Houzz Tour: A New-build Flat That’s Full of Fun and Personality
A bland white apartment has been turned into a space that reflects the informal, bold character of its owner
Amanda Pollard
20 October 2018
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
When Bhavin Taylor first visited his client’s new-build apartment in London, the space was a white box. “He wanted it to feel homely and full of character,” the designer says. By using a few of the owner’s key pieces as inspiration, Bhavin designed a space that combines bold colour and pattern, but his careful choices when it came to tone and cohesion help the space to feel harmonious.
Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here? A single man
Location Wandsworth Town, south London
Property A new-build flat
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design
Photos by Chris Snook
The seating area in this new-build flat is part of an open-plan living space. “It’s a large and long room, so it was important to create clearly defined zones,” Bhavin says. “They needed to feel separate, but also part of one whole space.”
The owner’s charcoal and mustard rug kicked off the scheme. Bhavin then found this geometric-patterned wallpaper to work with the rug, and based the rest of the design around it.
“Rather than put the wallpaper on just one wall, I added it to the two opposite walls to really create an impact,” he says. “The white wall and sheer curtains help to balance the space and prevent the pattern being too overwhelming.”
Delano Geometric II wallpaper, Cole & Son.
Who lives here? A single man
Location Wandsworth Town, south London
Property A new-build flat
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design
Photos by Chris Snook
The seating area in this new-build flat is part of an open-plan living space. “It’s a large and long room, so it was important to create clearly defined zones,” Bhavin says. “They needed to feel separate, but also part of one whole space.”
The owner’s charcoal and mustard rug kicked off the scheme. Bhavin then found this geometric-patterned wallpaper to work with the rug, and based the rest of the design around it.
“Rather than put the wallpaper on just one wall, I added it to the two opposite walls to really create an impact,” he says. “The white wall and sheer curtains help to balance the space and prevent the pattern being too overwhelming.”
Delano Geometric II wallpaper, Cole & Son.
Bhavin chose a plain mustard sofa to pick up the colour, and added further layers of vibrancy with patterned cushions and a monochrome armchair (pictured in the next photo).
“I went for mirrored side tables to help reflect the light and to add further depth by reflecting the pattern,” he says.
The artwork tones with the mustard and grey theme, but adds some bright reds and greens into the mix of colours.
Sofa, Sofa.com. Cushions, custom-made with fabric from Harlequin. Side tables; table lamps, all West Elm.
“I went for mirrored side tables to help reflect the light and to add further depth by reflecting the pattern,” he says.
The artwork tones with the mustard and grey theme, but adds some bright reds and greens into the mix of colours.
Sofa, Sofa.com. Cushions, custom-made with fabric from Harlequin. Side tables; table lamps, all West Elm.
The kitchen was already in place, so Bhavin toned the soft grey cabinets with dining chairs in a similar shade. “It was important to incorporate a dining table,” he says, “as the owner wanted somewhere to host dinner parties and to work from home.”
He chose a circular table, as it takes up less space but still seats four people comfortably. The walnut finish works well with the warm tones in the flooring.
“The kitchen felt quite separate from the rest of the open-plan room,” Bhavin says. To bring it back into the space, he persuaded the owner to make the bold decision of going for a mustard paint colour on the kitchen walls. “It instantly connected the spaces,” the designer says.
A strip of white wall near the hallway door showcases a floor lamp the owner already had.
Dining table; dining chairs; ladder shelving unit, all West Elm. Kitchen walls painted in colour-match paint, Valspar.
He chose a circular table, as it takes up less space but still seats four people comfortably. The walnut finish works well with the warm tones in the flooring.
“The kitchen felt quite separate from the rest of the open-plan room,” Bhavin says. To bring it back into the space, he persuaded the owner to make the bold decision of going for a mustard paint colour on the kitchen walls. “It instantly connected the spaces,” the designer says.
A strip of white wall near the hallway door showcases a floor lamp the owner already had.
Dining table; dining chairs; ladder shelving unit, all West Elm. Kitchen walls painted in colour-match paint, Valspar.
Next to the dining table is a ladder shelving unit that displays a collection of ornaments.
Find more shelving options in the Houzz Shop
Find more shelving options in the Houzz Shop
“The hallway is quite large, so rather than ignore it, I wanted to make it a separate room in itself,” Bhavin says. He chose a bold-patterned wallpaper and added it to a few walls in the space, leaving a couple white (not pictured).
“The wallpaper has some mustard tones in it, so it connects to the living room,” Bhavin says. “The blue tones tie in with the bedrooms.”
Exuberance wallpaper, Harlequin.
“The wallpaper has some mustard tones in it, so it connects to the living room,” Bhavin says. “The blue tones tie in with the bedrooms.”
Exuberance wallpaper, Harlequin.
The owner already had the console table in his bedroom, so Bhavin moved it into the hall to create a useful focal point, with a mirror above it.
The ceilings in the apartment are fairly low, so the designer was mindful of this when choosing light fittings. For the hallway, he went for a short lead and a shallow pendant with blue and wood tones.
Pendant, Habitat. Mirror, West Elm.
The ceilings in the apartment are fairly low, so the designer was mindful of this when choosing light fittings. For the hallway, he went for a short lead and a shallow pendant with blue and wood tones.
Pendant, Habitat. Mirror, West Elm.
The homeowner already had this bed, so Bhavin worked around the brown headboard, choosing a seagrass wallpaper with brown and blue tones. “It brings the bed colour into the scheme, but lets the blue be the main shade in the room,” he explains.
The dark blue carpet and warm-toned bedside cabinets and armchair give a cosy feel, while light blue lamp bases and curtains pick up the tones in the wallpaper.
Bhavin had hoped to hang linen curtains at the windows, but as the apartment is very close to the river, the moisture would have damaged the fabric over time. Instead, he went for a polyester-linen mix to overcome the problem.
Chino curtain fabric, Sanderson. Pendant light, Made.com. Seagrass wallpaper, Thibaut. Mongolian lambskin cushions; table lamps; bedside tables, all West Elm. Other cushions, custom-made with fabric from Harlequin. Artwork, King & McGaw. Bedding, The White Company. Carpet, Hackney Carpet Warehouse.
The dark blue carpet and warm-toned bedside cabinets and armchair give a cosy feel, while light blue lamp bases and curtains pick up the tones in the wallpaper.
Bhavin had hoped to hang linen curtains at the windows, but as the apartment is very close to the river, the moisture would have damaged the fabric over time. Instead, he went for a polyester-linen mix to overcome the problem.
Chino curtain fabric, Sanderson. Pendant light, Made.com. Seagrass wallpaper, Thibaut. Mongolian lambskin cushions; table lamps; bedside tables, all West Elm. Other cushions, custom-made with fabric from Harlequin. Artwork, King & McGaw. Bedding, The White Company. Carpet, Hackney Carpet Warehouse.
The soft blue and brown tones in the room are livened up with two vibrantly coloured paintings above the bed.
To find interior designers in your area, search the Houzz Professionals Directory
To find interior designers in your area, search the Houzz Professionals Directory
The guest bedroom features a similar colour scheme to the master bedroom, but with a little more pattern. “As it’s not a space where someone’s sleeping every night, a little bit of chaos is OK,” Bhavin laughs. He chose a wall covering with a striking design, but the soft tones give it a calm feel.
The cabinet is another piece the owner already had. Bhavin replicated the metal finish with a bedside table that has metal legs.
The cabinet is another piece the owner already had. Bhavin replicated the metal finish with a bedside table that has metal legs.
The top of the bedside table is a warm-toned wood, and the shape of the legs prevent them from taking up too much space visually.
“The glass lamp base also creates a visual openness,” Bhavin says, “and it’s nice to be able to see the wallpaper pattern through it.”
Puzzle Geometric II wallpaper, Cole & Son. Bedding, The White Company. Table lamp, John Lewis & Partners. Cushions; bedside table, all West Elm. Artwork, King & McGaw.
“The glass lamp base also creates a visual openness,” Bhavin says, “and it’s nice to be able to see the wallpaper pattern through it.”
Puzzle Geometric II wallpaper, Cole & Son. Bedding, The White Company. Table lamp, John Lewis & Partners. Cushions; bedside table, all West Elm. Artwork, King & McGaw.
Bhavin wasn’t instructed to redesign the bathrooms, but he dressed them with a few playful ornaments.
Tell us…
What do you like about this bold flat that’s full of life and colour? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you like about this bold flat that’s full of life and colour? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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I really liked this, it’s good to see modern, British, bland, boxes, referred to as homes being given the designer touch, there is so much to be commended by this design. Please can we have more, I’m aware old cottages, and Victorian and Edwardian homes, lend themselves more easily to interior designs, however, the majority of us live in homes that were designed with bland and cheap being the major part of the brief.
Gorgeous armchair and footstool.