Houzz Tour: A Bright Riverside Apartment in London
With its sleek, chic styling and fine attention to detail, this London flat does warm contemporary beautifully
Architect Malcolm Crayton of Form Studio and interior designer Elizabeth Bowman have turned this penthouse apartment, spread across three floors, into a luxurious, inviting home. Together they were asked to fill the space with sumptuous, contemporary fixtures and fittings, and furniture and fabrics that would complement the property’s modern architecture. In addition, Crayton designed a central glass staircase to fill the space with light and stylishly link the three floors.
‘The couple wanted a very smart, modern, urban interior – the antithesis of their country home, which is filled with antiques and pattern,’ explains Bowman.
‘The couple wanted a very smart, modern, urban interior – the antithesis of their country home, which is filled with antiques and pattern,’ explains Bowman.
A neutral palette makes up the backdrop to this flat, which is brightened up with touches of colour, principally orange. ‘I went through hundreds of images with the homeowners to get an idea of their style and that helped us to settle on the colour,’ explains Bowman.
Curtain fabric, Zimmer + Rohde. Table, Camerich. Orange chairs, Made.com.
Find out why it’s worth hiring an interior designer
Curtain fabric, Zimmer + Rohde. Table, Camerich. Orange chairs, Made.com.
Find out why it’s worth hiring an interior designer
The owners opted for a very large dining table so they can comfortably entertain their grown-up children and partners when they come to visit. The wooden Wishbone chairs, designed by Hans J Wegner, add a rustic, vintage touch and complement the wooden pendants.
Dining table; Secto pendants, all Coexistence.
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Dining table; Secto pendants, all Coexistence.
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Like most of the fixtures and fittings, the kitchen was custom designed by Crayton at Form Studio. The hard-wearing, practical design features white, sprayed acrylic door finishes and robust Hi-Macs acrylic work surfaces.
Polished aluminium stools add a casual, industrial feel to the island’s eating area, in contrast to the more formal dining space.
Stools, Aram.
Polished aluminium stools add a casual, industrial feel to the island’s eating area, in contrast to the more formal dining space.
Stools, Aram.
The main bedroom on the second floor has an elegant, retro feel. A wood-effect casing covers the wall behind the bed, while the chest of drawers is an antique.
There’s a clever mix of lighting that works for different times of day, including overhead spots for daytime, bedside lamps that throw a warm glow over the room as night falls, and separate, targeted side lights for night-time reading.
Bedside table, Chelsea Textiles. Table lamps, The White Company. Faux-fur throw designed and commissioned by Elizabeth Bowman.
There’s a clever mix of lighting that works for different times of day, including overhead spots for daytime, bedside lamps that throw a warm glow over the room as night falls, and separate, targeted side lights for night-time reading.
Bedside table, Chelsea Textiles. Table lamps, The White Company. Faux-fur throw designed and commissioned by Elizabeth Bowman.
‘There’s a real mix of high street and bespoke buys in this project,’ says Bowman, who likes to mix and match furnishings from several different outlets.
Bed linen, The White Company.
Bed linen, The White Company.
A calmer, more muted palette has been used in the guest bedroom, but, again, the wall behind the bed has been clad in a wood-effect casing to help each space flow into the next.
The sleek wardrobes were designed by Crayton as part of the build, and Bowman designed the hotel-style upholstered bed. Chic, high-level table lamps make a feature of the bed.
Wallpaper, Elitis. Bed linen, The White Company. Tolomeo lamps, Coexistence.
The sleek wardrobes were designed by Crayton as part of the build, and Bowman designed the hotel-style upholstered bed. Chic, high-level table lamps make a feature of the bed.
Wallpaper, Elitis. Bed linen, The White Company. Tolomeo lamps, Coexistence.
Low-energy LED lighting has been used throughout the property and is made to highlight certain features, such as this niche behind the luxurious oval bath. In keeping with the overall contemporary feel, the bathroom floor is covered with concrete-style porcelain tiles.
Floor tiles, Grestone collection at Grestec.
Floor tiles, Grestone collection at Grestec.
On the third floor, there’s an additional living room with a wet bar and this leads on to a roof terrace with great views over London. There’s also a second bathroom up here, so this space can be used as a guest bedroom when required.
Sofa; marble coffee table, both Camerich.
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Sofa; marble coffee table, both Camerich.
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The stairwell is quite compact, so Crayton designed a glass staircase to bring more light into the area and make it feel more spacious.
‘A typical triplex apartment would usually be designed around a signature staircase,’ explains Crayton. ‘In this case, there was a relatively small opening between the entry and middle floors, and this led to the design of the glass staircase, which maximises the opportunity to create a sense of light and openness in what is actually quite a compact, double-height entrance hall.’
TELL US…
Has this contemporary penthouse inspired you? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
‘A typical triplex apartment would usually be designed around a signature staircase,’ explains Crayton. ‘In this case, there was a relatively small opening between the entry and middle floors, and this led to the design of the glass staircase, which maximises the opportunity to create a sense of light and openness in what is actually quite a compact, double-height entrance hall.’
TELL US…
Has this contemporary penthouse inspired you? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A couple who divide their time between this property and their home in the country
Location Bankside, London
Property A triplex apartment built in the 21st century
Size 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Designer Elizabeth Bowman
Architect Malcolm Crayton at Form Studio
The entire first floor of this flat is given over to the kitchen-diner and the main living space. Architect Malcolm Crayton encased the far wall in walnut, which adds warmth to the neutral scheme, and designed a feature fireplace and sliding panels to conceal the TV when it’s not in use. ‘The owners were keen that the TV shouldn’t be prominent,’ explains designer Elizabeth Bowman.
Sofas; chairs; coffee table; occasional tables, all Camerich.