Studio Skey was working on a project in leafy Wanstead when its next client spotted the interior-design studio’s construction sign outside. She was downsizing from a house nearby and needed someone who shared her vision to transform the unlovely garden flat she was buying, which had great bones but, unfortunately, not much else.
‘Our brief was to create something beautiful,’ says Studio Skey co-founder Georgina Key. ‘A place that would make up for no longer having the large home that she and her late husband had created and their children had grown up in.’
Luckily, the women’s tastes aligned perfectly. ‘She wanted something minimalist, modern, comfortable and feminine, which is our dream brief and why we consider it one of our favourite projects,’ states Georgina.
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The flat had been clumsily modernised with questionable changes, including raised flooring levels. ‘We thought they must have been hiding pipework but, after demolition, we discovered they were purely a design decision,’ Georgina recalls in disbelief. Given the lower-ground-floor position, maximising natural light was a priority.
Georgina and her co-founder Sophie Scott’s first move was to close up the ‘Jack and Jill’ entrance to the open-plan kitchen/living space, replacing it with glazed double doors and a glass fanlight, and adding a large internal window between the living room and hallway.
Tactility and comfort were key when it came to the materials palette and, once they had sourced some limestone chequerboard tiles, everything fell into place. ‘We wanted to use them for the hallway and bathroom so we kept them in storage for almost 18 months until the construction was at a point where they could be installed!’ Georgina says.
Honed marble, brushed oak and textured plaster allowed them to create a refined, feminine feel, which seamlessly blends the modern additions with the original features that had been restored, such as the delicate decorative coving.
For Georgina and Sophie’s client, leaving her family home of three decades was a real leap into the unknown, and they were honoured to help shape the next chapter in her life. Georgina says they wanted to create ‘a very elegant, sanctuary-like space’ where she would feel comfortable on her own, but that also felt welcoming for visitors.
It looks as though they’ve succeeded, because, says the owner, ‘So far I have had my friends to stay, held a big birthday party and several dinners. My granddaughters love spending time here. I’m so happy that I have this beautiful space to enjoy.’ studioskey.com
Styling: Paula May Evans
