Bayswater Revisited

Bayswater, London

Residential

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Vista from hallway through to drawing room framed by antique chateau doors and an empire chandelier sourced from a Belgravia hotel that was being demolished.

A mixture of IKEA and grand gilded furniture was done with reference to the Queen Mother who often mixed her grand antiques with melamine tables.

Note the gilded cherubs on the frieze, each representing children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

The large sash windows open onto a terrace above the portico; I do love taking inside chairs outside, there is something rather decadent about it!

The apartment has a collection of Regency furniture, but because Regency had so many revivals each piece comes from a different era and sometimes a different country; here we have a fine Regency cupboard which originates from New York.

Soane-inspired cupboard with silk and bronze panels and mercury glass mirror. The faux mahogany painted by an artist is in fact modern, made from MDF and a little fantasy drawn up by me.

Push the doors and hidden behind is a kitchen which is masquerading as an Istanbul bar using Turkish tiles and gilded kitchen cupboards.

Over the course of my career I have worked on so many modern bathrooms, so it was refreshing to work in a more classic style while still having fun with polished plaster made to look like pink onyx, and marble lined walls. All the modern technology is included with underfloor heating and a Japanese toilet, and do note the mirror-fronted door to conceal the shower.

This is an interesting combination of architecture with the barrel-vaulted ceiling and layering with silk moiré walls and a gold-lined alcove, the headboard upholstered in fabric from Kit Miles has been specially embroidered in-house to accentuate details, and the London blind adds a touch of old-school glamour. The blind is electronically operated, and the fabric is from the Temperley London x Romo collection.

French chateau doors have been repurposed as a wardrobe.

Vista from hallway through to drawing room framed by antique chateau doors and an empire chandelier sourced from a Belgravia hotel that was being demolished.

A mixture of IKEA and grand gilded furniture was done with reference to the Queen Mother who often mixed her grand antiques with melamine tables.

Note the gilded cherubs on the frieze, each representing children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

The large sash windows open onto a terrace above the portico; I do love taking inside chairs outside, there is something rather decadent about it!

Soane-inspired cupboard with silk and bronze panels and mercury glass mirror. The faux mahogany painted by an artist is in fact modern, made from MDF and a little fantasy drawn up by me.

Push the doors and hidden behind is a kitchen which is masquerading as an Istanbul bar using Turkish tiles and gilded kitchen cupboards.

French chateau doors have been repurposed as a wardrobe.

Bayswater Revisited

Designers Statement

This is a project revisited having been one of my very first, created over thirty years ago for two of my most admiring clients: my parents.

Their London apartment occupies the grand first floor of a Bayswater townhouse which I designed to feel like one part of a larger house by concealing the mundane details of daily life. From the start, it was always to be a place of fun, a folly filled with life and character.

When my parents first bought it, my mother famously declared she’d be happy to sleep in a cupboard if she could have a grand drawing room. That sentiment set the tone for everything that followed — a design that celebrates the building’s scale while adding charm and, a touch of theatricality.

Over time, the apartment evolved into a joyful mix of antiques and architectural salvage as my parents filled it with their many collections. It became a true collaboration, one that taught me early on the joy of adaptability, of being a design chameleon, equally at home with the classical and the contemporary, but always with individuality.

Decades later, after my father passed away, it felt right to give the apartment a gentle refresh, not to alter its spirit, but to bring renewed energy. The desire was to preserve the furnishings while offering a new outlook, this time with my mother at the creative centre.

She remains a wonderful collaborator, imaginative, stylish, and inspired. Her admiration for Vivienne Westwood, with her witty and rebellious take on British design became a guiding influence. Together, we reimagined the 18th- and 19th-century pieces, allowing them to feel relevant again rather than relics, but as reborn statements through colour and context.

There are still some delightful surprises within. The kitchen is hidden behind what appears to be an antique bookcase, allowing the grand drawing room to take centre stage just as my mother always dreamed. The bathroom, tucked discreetly away, channels the glamour of the 1950s with pink polished plaster and sweeping curtains. Why? Simply because I could. Do have a look at the captions on each image to learn more.

But don’t be fooled by the nostalgic charm, this is no museum piece. Beneath the period detailing lies every modern comfort: heated floors, a Japanese toilet, and a built-in sound system. After all, my mother deserves nothing less.

The result bridges past and present. The furniture remains, the memories remain but everything feels brighter, fresher, and very much alive again.

It is deeply personal project; it tells a story of my family but also reflects on the enduring beauty of homes that evolve gracefully over time.