Houzz Tour: A Bright Notting Hill Flat With an Intriguing Floating Bed
This west London flat has been opened up, drenched in white and furnished with clever pieces and DIY art for a home that’s chic but fun
There are definitely benefits to renting a home before you buy your own, including having the chance to work out what you like and don’t like, design-wise. Every poorly placed ceiling light or dingy colour scheme becomes a learning curve. So it was for the owner of this two-bedroom apartment in London’s Notting Hill. ‘She had only rented before,’ says Kia Sunda, the interior designer behind its renovation, ‘and so she knew exactly what she didn’t like and what drove her crazy!’
From this catalogue of pet hates grew a list of must-have ingredients and an overall vision for the flat, which Kia developed and designed. Clean lines, plenty of storage and a massive TV were all priorities. Nine months of work transformed the tired interior into a bright, open space. A wall was pulled down between the living area and kitchen, and now light pours in from windows on both sides. Colourful artwork, much of it made by the owner, and carefully sourced pieces take centre stage, while Kia’s ingenious design ideas make the most of every square inch of space.
From this catalogue of pet hates grew a list of must-have ingredients and an overall vision for the flat, which Kia developed and designed. Clean lines, plenty of storage and a massive TV were all priorities. Nine months of work transformed the tired interior into a bright, open space. A wall was pulled down between the living area and kitchen, and now light pours in from windows on both sides. Colourful artwork, much of it made by the owner, and carefully sourced pieces take centre stage, while Kia’s ingenious design ideas make the most of every square inch of space.
LED lights are recessed into the ceiling in a line on one side. ‘The owner is not a fan of spotlights,’ says Kia. ‘There are some in the kitchen, but on the right side we created a channel between the joists that runs the length of the room for a more architectural finish.’
A modern sideboard bridges the space between the kitchen and adjoining living area. ‘We could have built storage here, but the owner didn’t want anything too blocky and prefers freestanding pieces,’ says Kia.
The owner made the simple but surprisingly effective artwork. ‘It’s drinking straws stuck to a canvas,’ says Kia.
Sideboard, Go Modern.
A modern sideboard bridges the space between the kitchen and adjoining living area. ‘We could have built storage here, but the owner didn’t want anything too blocky and prefers freestanding pieces,’ says Kia.
The owner made the simple but surprisingly effective artwork. ‘It’s drinking straws stuck to a canvas,’ says Kia.
Sideboard, Go Modern.
A neat dining area is tucked at the front of the flat, behind the seating area. Again, a piece of homemade art brightens up the white space.
Dining chairs, Go Modern.
Dining chairs, Go Modern.
‘The owner had no furniture,’ says Kia, ‘so we redesigned the space and sourced the pieces for her, leaving her free to buy art, which she enjoyed.’ The white artwork was made by the owner. ‘It’s simply a canvas with polystyrene on it painted white,’ says Kia.
Sofa and Arco floor light, The Conran Shop.
Sofa and Arco floor light, The Conran Shop.
The owner stipulated a huge TV for the living room, but also wanted the space to feel very clean. She needed a lot of storage, too, but wanted low-line pieces, not banks of built-in cupboards. ‘My job was to make all these slightly contradictory ideas gel together,’ says Kia.
To create a cinema-style TV experience, Kia fitted a screen into the ceiling and mounted a projector on the opposite wall. ‘The screen drops down when needed, but for the rest of the time, the focus of this space is the artwork,’ she says.
To create a cinema-style TV experience, Kia fitted a screen into the ceiling and mounted a projector on the opposite wall. ‘The screen drops down when needed, but for the rest of the time, the focus of this space is the artwork,’ she says.
New pale wooden flooring from a specialist trade supplier was laid throughout the apartment. ‘We also installed a skylight above the stairs specifically to bring light into what was a very dark space,’ says Kia.
Discover more crisp white design schemes
Discover more crisp white design schemes
The designer removed the traditional banisters on the upper flight of stairs and fitted a sleek glass alternative. ‘Again, it keeps the space looking light and feeling pleasant,’ says Kia. ‘It became the ideal place to create a picture wall.’
‘The owner wanted something a bit different up here in the bedroom,’ says Kia, who sourced a ‘floating’ bed for her. ‘People ask whether it’s safe!’ she says. ‘It’s completely safe. There is actually a leg in the centre, and the bed has a steel frame and is drilled into a supporting wall. It’s solid!’
Fluttua bed, Lago at Living Space.
Fluttua bed, Lago at Living Space.
The top floor bedroom has two windows and is extremely light. The recipe of white punctuated by the owner’s colourful artwork continues on this floor, and looks fresh and exciting.
Like the bed, the wall-mounted storage units are raised off the floor and seem to float. ‘The idea was to boost the sense of space,’ explains Kia. ‘Physical space is one thing, but we make adjustments to our perception of space based on how we see it and what’s in it. Thanks to all the floor that’s visible beneath the furniture, we see this room as larger than its actual footprint.’
Modular storage, Living Space.
Modular storage, Living Space.
The owner fell in love with this artwork by artist Hush, which she discovered at a local gallery, but it was rather small for this wall. ‘So we set it in a large white frame,’ says Kia. ‘The artwork is not drowned out by it, but now the scale suits the wall it’s hung on.’
‘The bathroom was disastrous before,’ laughs Kia. She moved the toilet to make space for a separate shower to the right of the door (not seen here), and fitted a skylight with a super-slim frame to let in as much light as possible.
‘The owner really wanted a nice bath,’ says Kia. ‘It was something she hadn’t had in previous rented homes.’ The designer fitted a freestanding tub with a backdrop of gorgeous mosaic tiles.
‘Those amazing shimmering tiles are white gold,’ she says. There are more of the golden ones at the top than the bottom, so the design looks like rain pattering into the bath. ‘I wanted to give the space a luxury feel and a bit of glamour,’ Kia adds.
Mosaic tiles, Bisazza at Surface Tiles. All sanitaryware, Livinghouse.
Check out 10 ways to dazzle with mosaic tiles
‘Those amazing shimmering tiles are white gold,’ she says. There are more of the golden ones at the top than the bottom, so the design looks like rain pattering into the bath. ‘I wanted to give the space a luxury feel and a bit of glamour,’ Kia adds.
Mosaic tiles, Bisazza at Surface Tiles. All sanitaryware, Livinghouse.
Check out 10 ways to dazzle with mosaic tiles
Kia has again used the idea of pieces floating to boost the sense of space. ‘The toilet doesn’t actually float, but its rounded shape gives that impression,’ she says.
TELL US…
Are you inspired by this elegant apartment, with its bright, clean feel? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
Are you inspired by this elegant apartment, with its bright, clean feel? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A professional woman
Location Notting Hill, London
Property An apartment on the top two floors of a Victorian building
Designer Kia Sunda of Kia Designs
Size 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
White, handleless units create a sleek, streamlined feel in the kitchen. ‘The owner loves to cook and was spending a lot on appliances, so I trimmed costs by designing the kitchen and getting the builder to install it,’ says Kia. The tubular extractor looks beautifully space age. ‘It was nice to install something with soft lines that looks more like a feature than an appliance,’ she says.
The island’s worktop is gently curved. ‘It looks softer,’ says Kia. ‘Too many straight lines can look harsh.’ She had looked into installing a solid glass worktop. ‘Then we worked out we would need about 24 people to carry it up the stairs and a steel in the floor to support the weight, so I went for Corian instead!’
Kitchen, DIY Kitchens. Extractor, Air Uno. Ovens, Gaggenau.