Earlier in the week I shared a sage green bedroom from a new interior project; today I’m very happy to reveal the open plan living space of this cool, industrial style home.
With tall lofty ceilings, black Crittall style doors and beautiful wooden flooring, this new build apartment in east London already had good bones. The brief was to design a relaxed, adaptable living space with a clutter-free minimalist feel. Natural hosts to friends and family, the homeowners didn’t want to create anything too precious or formal. The idea was rather to create an inviting space to relax and entertain that could be playfully reconfigured when they needed.
The open plan space, which features a dark, navy blue kitchen at one end and a balcony at the other, was naturally zoned into two areas – a lounge area with the TV, and a dining area nearer the kitchen. Let’s first take a look at the cosy lounge area, with its sleek sideboard and generous modular sofa.
Interior design, styling and photography: Cate St Hill
The living area
The mood board for the lounge area centred around this concept of creating a low landscape of furniture to invite relaxation and foster a more casual way of inhabiting a space. The centrepiece would be a low, modular sofa that could provide plenty of seating for when guests came over. Added to this would be pouffes and stools that could be easily moved about when extra seats were required.
We went back and forth but finally rested on Muuto’s In Situ sofa for the industrial style home. In Situ is a modular design with soft sculptural edges and a really comfortable feel. You can design your own using nine different seating modules and two loose cushions, or you can choose one of Muuto’s 30 predesigned configurations. I love how the black, powder coated steel base gives the large sofa a lighter feel than some other modular sofas on the market, while linking the design to some of the architectural features in this industrial style home. The black accent was then brought out again in the coffee table and side table, as well as the legs of the sideboard.
Texture and tactility also played a large part in adding character to the new build property and softening the clean lines of the architecture. A jute rug, pale wooden furniture and plenty of mood-boosting plants nod to biophilic design and help bring the outside in. I think all these elements really help to create the kind of space that connects with your wellbeing and makes you feel good when you’re in it. The result being a tranquil space to relax and unwind.
Below you can see the original mood board and visualisation for the project.
As mentioned in my previous post, the design was very much guided by the principles of Feng Shui, which is concerned with creating a sense of balance and harmony in a space. It was all about getting the balance of the five elements right (metal, earth, wood, fire and water). As in the bedroom, we’ve introduced some wood, a few brass details and some hints of green to try and tick all those boxes. We were able to keep the walls simple and white, but add colour and detail with furniture and accessories. The timeless space can then adapt with the owners as their style and tastes change and evolve over time.
The dining area
For the dining area, closer to the kitchen, instead of just furnishing the space with a standard dining table and chairs, I suggested a more architectural intervention that would create a cosy window seat. I always think built-in bench seating creates a comfier, more relaxed setting – you feel like you can slouch back and even put your feet up. The window was just calling out for some bespoke joinery.
This corner of the room was also quite a tight space. Sufficient space needed to be left to be able to get round into the kitchen. But wanting to have enough room to host friends for suppers, the only way we could fit everything was with a thin table and two benches that could be tucked in. I searched high and low for a compact table set that could neatly slot into the space. Karimoku New Standard’s simple Castor range also included stackable stools, which were perfect for adding extra seats to the small space. Even better that they came in natural wood, grey and green.
The bespoke window seat evolved through several iterations during the detailed design process, as is only natural with something that’s custom-fit to the client. You can never have too much storage, so the idea was also to extend the existing kitchen and add extra storage space for kitchen utilities, books and games. As well as lift up storage in the bench seat, we also integrated a concealed bookcase that could be accessed from the side of the window seat. I think this makes it even more of an inviting and intimate space to sit and relax. There’s also shelving space for plates and glasses as well as pull-out drawers for kitchen cupboard essentials.
I think it’s such a neat solution that really helps maximise every inch of this industrial style home. The natural grain of the plywood also brings material warmth to the moody kitchen, creating a contrast between light and dark. Now this corner of the room is the best seat in the house.
The window seat also helps add a feature and focal point to the previously bare new build space. When I’m designing an interior I really like to imagine myself in the space and think about what it would be like to use everyday. I like to design spaces that feel comfortable, homely and easy to live in. I can imagine this industrial style home is a really natural space to use when cooking and entertaining – one person can be in the kitchen, another chilling in the window seat, and someone else relaxing on the sofa or bar stool. The biggest compliment was when the client said that they sometimes still pinch themselves that they live here. That’s when you know you’ve done a good job.
