Chelsea Noir

Chelsea, London

Residential

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Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse red console antique mirror charred wood hallway entrance

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London bespoke joinery hallway Chelsea townhouse

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse bespoke cloakroom bathroom nightclub moody colour

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse black kitchen details marble chevron panels

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse lounge bespoke joinery

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse bespoke headboard master bedroom bedside pendant antique tables

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse bespoke joinery marquetry

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse bespoke bathroom marble rust amber red vanity

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse guest bedroom headboard wall feature gold crane

Daniel Hopwood interior architecture interior design London Chelsea townhouse bespoke dressing room joinery storage eaves

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When the solid front door closes behind you and the street noise disappears, a cherry console and pebble pendant from Ochre give a warm welcome home. Antiqued mirror surrounded by a Shou sugi ban (charred wood) frame opens the space to make it feel twice the size, and with each stair riser finished in bronze shagreen, who wouldn’t want to follow the staircase to see what lies ahead?

Who says a coat cupboard needs to be boring. A Studio Hopwood classic detail is covering wardrobe doors in wallcovering to make them features of a room rather than just functional items. This one is clad in the rather fabulous Parasol Stitch from Philip Jeffries, a go-to supplier we have used for several years. Team that with a pair of hammered door pulls from Joseph Giles and the humble wardrobe becomes a piece of art.

Our client’s reaction on seeing this room was ‘wow, I have a nightclub loo’, and that’s exactly what we created. A suspended ceiling panel (again covered in Philip Jeffries wallcovering) allows us to obscure an access hatch and services and having the sink fabricated from the same marble as the vanity means there is one less material fighting for attention in a tiny room. Clever use of a rather expensive mosaic to frame an asymmetrical mirror adds another layer of texture without blowing the budget, while the Ring Wall from CTO Lighting casts just enough of a soft glow to not feel glaring. Yubi tiles from Domus give the room a pop of colour to ensure that the dark and moody tones are not overbearing.

The devil is in the details. We elected to have streamlined black doors for the kitchen units, allowing the Belvedere marble splash back to take centre stage. A bright orange finger-pull lifts the overall look and tones with the russet veining in the marble. Chevron-veneered panels house the Sub-Zero appliances and bespoke coffee station ensuring that their daily grind is at their fingertips without cluttering the worksurface.

Following the natural light in this long narrow room meant that placing the relaxation area next to large folding doors to the terrace was an obvious decision. Minotti, our go-to sofa supplier, created the Seymour in their tactile tweed fabric, and this pairs so well with the Diagonal Melt rug from Floor Story and a Studio Hopwood designed media unit (placed under the largest TV we have ever installed!). In the background there is a counter-height bespoke waterfall cedar table from the fabulous Oli Carter, and sumptuous Archibald stools from Poltrona Frau complete the look.

One of the first rooms to be schemed in the house was the master bedroom and the fabric earmarked for the headboard set the overall colour scheme for the suite. Fast-forward some 18 months, it turned out that fabric was entirely unsuitable for UK upholstery due to our strict fire regulations so we needed to pivot. Luckily for us, Nobilis Fontan had a new collection which included this Opus Cycas velvet, on first glance a polarizing choice, but when you look closer at the detail and skill in placement of the colours in this design, it was an immediate winner. Seen here with antique bedside tables (we like to use vintage whenever we get the chance) and soft and sumptuous linens from RH, the end result is a sanctuary in every sense of the word.

Opposite the master bed sits a very long Studio Hopwood designed chest of drawers. What looks like a series of 3D carved boxes, is actually a flat wallcovering from Philip Jeffries called Coffered Wood. The unit was designed to work with these marquetry ‘box’ dimensions as we didn’t want to break the illusion in any way. Discreet handles from Courtyard hardware complete the look.

There is nothing more fun than walking a client round a marble yard and having them fall in love with a stone more bonkers than the one you had intended! That is exactly how we ended up using Blue Roma from Cullifords in the master bathroom. A pale blue background with deep rust and umber veining takes dramatic to a whole new level. The Artes alabaster lights from CTO Lighting, bespoke cabinetry finished in Benjamin Moore Ruby Dusk and pared back Randall tiles from Parkside all help keep things elegantly balanced.

While we shy away from doing ‘feature walls’, in this small guest bedroom the client really wanted to use the Namban wallcovering from de Gournay. The solution was to use the cranes on the headboard wall which naturally would have been the main feature of the room, but to stop it looking too much like a feature wall we used the brilliant services of Benjamin Moore in Chelsea and they worked out the perfect colour match so we could balance the hues with a glazed finish on the ceiling. If that wasn’t enough, we lined the walls in silk wallcovering from Vescom and sourced a pair of antique drop pendants from Glustin Luminaires in Paris. This little jewel box is like a ray of sunshine, no matter how grey it may be outside!

Designing with limited footprint is a workout for one’s spatial savvy and this dressing room in the eaves was exactly that. Not only does this space house AC units, the boiler, steam generator for the shower, the AV rack and dedicated room for luggage, it also needs to be a dressing room. A glamorous one at that. With the help of the Queen Cobra wallcovering from Arte International, some soft bronze mirror and the Alfred Chest from Julian Chichester, we suede-lined the shelves and used every square inch of space available to create a room you want to get dressed in.

Chelsea Noir

Designers Statement

This project was a creative dream — the opportunity to turn a client’s vision of a particular lifestyle into a home entirely their own. What began as an idea became an invention: a personal haven from their busy pace of work and travel.

The location set the perfect stage; a fashionable pocket tucked beside Harrods on the northern edge of Chelsea. This charming neighbourhood, full of independent shops and restaurants, offered both inspiration and a sense of refined urban living.

The townhouse itself came with its challenges. Spread across several floors but with a compact footprint, every room and even the staircase, demanded careful thought. Through precise spatial planning and a focus on proportion and flow, I set out to transform this modest structure into something far grander: a small house reimagined as a palace.

Throughout the interiors, black became the unifying thread, expressed in different forms, from polished plaster to stained black oak. This restrained yet powerful palette grounds the spaces, giving them depth and continuity while allowing texture and light to take centre stage. (You’ll find notes beside each photograph revealing more about the materials and detailing.)

What made this project truly special were the clients — open-minded, trusting, and wonderfully decisive. Their confidence allowed creativity to flourish, making the process a genuine collaboration.

And our story doesn’t end here. Together, we’re now designing a chalet in the Alps — a new adventure with a whole new set of challenges and rewards.