Urban Glamour #12

THE PROPERTY

The ground-floor apartment of a Hertfordshire manor house. There is an open-plan living/dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, children’s bedroom, family bathroom, dressing room, utility roomand WC.

LIVING ROOM

Inside this incredible architectural framework is a surprisinglycosy, family feel.

Interior designer Camilla Kelly, who runs The Mint List Interior Design, came on board to add a glamorous filter to this rambling country pile.The rooms are full of architectural flourishes added by Sir John Soane in the 18th century, so she sourced pieces that exude a grandeur that fits in with the surroundings – but without goingall “National Trust”.

In the living room, previous design erasare toasted in style. Moody blues and pale greys highlight the graceful outlines of mid-century armchairs, pictured above.

The central space is an open-plan living room with a dining area, united and softened with rich velvets, a gleaming étagère(pictured above) and layers of lush curtains.

DINING AREA

Large-scale Tom Dixon pendants add a sense of drama to the dining space that suits the high proportions.

ENTRANCE HALL

The entrance and hallway were designed by Sir John Soane, adapting the previous Georgian architecture.

KITCHEN

An old-school Aga sits inside an original hearth.

MASTER BEDROOM

The mid century Eames lounge chair makes a perfect transition to this grand space. The room’s proportions are matched by a tall French mirror.

The height and grandeur of this bedroom creates a luxe suite atmosphere.

CHILDREN’S ROOM

The children’s zone is a vast nursery space for kids to share, rather than being divided up into smaller, separate rooms. To avoid the space feeling like a draughty Victorian dormitory, Camilla defined three cosy spaces with scaled-up headboards and a cool illuminated initial over each bed. A shared play area is there for when they want to hang out together.

Double-height headboard pinboards with illuminated initials for the children personalise this large shared space and help soften the whole room.

A central play zone works for the kids and their friends, while beds feel like more personal spaces.

BATHROOM

The mirror-on-a-mirroris a clever detail. It just reminds you that you’re in a period property, but with mixed with a modern eye.

EXTERIOR

The house’s grand entrance, designed by Sir John Soane, is the architectural star, with stately Ionic pillars that were prototypes for his design for the Bank of England.

Given its Grade II-listed status, the owners have ‘left the architecture to speak for itself.’ After all, with a house like this, you feel as if you’re looking after it for the next generation.

Check out The Mint List Interior Design at themintlist.com

Photography ⁄ James Merrell