Located on a leafy London street, this house — which features surprisingly contemporary interiors behind its traditional facade — was not predestined for a completely new life.
"The initial plan was just to relocate the staircase, but as we progressed through the concept design stages, it quickly turned into a much larger project," says Irene Gunter, founder and creative director of interior architecture and design studio, Gunter & Co. "The facade was braced, but the rest of the house came down, with the clients giving us great freedom to design a showstopper.
"The three-storey, full-height entrance void sets the tone — more reminiscent of a museum for contemporary art than a conventional modern home."
"The Fil Noir chairs have long been on my wish list for a client to choose," says Irene. "They’re incredibly comfortable and if you’ve ever sat uncomfortably through a three-hour dinner party you’ll know comfort is so important when hosting."
The huge sculptural spiral stair installation, designed in collaboration with Harper Latter Architects, inspired many complementary pieces throughout the house.
Following the brief from the owners — who have a keen passion for art and craftsmanship — the Gunter & Co team created a scheme of richly layered, neutral tones to form a suitable backdrop for the clients’ color-filled art collection.
"Fabric choices had to sit well with the warm and vibrant hues found in some of the pieces," says Irene.
"The veneered paneling is something we’ve experimented with before, but never on this scale," says Irene. "It has allowed us to easily hide jib doors to secondary spaces and provides a lovely textured backdrop for the beautiful furniture and artwork."
This organically shaped mirror would make for an interesting focal point in a hallway.
All the walls were finished in polished plaster, and each room flows seamlessly into the next. "Given the clients’ Indian heritage, we worked closely with a team of craftspeople in India to fabricate bespoke furniture," says Irene.
Irene didn’t hesitate to travel to her clients’ country of origin to better understand the culture and how they socialize with family and friends, with the aim of achieving that same flow in this home.
"A lot of our clients have been embracing the benefits of a second kitchen; a space to leave prepared dishes, wash veggies, store dirty crockery during a dinner party, prepare a vase with flowers, the list goes on," says Irene. "I love how discreetly tucked away the second kitchen is here, through the sliding door, and how seamlessly it integrates with the main space."
To ensure the final result would feel truly authentic to the homeowners, Irene also drew inspiration from personal objects now displayed throughout the spaces. "Where normally we often find that our clients’ existing accessories are lacking, in this case, we were like kids in a sweet shop," she laughs.
"The owner has an incredible collection of handmade pottery, which she made herself, along with unique pieces collected over the years."
"Our client’s talent as a ceramicist made it a joy to dress the house, as there was a wonderful collection of beautiful pieces to choose from," says Irene. "We usually struggle with the opposite, so having our own 'shop' to work with was such a treat. A few examples are on the coffee table here."
This delicate blue and cream patterned rug picks up similar colors to the original.
"To me, the staircase is the most breathtaking piece in this house," says Irene. "It’s just so beautiful and sculptural, and it puts a smile on my face every time I enter the space."
Finding the perfect blocks to create over 50 slabs of stone for a ground-floor finish proved to be one of the hardest aspects of the project. It also took a lot of attempts, searching and sampling to choose the specific veneer used on internal doors and paneling.
"A full-width mirror can be a real space–winner and very useful when getting ready in the morning, but it can look bland," says Irene. "Playful suspended mirrors break it up and add personality."
Throughout, the restrained palette of oak finishes, cast bronze metal details, various marbles and quartzites, plus polished plaster, creates subtle texture, which works perfectly with the light that floods the house.
"What you can’t quite read from this image are the lovely cashmere curtains, which add the nicest sumptuous texture to the room," says Irene. "Using a translucent fabric as full-height curtains gives a lovely, warm quality. In this case, there’s a very discreet blackout roller blind behind the curtains to avoid any light bleed at night."
Bring some Scandinavian style chic to your bedroom with this Lounge Armchair from Dunelm.
"This is a modern home with a sculptural quality," says Irene. "Through a unique combination of lighting design, natural materials, and artworks, we’ve created an aesthetic narrative of serenity that goes beyond just visual appeal. Walking through the home, you have an immediate sense of calm; it has almost a sanctuary-like quality."
For more inspiring home tours, sign up for Livingetc's newsletter, and they'll land straight in your inbox.