this
mirrored splashback,
keeping the sight lines
open, while a sleek
induction hob echoes
the clean angles of
the furniture.
Right Soft fabrics,
cushions and upholstery
have been used to define
the lounge area from the
rest of the space.
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‘Upstairs features
a living, dining and
cooking space.’
with its own private shower room on the lower
level, so that visitors could have their own
private space when visiting.
Upstairs, Sophie’s greatest challenge was
creating a glamorous living, dining and
cooking space. ‘As the house is old, it is quite
narrow,’ she explains. ‘I felt that an open-plan
arrangement would work best and make the
room feel as spacious as possible.’ The staircase
to the side of the room is designed to be
unobtrusive, while its contemporary glass
balustrade adds to the airy feeling, and the
rich walnut used for the treads has also been
used on the floor of the living area for
Above A cleverlypositioned
roof lantern
fills the kitchen with
natural light, which is
reflected from the
glass splashback.
Left Super-sleek
integrated appliances
are positioned in a
well-considered
working triangle.

A richly upholstered
bed is teamed with
luxurious textiles while
mirrored furniture adds
glitz to the scheme.
‘Itisthetopfloormastersuitethat
givesa‘wow’factor.Glassdoorsleadto
aprivateterracewithviewsacrossthe
gardensandrooftops.’

Above A bespoke
wooden wardrobe, made
especially for the sloping
ceiling, echoes the
cabinetry in the kitchen
and is illuminated by
task lights above.
Above left Layered
throws in muted tones
offer different textures.
Left Natural wood,
mirrored and hand-beaten
metal accessories add
extra interest to the
relaxed scheme.
‘Each bedroom is designed in a palette of soft
neutrals with glamorous accents.’
continuity. Shades of taupe and cream have
been used in the living area, with touches of
polished chrome and dark wood added as
accents. ‘It was important to make the interior
quite neutral to appeal to as many potential
buyers as possible,’ says Sophie, ‘but that
doesn’t mean it can’t be luxurious and warm.’
At the far end of the large room, Sophie
designed a skylight to add natural light to the
kitchen, echoing the design in a ceiling recess,
lit with uplighters, above the dining table.
While the kitchen cabinetry, made of walnut
veneer to Sophie’s own design, conceals
storage and appliances, the mirrored
splashback reflects maximum light in the
space. ‘I used exotic timber and mirror to add
glamour and also, in an open-plan
entertaining space like this, I didn’t want the
room to feel too utilitarian,’ she explains.
Lights above the tall cabinetry draw the eye to
the elegant Macassar Ebony detailing. ‘It’s
often very important to light up dark corners
and edges of a room, because that makes the
whole space feel larger,’ adds Sophie.
While the first floor is home to another
guest bedroom, family bathroom and
study/fourth bedroom, each designed in a
palette of soft neutrals with glamorous accents,
it is the top floor master suite that gives a ‘wow’
factor. Glass doors lead to a private terrace with
views across the gardens and roof tops. ‘It really
is a lovely spot,’ says Sophie. ‘It’s one of the
tallest properties in the area, so the views are
spectacular.’ The entire floor is given over to
the master bedroom, with itsneatensuite
showerroom.‘Ihavetriedtouse a combination
ofsimilarcoloursandmaterials,suchaswalnut,
throughout the house, because it helps the
spaces to flow and work together
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Neptune honed
limestone wall and
floor tiles create a
sophisticated look in
the master bathroom.
‘Crisp white
sanitaryware and
accessories bring a
lighter atmosphere.’

‘Limestone is
a material that
looks good for
years to come.’
beautifully,’ she adds. Neptune honed
limestone floor and wall tiles were chosen to
clad the family bathroom as it’s a hardwearing
material which will look good for years to
come. The rich décor is accented by crisp white
sanitaryware and accessories, bringing a
lighter atmosphere. Carefully positioned
niches in the wall over the bath provide clever
decorative storage space, as well as adding
interest to this largely neutral scheme. The
care and attention paid to the design of this
desirable Chelsea home resulted in a large
space, with a united design scheme.
So, did buyers agree? Snapped up within
days of completion at record setting levels for
the local price per sq. ft, it certainly sounds as if
they did. Says Sophie, ‘It just goes to show the
importance of dressing your property to its
very best for sale.’
Recessed niches make
decorative storage
space, while sleek
brassware enhances the
contemporary look.
STOCKISTS INFORMATION
APPLIANCES
H5961B single oven, £2,590; H5040 BM combination
microwave, £1,582; CVA5060 coffee machine,
£1,799; KM5993 induction hob, £1,800; KF1901VI
integrated fridge/freezer, £3,290; WT 2789 I
washer dryer, £1,760; KWT4154 UG-1 wine cooler,
£1,299; G1282SCVi integrated dishwasher, £1,010;
DA 249-4 cooker hood, £840; all at Miele.
FIXTURES AND FURNISHINGS
Similar tap, Quadro Hi-Tech with pull-out rinse,
£695; Similar undermounted sink, Just, £434; both at
Sterling; Mirrored splashback, priced to order;
Nero Assoluto granite worktops, priced to order;
Dining chairs, £280 each; Bespoke wool rug (in
living area) with black leather trim, £2,500; Ginger
jars, from £200 each; all at Sophie Paterson
Interiors; Orient dining table, from £479, at Frances
Hunt; Similar travertine flooring, from £24 per sq.
m, at Stonell; Venus armchairs, £995 each; Similar
coffee table, Soho, £795; Similar console table,
Black Lacquer, £795; Cushion and curtain fabrics,
from a selection; all at Andrew Martin; Daisy sofa,
£830, at Sofa.com; Loop Leg sideboard in Wenge,
£699, at Dwell; Similar walnut flooring, from a
selection, at The Natural Wood Floor Company.
MASTER BEDROOM
Bespoke bed head, £950, plus four metres of Jane
Churchill Calvo Velvet fabric in Mink, £39 per m;
Teide carpet in Taupe, £53 per sq. m; Bespoke
walnut wardrobe, priced to order; at Sophie
Paterson Interiors; Bedcovers and cushions, from a
selection, at The White Company; Similar bedside
tables, Luna, £162, at Ivory Pearl Interiors; Similar
bedside lamps, from a selection, at Marks &
Spencer; Blinds in Zoffany Fiamma in Hazel Grey,
£86 per m; Walls painted in Silver emulsion, £50 per
2.5 litres; both at Zoffany.
FAMILY BATHROOM
Zone basin, £590; Zone back-to-wall wc, £330; both
at C.P. Hart; Squaro Quaryl bath, £743, at Villeroy &
Boch; Gessi Rettangolo T basin mixer with curved
spout, £485, at Chartley; Signorini Ultraslim shower
head, £2,636, at Bathroom Trading Barnet; Sussex
Range Brunswick towel rail, £595, at JIS Europe;
Neptune honed limestone floor and wall tiles,
from £71 per sq. m, at Mandarin Stone.
*Prices are approximate.
For stockists, see page 192.
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