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Houzz Tour: Art Deco Meets Midcentury in a Fun Seaside Apartment
A neutral palette provides the backdrop for a home filled with bold artwork, ornaments and vintage furniture
When the owners of this coastal apartment decided to move back into the property after renting it out for a while, they realised it needed a revamp to make the flat feel like home again. While searching on Houzz for a suitable professional, they came across the profile of interior designer Nicky Percival, who they brought on board to breathe life back into their space.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
Nicky laid mid-toned bamboo flooring throughout the apartment and used a soft grey on the walls.
All the internal doors in the flat are the originals, apart from the Crittall-style sliding door that leads into the living room. The glazed design separates the two spaces without blocking light, and the sliding mechanism is more space-saving than a hinged version.
Walls painted in Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball.
All the internal doors in the flat are the originals, apart from the Crittall-style sliding door that leads into the living room. The glazed design separates the two spaces without blocking light, and the sliding mechanism is more space-saving than a hinged version.
Walls painted in Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball.
The owners had some 1980s glass bricks that they were keen to use in the apartment, so Nicky installed them above the bathroom door as an interesting feature.
A vintage drinks cabinet fitted perfectly against the wall between the bathroom and kitchen.
Ready to renovate? Find reviewed interior designers in your area on Houzz.
A vintage drinks cabinet fitted perfectly against the wall between the bathroom and kitchen.
Ready to renovate? Find reviewed interior designers in your area on Houzz.
“The paintings informed the colour scheme in the living room,” Nicky says. “They’re quite vibrant, which is why we went for neutral palette throughout the apartment.”
Nicky balanced the vivid colours in the artwork with bright fabrics and accessories. The cushions of an antique reclining chair were re-covered with a stripy fabric, while more hues were added in the form of a bold rug.
The original fireplace was kept in place and Nicky commissioned local joiner, Birt Williams, to build alcove shelves and cabinets either side.
Cushion fabric, Romo. Rug, Ptolemy Mann.
Nicky balanced the vivid colours in the artwork with bright fabrics and accessories. The cushions of an antique reclining chair were re-covered with a stripy fabric, while more hues were added in the form of a bold rug.
The original fireplace was kept in place and Nicky commissioned local joiner, Birt Williams, to build alcove shelves and cabinets either side.
Cushion fabric, Romo. Rug, Ptolemy Mann.
A large window brings in plenty of light and provides views to the gardens. Nicky persuaded her clients to go for 50mm slatted Venetian blinds as a window treatment rather than shutters, as these would give them more flexibility and light.
The original radiators were preserved in each of the flat’s rooms.
Purple chairs, Aria.
The original radiators were preserved in each of the flat’s rooms.
Purple chairs, Aria.
The dining area is located behind a cosy green sofa. The back wall was fully mirrored, so Nicky removed this and added interest with the couple’s shelving unit and artwork.
Sofa; pendant light, both Heal’s.
Sofa; pendant light, both Heal’s.
The tiny kitchen opens directly out to the hallway. It was previously dingy and lacked storage. “There was a gas meter in one of the corners, so we moved that outside to make the kitchen more useable,” Nicky says.
She kept the layout the same, but replaced the dark cabinetry with pale, modern, flat-fronted units. To stretch the budget, she used Ikea carcasses with Fenix-faced plywood doors from a specialist company.
The cabinets reach right up to the ceiling to make the most of the limited space. The corner to the right of the sink was left empty to accommodate a coffee-making zone, so Nicky added a pendant light to illuminate the area.
Kitchen doors, Plykea. Pendant light, Tala.
The cabinets reach right up to the ceiling to make the most of the limited space. The corner to the right of the sink was left empty to accommodate a coffee-making zone, so Nicky added a pendant light to illuminate the area.
Kitchen doors, Plykea. Pendant light, Tala.
A bright orange glass splashback brightens the space.
A bank of tall units with integrated ovens provides ample storage and functionality in the kitchen.
The main bedroom’s colour palette was inspired by a map of London hanging over the bed. The mid-toned wooden bedside tables and bedhead match the bamboo flooring and bring out the warm tones in the room’s orange accents.
Bed; bedside tables, Heal’s.
Bed; bedside tables, Heal’s.
“The built-in wardrobes were already here, but they had floppy doors, so we changed them to match the doors in the rest of the flat,” Nicky says.
The rug is a carpet that Nicky had cut to size and whipped. The soft wool provides a cosy area for the couple to step onto either side of the bed.
Wardrobes painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
The rug is a carpet that Nicky had cut to size and whipped. The soft wool provides a cosy area for the couple to step onto either side of the bed.
Wardrobes painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
The same space-maximising sliding doors were added to the wardrobes in the second bedroom.
More: How to Achieve ‘Barely There’ Bedroom Storage
More: How to Achieve ‘Barely There’ Bedroom Storage
An old armchair in the corner of the room was reupholstered in a durable corduroy fabric.
As the flat’s plumbing is connected to the building’s communal heating system, Nicky had to work around the existing pipework in the bathroom. She boxed it all in and went with a pared-back scheme to allow the angles to disappear slightly.
It took Nicky a long time to find the perfect terrazzo stone for the floor and walls. “We wanted the right size and the right colour,” she says. The burnt orange, grey and beige in this design were ideal and the black was a bonus, as it tones with the black brassware the owners wanted.
The couple were also keen to replace the bath with a walk-in shower and Nicky added a Crittall-style shower screen to match the living room door.
Terrazzo, Boutique Stone.
It took Nicky a long time to find the perfect terrazzo stone for the floor and walls. “We wanted the right size and the right colour,” she says. The burnt orange, grey and beige in this design were ideal and the black was a bonus, as it tones with the black brassware the owners wanted.
The couple were also keen to replace the bath with a walk-in shower and Nicky added a Crittall-style shower screen to match the living room door.
Terrazzo, Boutique Stone.
The terracotta basin was chosen for its colour and its curved, space-saving shape. Nicky’s joiners constructed useful storage above in the form of a cabinet and shelving.
So how do the couple feel about their renovation? They’re delighted and say they love how Nicky turned their dreary flat into a contemporary space that shows off their style and personality.
Basin, Kast Concrete.
Tell us…
What do you like about Nicky’s redesign of this flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
So how do the couple feel about their renovation? They’re delighted and say they love how Nicky turned their dreary flat into a contemporary space that shows off their style and personality.
Basin, Kast Concrete.
Tell us…
What do you like about Nicky’s redesign of this flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A couple
Location Saltdean, East Sussex
Property A ground floor flat in an Art Deco building
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom
Designer Nicky Percival of Nicky Percival Interior Design
Photos by Elissa Jane Diver
As soon as you step into this redesigned Art Deco flat, the couple’s taste is on show. Their midcentury-style sideboard takes centre stage as a hall console and sits beneath the property’s original porthole opening.
“They have quite a nice collection of prints and paintings, as well as some quirky vintage furniture,” Nicky says, “so it was important to accommodate these in the design scheme.”