PROJECT
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This home came to us fully completed, but lacking a sense of personal identity. While the existing design was functional, it felt generic – more “off-the-shelf” than reflective of the people living in it. Given the investment already made, the brief was not to rebuild, but to transform through layering, introducing elements that shift the space from standard to personalized and character-driven, without undoing what was already in place.
The client felt the home was overly restrained, dominated by whites and neutral tones, resulting in a space that lacked energy and individuality. What they sought was a shift toward vibrancy and expression by introducing colour as a primary layer rather than an accent. Alongside this, there was a clear desire to move away from a cookie-cutter outcome toward something more contemporary and personal.
The brief, therefore, centered on modernizing and personalizing the space, both in character and in colour.
The brief for colour and modernization was interpreted as a need for energy with intent, creating a space that feels social, inviting, and lived in. As the primary living area, the room was reimagined as a space for conversation, connection, and ease. Colour was developed alongside material, mapping tones to surfaces. Contrasts between matte and gloss create depth and variation. The spatial approach focused on adding density and warmth, shaping a more intimate and comfortable environment. Lighting was recalibrated to support this shift.
The approach was rooted in styling-led transformation, shaping the space to feel collected over time. The palette brings together black woods, ceramics, velvets, metals, marble, greenery, and a defining vermilion red, establishing warmth and a strong visual identity.
Velvets, suedes, checks and stripes introduce depth and tactility, creating a sense of comfort but with a visual whimsy. Metals in nickel and brass add familiarity, grounding the composition. Familiar materials are used in unfamiliar ways. Tiles are reinterpreted as artwork, curtains are detailed with scalloped edges, and a metal sculptural light becomes both illumination and object.
Lighting is designed as layered interventions, from low-level to ceiling, creating depth at every height. A balance of ambient and task lighting is used, with ceiling lights angled to bounce off walls, producing a soft, diffused glow. Lower-level lights add a soft glow, shaping an intimate atmosphere.
Styling follows a similar approach through sculptural lights, metals, greenery, ceramics, and bespoke carpets. The space has been curated to feel collected over time, developed in constant collaboration with the client to express their personality.
