Houzz Tour: A Fabulous Flat With a Chic Monochrome Look
Less is more in this simply styled pied-à-terre, designed with downtime in mind
After a hectic day of work or travel, this home from home provides the perfect crash pad for its busy owner. Based in Holland, he spends a night or two in London every week and wanted somewhere simple that would also appeal to his family. “He’d owned the apartment for a few years, but his wife found the space very dreary and never wanted to come over,” says Celine Erlam of Indie & Co, who was in charge of giving the flat a makeover. “I realised when I completed the project that it was all about her, but he didn’t tell me that until it was finished!”
Serenity was what the owner wanted and it was achieved throughout the flat and in this open-plan living/dining/kitchen space with muted colours, uncluttered walls and sleek, pared-back furnishings. “The owner has a very hectic life, he travels a lot, so he just wanted somewhere very peaceful where he could disconnect,” Erlam explains.
Sofa and armchair, Viaduct.
Linen Roman blinds, Natural Curtain Company. The coffee table is a vintage piece.
See another compact monochrome home
Sofa and armchair, Viaduct.
Linen Roman blinds, Natural Curtain Company. The coffee table is a vintage piece.
See another compact monochrome home
Several cabinets were removed from the kitchen to open up the space before the doors were replaced with a more streamlined design. “It didn’t need to be super well equipped or too extravagant because the owner literally boils and egg in the morning,” says Erlam, who also had concrete worktops installed. “Originally we weren’t going to touch the kitchen but as he felt comfortable with my work the owner increased the budget and in the end we did quite a bit.”
The renovation had its challenges. “Installing the concrete worktops was a complete nightmare. They are heavy and the apartment is on the fourth floor and there’s no lift.” The effort was worth it as the new worktops give a high-end finish.
‘About A’ stools, Viaduct. Concrete worktops, lowinfo.
‘About A’ stools, Viaduct. Concrete worktops, lowinfo.
Even the contents of the kitchen cupboards were refreshed. “I bought plates and bowls that are slightly rustic but also quite modern,” says Erlam.
Bowls, The White Company.
Bowls, The White Company.
The open-plan kitchen/dining/living room has patio doors that lead out onto a small terrace. A statement pendant helps to define the dining area.
Dining table, chairs and Parison pendant light, all Viaduct. Linen curtains, Natural Curtain Company.
Dining table, chairs and Parison pendant light, all Viaduct. Linen curtains, Natural Curtain Company.
Erlam was responsible for sourcing artwork as well as furniture. “My client showed me a few beautiful pictures to give me an idea of what he liked, but he left the spec very wide. He used to live in South Africa and really liked it there, so I took that as an influence for the art.” Adding a few colourful pieces is all that was needed to lift the flat’s monochrome scheme.
Desk and chair, Viaduct.
Painting sourced through Luminaire Arts.
Desk and chair, Viaduct.
Painting sourced through Luminaire Arts.
The main bedroom is minimalist yet welcoming. The simple décor allows the sloping ceiling to become a real feature.
Caravaggio Read lamps, Fritz Hansen.
Caravaggio Read lamps, Fritz Hansen.
“I approached this project a bit like I would a hotel room,” says Erlam. So everything is pared-back and all the furniture has clean lines to create a sense of space in the compact flat.
Sidetable, Viaduct.
Sidetable, Viaduct.
A shallow cupboard has been built in under the window. “There’s also a whole wall of wardrobes to the right,” says Erlam, “so storage space isn’t a problem.”
The main bedroom has an en-suite shower room with unobtrusive fittings and a barely visible screen to maximise the sense of space.
Basin, Lusso Stone. Coco Queen mirror, Holly’s House.
Basin, Lusso Stone. Coco Queen mirror, Holly’s House.
Attention to detail is clear in the shower, which has tiles in muted, subtly different tones. “None of them are the same, so it creates really interesting patterns,” says Erlam.
Mate tiles, Domus.
Mate tiles, Domus.
A bold painting provides a focal point in the second bedroom. The twin beds in here are the only furniture that was kept. “We replaced literally everything else,” says Erlam. As space is tight, a wall light was chosen for the side of the bed.
Lean wall light and Yeh Wall table, both Viaduct. Painting sourced through Luminaire Arts.
Lean wall light and Yeh Wall table, both Viaduct. Painting sourced through Luminaire Arts.
A mix of white and grey gives the second bathroom a smart finish. Compact sanitaryware was chosen to fit the small space and Erlam picked a circular mirror to contrast with the sloping ceiling.
Basin, Lusso Stone. Strap mirror, Viaduct. Walls painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball.
Get more fresh ideas for grey bathrooms.
Basin, Lusso Stone. Strap mirror, Viaduct. Walls painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball.
Get more fresh ideas for grey bathrooms.
In the hallway, a slimline console table is decorated with a ceramic dish for keys and a South African-inspired shield. “I didn’t want to make it themed or anything, but it’s reminiscent of the time my client spent there.” And it fits with the flat’s chic monochrome look.
Zulu shield, Design Mix Furniture.
Are you a fan of monochrome? Tell us in the Comments below.
Zulu shield, Design Mix Furniture.
Are you a fan of monochrome? Tell us in the Comments below.
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Who lives here A professional man and his visiting family
Location Bayswater, London
Property A Penthouse apartment in a 1930s building
Size 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms
Designer Celine Erlam of Indie & Co
Photos by DanielRM Photography
“The brief was basically just that he wanted it to be monochrome,” says Erlam, who set up her design company 18 months ago after stints working for furniture company Pinch and New York architecture firm Made. Her client made contact after seeing her work on Houzz. “People usually come to me for an understated look – not overly flamboyant,” explains Erlam and she’s certainly carried off that look here. While the apartment’s layout stayed the same, every wall was painted, every floor was replaced and every piece of furniture (with the exception of twin beds in the second bedroom) exchanged for something sleek and streamlined. Both bathrooms were also refitted in a project that took around nine months to complete.
White oiled oak hardwood floors, Ecora. Saxe chair, By Lassen.