Architecture practice Polysmiths has teamed up with Diaz Interiors and a network of craftspeople to overhaul this family apartment in South Kensington.
The Grade II-listed apartment is set within an Edwardian-era building and, over the years, had fallen into disrepair.
To make the space fit for moving in, the new owners asked Polysmiths to steer the architectural side of the renovation and Diaz Interiors to lead on the design.
To open up the apartment, sliding glazed doors were inserted between the kitchen and dining room
A select group of plasterers, carpenters, stone masons, furniture makers and fabric designers were also brought on board.
“Though there was only one client, each consultant and craftsman brought their intimate knowledge of a certain material or process,” Polysmiths’ founder Charles Wu told Dezeen.
“We had to listen carefully, be humble and willing to learn from their knowledge and experience, then strategically pick out the best way to maintain the project vision,” he continued.
“This open exchange led to a coherent result where no single author is visible.”
The dining room was also given ornate cornicing and new sash windows
One of the client’s key requests was that the home’s communal rooms should have a more open layout, so that they can flex to different uses.
Rather than knocking through a slew of partitions, Polysmiths made the decision to insert sliding glazed doors between the kitchen and dining area, and keep the sitting room closed off.
A contemporary fireplace features in the living room
“While the dining room becomes more ‘public’, the living room becomes a more ‘private’ family room,” Wu explained.
“Obviously, this also reduced the structural cost and potential disruption to the listed building fabric.”
The space also includes a custom-made sofa
These spaces have undergone aesthetic changes, too; the kitchen now boasts oak cabinetry, a marble backsplash, and an extractor hood with a burnished brass-like surface finish.
In the dining area there’s an expansive cream rug, on top of which sits a table and armchairs overlaid with a herringbone-style fabric.
Polysmiths adds Mediterranean texture to Arch House in London
Here, as throughout the rest of the apartment, heritage cornicing and skirting boards have been installed to emulate what would have originally been in place.
New timber sash windows have also been fitted.
Upholstered headboards add interest to the bedrooms
The focal point of the nearby living room is a new fireplace. It features a curved flue that has been hand-coated in buttermilk-coloured plaster, and a long limestone hearth that doubles as a display shelf.
At the centre of the space is a custom L-shaped sofa.
Italian marble vanities amplify the luxurious feel of the bathrooms
The same rich materials that were applied in the apartment’s communal spaces have been used in the apartment’s private quarters.
The bedrooms boast velvet curtains and plush upholstered headboards, while the bathrooms have vanities made from pale Italian marble and striking octagonal mirrors.
A herringbone-pattern fabric similar to what appears on the dining room chairs also lines the cupboard doors of the client’s walk-in wardrobe.
The walk-in wardrobe is cloaked in herringbone-pattern fabric
Founded in 2019, Polysmiths has worked on a number of residences across London.
This includes a home in the suburb of Wanstead that features Mediterranean-style archways, and a basement apartment in Tufnell Park that’s designed to feel like a “cabin in the woods”.
The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.
Project credits:
Architect: Polysmiths AD
Interior design: Diaz Interiors
Structural engineer: SD Engineers
Building control: Cook Brown
Main contractor: JB Construction