After living in their terraced 1960s house on a quiet, modernist estate in Hampstead for several years, the owners of this home were ready for a complete interior redesign. They had been following the work of Zulufish on Instagram for some time and had plenty of ideas, but needed direction.
The studio’s head of interior design Caroline Milns says the couple were intrigued by the idea of working collaboratively. Planning permission for a roof terrace had already been granted following a lengthy process, so the new spaces needed to connect to the outside and hold their own without diverting attention from the views.
To do this, the Zulufish team decided to create a narrative using colour and materiality that gradually unfolds as you move upstairs. ‘The lower floors are cocooning, contrasting with the upper areas and roof terrace, which have a sense of sunny openness,’ explains Caroline.
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‘In the open-plan ground floor, the mix of metal and wood creates a perception of depth. It’s urban but welcoming and filled with personality. As you move to the second and third floors, the materials retain that feel but change to glass, concrete and polished plaster, subtly reflecting the light.’
Some clients like to sit back and leave their designer to it, but these owners already had some lovely pieces of furniture from brands including Roche Bobois, Gubi and Ligne Roset, as well as an impressive collection of modern art, which Caroline aimed to complement with a scheme she describes as ‘edgy, with nothing pretty, pristine or uniform’.
‘It was wonderful to work collaboratively on this project, one that felt very unique to its sense of place and the age of the property,’ adds Caroline. ‘I think we all felt a shared joy in the result as it didn’t feel as though we had introduced this interior; rather, it was something we uncovered.’ zulufish.co.uk
