Regency Flat Hove
When you have architectural features, high ceilings and eclectic art - how do you make it feel like a home? That was the brief for this property. We looked to reuse elements of inbuilt carpentry and refresh them alongside sourcing the majority of new items for the owner and retaining the period charm. The aim was to zone areas in the huge space and add personality whilst keeping the grandeur.
What has developed is a delightful mix of vintage, new and restored features. Behind the scenes there were also some practical decisions made to improve heating, air circulation, electrical layouts and lighting so that the rooms all worked for the client. Flooring was kept except for the main bedroom where new carpet and sound proofing was added. Radiators moved to improve heating output. And existing doors coves and cornices restored where needed. This meant budget could be focused on making the flat up to date for technology as the client works from home. By balancing decisions on where to spend and save it means you can feel safe in budgeting and still get a great finish.
A lot of thought went into how the layout in the flat would work for the client and how they wanted to live in the space. We then could tackle the large living room area to make distinct zones that could be flexible when entertaining but feel separate in their own way. We used neutral base colours and gold to highlight the architecture, bold colours in the furniture to block spaces and anchored areas with rugs and lighting. By then using art to build on the colour story in each section we were able to produce distinct but cohesive living areas.
The hallways used similar neutral tones and door furniture and switches were all updated to work together. This then allows the eye to travel seamlessly between the rooms. The bedroom (previously black and dark green) was lightened in the a soft colour palette to make a calm, serene space for rest. The bathroom is to be worked on at a later stage but we spent a small amount on removing the chintzy wallpaper and swags and toning it down to a more minimal monochrome effect which felt much calmer and buys the client time to save for the next phase of renovations.
So a mix of sensible practical updates, budget conscious restorations and upgrades and spending on furniture that will last and bring joy whilst using. Fabulously fun to do and to balance the modern with the regency drama.
Photographs: Limelight Interiors Photography