British Houzz: Personality Plus for an East London Penthouse
The need for more space and a fresh look inspired a sociable couple to transform this apartment from dull to dashing
The owners of this Docklands penthouse turned to Houzz when they were searching for a designer to reinvigorate their home. “They’d lived in the flat for 10 years and loved it, but it was time for a change,” recalls interiors expert Gurjeet Hunjan of Boscolo Interior Design. “They needed more storage and, as they do a lot of entertaining, they wanted a more adaptable space to accommodate visiting guests.”
The original property was built in the late 1990s, and the finishes were uninspiring. “We went back to the drawing board,” says Gurjeet. “Clever spatial planning was the key to making the most of the limited space, while still injecting the owners’ personality into the decorating scheme.”
To create a more versatile living area, Gurjeet opened up a guest bedroom that previously backed onto the main living area, but she incorporated a floor-to-ceiling movable wall that allows the sociable couple to close off the space to create an extra room when necessary.
When it came to the decorating scheme, Gurjeet drew inspiration from the couple’s love of reading, as well as their favourite music festival, Secret Garden Party. “They’re very cultured, but they also love festivals, so we tracked down an official photographer from Secret Garden Party and based the scheme around one of his prints,” explains Gurjeet. “It’s a wonderful talking point for guests, and we used the colours to create the flat’s sophisticated, grown-up palette.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Docklands, London
Decade built: Late 1990s
Year of renovation: 2014
Designer: Gurjeet Hunjan of Boscolo Interior Design
Size: 2 bedrooms (one of which doubles as additional living space) and 1 bathroom
The original property was built in the late 1990s, and the finishes were uninspiring. “We went back to the drawing board,” says Gurjeet. “Clever spatial planning was the key to making the most of the limited space, while still injecting the owners’ personality into the decorating scheme.”
To create a more versatile living area, Gurjeet opened up a guest bedroom that previously backed onto the main living area, but she incorporated a floor-to-ceiling movable wall that allows the sociable couple to close off the space to create an extra room when necessary.
When it came to the decorating scheme, Gurjeet drew inspiration from the couple’s love of reading, as well as their favourite music festival, Secret Garden Party. “They’re very cultured, but they also love festivals, so we tracked down an official photographer from Secret Garden Party and based the scheme around one of his prints,” explains Gurjeet. “It’s a wonderful talking point for guests, and we used the colours to create the flat’s sophisticated, grown-up palette.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Docklands, London
Decade built: Late 1990s
Year of renovation: 2014
Designer: Gurjeet Hunjan of Boscolo Interior Design
Size: 2 bedrooms (one of which doubles as additional living space) and 1 bathroom
A print by official Secret Garden Party photographer Nick Caro was key when it came to developing the colour scheme for the flat. “The owners regularly attend the festival, so this photograph is very personal to them,” explains Gurjeet. “We had it blown up and transformed into a mural, and we’ve introduced colours picked out from it elsewhere in the scheme to enhance the sense of flow.”
“Open-plan living space was important to the sociable couple,” explains Gurjeet. Zoned areas, such as the dining area and living room, help define the space without closing it off. “They also wanted a contemporary, timeless finish to the interior, which is why we introduced a few key designer pieces, such as the Philippe Starck dining chairs.”
Kartell Masters chair: Philippe Starck
Kartell Masters chair: Philippe Starck
“We took care to seamlessly integrate the kitchen into the rest of the scheme so it doesn’t look too obviously like a kitchen,” explains Gurjeet. With this in mind, the designer chose a sleek finish with no handles for the cabinetry, while appliances, such as the washing machine and dishwasher, are discreetly hidden behind bespoke doors.
Innovative, space-saving touches were also introduced. “One of the drawers opens out to create a table, so there’s more worktop space when they need it, and one of the plinths transforms into a stepladder to reach the overhead storage.”
The glossy turquoise glass splashback provides a practical and beautiful alternative to tiles. “It’s easy to wipe down and keep clean, but the light it reflects from the main window creates a lovely feature,” says Gurjeet.
Kitchen: Schuller; washing machine: Gorenje; dishwasher: Miele
Innovative, space-saving touches were also introduced. “One of the drawers opens out to create a table, so there’s more worktop space when they need it, and one of the plinths transforms into a stepladder to reach the overhead storage.”
The glossy turquoise glass splashback provides a practical and beautiful alternative to tiles. “It’s easy to wipe down and keep clean, but the light it reflects from the main window creates a lovely feature,” says Gurjeet.
Kitchen: Schuller; washing machine: Gorenje; dishwasher: Miele
Gurjeet worked with a clean, muted palette and a light floor to keep the look bright and airy. “The clients wanted to use ethically sourced products wherever possible, so we went for a cork floor with a vinyl finish that’s both beautiful and environmentally friendly,” she explains. “Cork has wonderful thermal properties, which helps conserve heat in the flat, so it’s incredibly efficient, and cheaper than using concrete or timber.”
Floor: The Cork Flooring Company; Omnia XXL extendable dining table: Calligaris
Floor: The Cork Flooring Company; Omnia XXL extendable dining table: Calligaris
Leading off the open-plan living area is what was previously the couple’s guest bedroom. “We opened it up to create more space, but a partition door – integrated into the door frame – can be folded out to create an extra bedroom when they need it,” explains Gurjeet.
As the couple don’t watch TV every day, Gurjeet incorporated another space-saving innovation in this part of the flat. “The slit in the ceiling conceals a huge projector screen they can pull down when they want to watch films,” she explains.
As the couple don’t watch TV every day, Gurjeet incorporated another space-saving innovation in this part of the flat. “The slit in the ceiling conceals a huge projector screen they can pull down when they want to watch films,” she explains.
As this part of the flat is sometimes used as a guest bedroom, a pull-down bed has been incorporated into the cabinetry behind the green armchair.
“It’s a very clean, sleek space, but we’ve added interest with some iconic pieces of furniture. The books along the top of the cabinets also inject colour into the scheme, plus the shelf provides essential storage for their burgeoning collection,” says Gurjeet. “It’s a very versatile flat. Some of the cabinets in the kitchen are also used as concealed bookshelves to keep the scheme uncluttered.”
Wall bed: Clei
“It’s a very clean, sleek space, but we’ve added interest with some iconic pieces of furniture. The books along the top of the cabinets also inject colour into the scheme, plus the shelf provides essential storage for their burgeoning collection,” says Gurjeet. “It’s a very versatile flat. Some of the cabinets in the kitchen are also used as concealed bookshelves to keep the scheme uncluttered.”
Wall bed: Clei
A compact workstation can also be stowed away when guests arrive, creating even more space in the modestly sized flat. The cork stool, meanwhile, is a quirky feature that playfully references the cork flooring.
Moooi Corks stool by Jasper Morrison: Nest
Moooi Corks stool by Jasper Morrison: Nest
A neat but versatile unit in the hallway stores masses of bits and bobs. “Before the renovation, the limited storage in the flat meant it was cluttered, with many of the couple’s possessions on show,” says Gurjeet. “The key was to streamline the look while still maintaining its personality.”
Laminate flooring was stripped out of the bathroom to make way for glossy tiles and integrated storage units. “We completely stripped it out and have kept the look simple with lots of texture to maximise the space here,” says Gurjeet.
Ona Natural wall tiles: Porcelanosa; Glide II vanity unit and Anabel basin: Bauhaus
Ona Natural wall tiles: Porcelanosa; Glide II vanity unit and Anabel basin: Bauhaus
“Grass cloth wallpaper in the bedroom ties in nicely with the natural elements we’ve incorporated into the rest of the scheme, such as the cork flooring,” explains Gurjeet.
The bespoke bed and headboard were made by Boscolo Interiors, while glamorous touches were inspired by a visit to the Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall. “The owners loved the use of deep purples and greens when they visited this hotel, so we drew on this when designing the colour scheme for their room.”
Extra storage has been incorporated along the ceiling, with integrated spotlights for a dash of hotel chic.
Wallpaper: K&K Designs
The bespoke bed and headboard were made by Boscolo Interiors, while glamorous touches were inspired by a visit to the Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall. “The owners loved the use of deep purples and greens when they visited this hotel, so we drew on this when designing the colour scheme for their room.”
Extra storage has been incorporated along the ceiling, with integrated spotlights for a dash of hotel chic.
Wallpaper: K&K Designs
Rich textures and playful colours enhance the sense of luxury in the bedroom. “The greys link the colour scheme to the rest of the flat, but we’ve added bolder hues to define this as a private, special space for the couple,” says Gurjeet.
Large Harmony Ribboned table lamp: John Lewis; Abaco bedside table: Sangiacomo; bird cushions: Timorous Beasties
Large Harmony Ribboned table lamp: John Lewis; Abaco bedside table: Sangiacomo; bird cushions: Timorous Beasties