Laura Stephens fills a London apartment with jewel box colours and heirloom pieces
‘Don’t spend your money on therapy–just get an interior designer!’ jokes Laura Stephens' client. It’s said in jest, but it is still testament to the life changing differences her new space has brought about. ‘I met the client just after her husband had very suddenly passed away,' Laura explains. ‘She lived in a large semi-detached house and didn't want to be there anymore. Her children had grown up and moved away. She was desperately trying to find a place to move into.'
At first, the client was reluctant to use an interior designer, worried that it was ‘over the top and a bit frivolous.’ She was already in the process of buying the flat – on the ground floor of a Victorian house – when her daughter reached out to Laura. After seeing her work online, she messaged her and said ‘I just want my mum to have this beautiful jewel box flat that she’ll feel at home in.’
That message became the brief, with the way the flat felt ultimately becoming more important than the way it looked. ‘She was downsizing from a house that she had shared with her partner for forty years,’ says Laura. ‘It was a massive process emotionally.’ As the client put it, 'I wanted to really look forward and make sure that I had the right pieces and it felt like my home. I didn’t want to just recreate a smaller version of what I had with my husband.'
To strike the right balance, Laura wove the story of the old house into the new one, retaining some key pieces that had real emotional value. ‘I went to the original family home and it was stuffed full of antiques. We went through everything and decided what should come to the new place and what should stay.’ It was a process that meant Laura and her client got to know one another ‘quite intimately.’ Certain items, like the framed embroidery behind the sofa, became very significant in the scheme. ‘The client had picked up the tapestry with her husband on their travels in India,’ explains Laura. ‘We ended up using the colours in it to create a colour scheme for the living room.’
Working with the client's pre-existing pieces was wonderfully freeing for Laura too. ‘I just love working with people at this stage in their lives,’ she says. ‘Their furniture is often a jumping off point that helps you to understand who they are and what they like. They bring all these meaningful pieces with them that clients don't have when they are that much younger.' Though Laura and the client were keen to repurpose as much of her furniture as possible, they also wanted to ensure that the interiors didn't make her 'feel like an old lady.’ To that end, dark wood furniture was balanced with more contemporary pieces, and soft furnishings were reupholstered in more exciting fabrics, like purple leopard print and graphic stripes.
Even with the driving desire to keep things feeling fresh, the duo were conscious to future-proof the flat. ‘This is going to be the last move for the client, so we wanted to make sure it will work just as well in twenty years or so as it does now,' says Laura. Designer and client worked together to ensure the flat was designed for usability, whilst keeping things pleasingly stylish. A walk in shower was implemented, and the graduated steps from the hallway into the primary bedroom were reduced. ‘We also made sure we had sturdy bannisters where needed.’
Laura was also tasked with making this flat work for the client's many grandchildren. ‘In her previous home, the client had hosted family meals every Sunday,’ says Laura. ‘She wanted to be able to get all nine of her grandchildren there at once!' No small feat for a two bedroom London flat. ‘We started by zoning the open living space, creating a kitchen that had loads of storage, with units at the back. We also opted for a banquette, because you can squash lots of little bottoms on it!' It transpires that Laura's magic worked perfectly, as the client is ‘always sending photos of everyone there. One had about 50 people in it!’ The client now refers to it as ‘the ever-expanding flat.’
‘This is one of the best projects I’ve ever worked on,' says Laura. ‘The client is so appreciative and I’m so happy I could make this into a proper home for her.' Ultimately, it works because the ‘soul feels the same as her former home, because it’s filled with all this wonderful stuff. We brought all the best elements of that house into this property and made it her own for this next stage in her life.' Perhaps no one has put it better than the client's daughter, who said ‘it’s like the flat has always been here, just waiting for her the whole time.'
Paul Massey1/20The hallway presented a challenge for Laura because of the limited light it receives. She was keen to ‘give it some character’, so employed a bold striped paper from Farrow and Ball. The curtains, which block out any drafts from the front door, are Linwood. The table is the client's own, and the lampshade is from Rosi de Ruig.
Paul Massey2/20The shelving was designed by Laura, with a Claybrook tiled splashback underneath. The top is Quooker and Felix Lighting wall lights sit either side. The martini table is from Zara Home.
Paul Massey3/20The dining table was made bespoke by Laura Stephens' studio and is paired with chairs that belonged to the client's mother. The pendants are antique, with Villa Bologna wall lights.
Paul Massey4/20The pantry was designed by Laura Stephens' studio and is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Arsenic’.
Paul Massey5/20The cabinet delineates the move from the kitchen to the living room. It was restored by Laura and her team, who added a Chelsea Textiles fabric in place of the damaged doors. The dark red lamp is from Agata Treasures, with a lampshade from Alvaro Picardo.
Paul Massey6/20The living room wallpaper is a textured pick from Designers Guild. The curtain fabric is Lewis and Wood, chosen to pair with the framed embroidery above the sofa.
Paul Massey7/20Above the chairs, Laura has cleverly chosen a Samsung Frame TV to prevent having an unsightly black rectangle on the wall. The chest in between the restored antique chests was the client's own. Laura added legs and a lid to house the remote controls. The cushion fabric is ‘The Leopards’ by Kravet.
Paul Massey8/20In the primary bedroom, the scheme is grounded by a rug from Laura's collaboration with Bombay Sprout. The curtain fabric is from Villa Nova. The wall lights are Lorfords.
Paul Massey9/20The headboard is a bespoke studio design made by Isabelle Baldwin and covered in a fabric from Nobolis. The bedside tables are the client's own and the purple cushions are Designers Guild velvet, with Samuel and Sons trim.
Paul Massey10/20The antique chair was reupholstered in Colefax and Fowler's ‘Wilde’ velvet to make it feel more contemporary. The fireplace was ‘snatched up from a relative who was throwing it away.' The same red marble was then used for the kitchen island countertops.
Paul Massey11/20The wallpaper in the primary bedroom is ‘Gallier Diamond’ by Brunschwig & Fils supplied by Kravet. The client loved it so much that Laura used its diamond motif as inspiration throughout the flat. ‘We got my joiner to replace the doors of this IKEA wardrobe to match,' she explains. The wardrobe knobs are from Matilda Goad and the tassels are bespoke by Jessica Light.
Paul Massey12/20This box bed room, designed for grandchildren and the odd guest, is a ‘theatrical and whimsical space.’ The wallpaper is from Jim Thompson, paired with Paint & Paper Library's ‘Rhubarb’.
Children's toys are stashed in boxes under the bed, covered with a valence in Romo ‘Linara’. Laura asked the decorator to paint a line around the perimeter of the room to make it feel more integrated and tie the scheme together.
Paul Massey13/20The headboard is bespoke from Laura's studio and created with Romo's ‘Linara’ and Warner piping. The wall light is from Pooky. The cushion is made from Tori Murphy striped fabric and VV Rouleaux tassels.
Paul Massey14/20The elephant in the corner of the room was carried the whole way home from India by the client. It was part of the inspiration for the room. The blue lamp was a vase that Laura converted into a smart table lamp.
Paul Massey15/20The bathroom panelling is painted in Farrow and Ball's ‘Theresa Green’. The wall lights are from Pooky and the mirror is the client's own.
Paul Massey16/20The pink stripe blind fabric is from Flora Soames. The shell light is a decorative moulding adapted by electrician into a wall light.
Paul Massey17/20The cream tiles in the walk in shower are from Tile Direct, the green tiles are Porcelain Superstore and the black tiles are Hyperion Tiles. All the brassware is Aston Matthews.
Paul Massey18/20The large mirror is the client’s own and was previously her over mantle mirror. The bath was a ‘bit of a shenanigan’ and sat ‘rusting in the garden after I bought it on eBay. I just had to snatch it up!' says Laura.
19/20Laura wanted the office space to feel like ‘a room you’d find in the house, not a stark garden shed.' At first the client wasn't sure it was worth keeping but Laura managed to win her over.
20/20Laura wanted to ‘bring a sense of the garden into the room’ and asked Eugenia Barrios to hand paint the foliage onto the walls.
