LIttle Venice refurbishment

We've just finished refurbishing a beautiful three-bedroom flat in Little Venice. Once a tired property, post-renovation has brought a refreshing, modern touch. Our work in the flat involved removing a wall between the galley kitchen and reception room to create an open-plan living and dining area. The property was fully plastered and decorated. We also installed new electrics and plumbing, laid flooring, fitted two new bathrooms, and put our expert carpentry work to good use. We'll have before and after photos on the blog shortly.

Home inspiration in Queen's Park

We enjoyed this peek into the home of Iris fashion boutique owner, Sarah Claassen. Located in Queens Park (NW6), the home was completely refurbished. Building work included a reconfigured layout, new walls, floors, ceilings, and a two-storey extension into the garden. 

You'll see the use of black walls and floorboards, a colour that most people overlook as too dark and harsh for a family home. Sarah manages to soften the black, using Farrow & Ball's Off-Black and contrasting the colour with restored white ceiling roses and cornicing, and gorgeous plaster heads—one of the few original features that could be saved in the house.

The flooring is Engineered Character Oak, with a black stair runner, bringing all the elements together.

What do you think of Sarah's home? Would you consider using black or off-black as a main colour in your home? 

(All images scanned via LivingEtc, May 2011.)

The Lancasters

The talk of London property these days is The Lancasters—a new luxury development in the heart of Lancaster Gate, just opposite Hyde Park. Just recently a former Thistle hotel, The Lancasters is now 77 elegant, traditional-meets-modern homes.

The renovation took several years to complete and aside from the front facade, involved nearly a complete re-build of the property.

Properties inside The Lancasters, range from studio to 4-bedroom penthouse duplexes—or 640 square feet to 5,217 square feet. Residents of the development also have access to a concierge service, valet underground parking, swimming pool, spa and gymnasium facilities.

A luxury building development on a truly massive scale. We love the photos and the floor plans (all available on The Lancasters website.) Your thoughts?

Celebrity Homes: Kate Moss, London NW6

Here's a look into Kate Moss's home in NW6, St John's Wood borders. She's selling for £6 million. We love how the kitchen/lounge area opens into an outdoor living space and eventually leads to an expansive, green garden. The home has three reception rooms, 5/6 bedrooms, a double garage, and a separate kitchen/dining/living room. Any work you would commission builders to do? Take a look at the floor plan and let us know in the comments.

More photos at Prime Location here.