P R O P E R T Y & D E S I G N C O N S U L T A N T
VICKI ZIMMER
P R O P E R T Y & D E S I G N C O N S U L T A N T
This top floor flat in Notting Hill was completely renovated for American clients who wanted a New York loft feel.
The flat is very small so we created a feeling of light and space by removing the ceiling up into the rafters and installing skylights in the roof. The doors and window architraves were also heightened making the rooms appear larger. The addition of floor to ceiling mirror on the chimney breast enlarged the space further. Pop art prints and some mid century style pieces of furniture pulled together the look, combined with pale beech floorboards and neutral wall colours.
This top floor flat in Notting Hill was completely renovated for American clients who wanted a New York loft feel.
The flat is very small so we created a feeling of light and space by removing the ceiling up into the rafters and installing skylights in the roof. The doors and window architraves were also heightened making the rooms appear larger. The addition of floor to ceiling mirror on the chimney breast enlarged the space further. Pop art prints and some mid century style pieces of furniture pulled together the look, combined with pale beech floorboards and neutral wall colours.
This large Notting Hill maisonette had been in the same family for more than 30 years, and was due a total refurbishment while incorporating pieces the owners wanted to retain. The brief was to enhance / reinstate the feel of a grand Victorian house with more modern, contemporary soft furnishings.
The original cornice and rose were stripped and stained to resemble sandstone and a subtle tromp-l’oeil sky added to the ceiling.
The use of a deep colour on the bay windows, and repeated on the opposite wall acts as a backdrop for a huge French antique triptych mirrored screen, creating balance in the room.
Coral velvet on a pair of sofas and an antique French terracotta pithoi flecked with blue, planted with a large tree add accent colours chosen based on an enormous dark floral artwork.
A plush cream rug on the pale oak floor and a couple good 70's pieces by Willie Rizzo and Pierre Vandel balance the new with the old.
The master bedroom in this delightful west facing Whitstable beach house overlooks the sea. The house is a typical two up / two down built around the turn of the last century.
The ceiling was removed creating a large wedge shaped space soaring up into the eves. The beams were left bare with insulation put between them. Crittal doors open onto a terrace where white porcelain tiles that look like wood give the illusion of the interior white floorboards continuing out onto the terrace, blurring the line between inside and out.
The small benches on the terrace, with lavender in zinc planters, hurricane lanterns hung on hooks add to the beach vibes.
A large antique French bed with ticking on the cushions and linen throws create a clean, cozy room.
The use of natural materials wood, glass, wicker and beach pebbles adds to the seaside feel.
This wonderful little house is hidden away behind high walls, surrounded by lush gardens. It was once an artists home and studio, and the new owners wanted to give it more contemporary feel, while making to most of the light and high ceilings.
We used a series of floor to ceiling metal framed glass doors, along the south facing wall to bring the gardens in, when they’re all open the line between inside and outside becomes blurred.
Using solid, heavy material with a slight sheen such as polished concrete and poured terrazzo for the floors throughout the entire ground floor gives a feeling of continuity making the floorspace seem larger and more fluid.
In a small alcove off the main room we created a dining area with floor to ceiling bookcases for a library feel. Refurbished Knoll Platner side chairs with rich yellow velvet upholstery offset by a simple circular solid oak table with a vintage mid century brass counterweight pendant ceiling light.
This one bed flat in a converted Victorian house had been a second home to an American family for a generation. They decided to totally renovate, keeping it as a pied-à-terre when needed, but aimed at the short let rental market for most of the year.
We worked with the owners remotely over an 8 hour time difference to create a spacious feeling, light, contemporary flat.
Old false ceilings were removed, a hallway created, and every nook and cranny was used for clever storage solutions.
We reinstated features reminiscent of the original Victorian ones that had been removed in the past, and added modern pieces to create a current feel, while retaining elements that the family still recognised as ‘home’.
Creating a guest room that is light and ‘neutral’ and not too masculine or feminine in a basement flat, can be tricky as basements are often very dark! Luckily this room gets a surprising amount of morning sun, and mirrored panels on the wardrobe doors are used to bounce the light around which makes the room feel spacious and light.
The walls are painted in a Farrow & Ball Off White which is continued up onto a simple cornice, adding height and character to the room.
Panelling was added to the bare recessed windows to create a period feel in keeping with the age of the house. The window architraves, panelling, entire chimney breast and fireplace are painted in a deep Hague Blue, also from F&B. The dark tones are balanced by the use of sheer muslin on the windows, an antique French bed and white wood floorboards.
