A smart townhouse on one of London's prettiest garden squares
A visitor to this stylish and carefully considered London house is immediately aware of the exemplary quality of its execution. This is all the more remarkable given that the entire project was undertaken at a distance and completed during the Covid lockdowns by Luisa Olazábal and Luis Ojeda, partners at Madrid-based Studio LO2. Added to this is the fact that the installation took place while, says Luisa, 'Brexit was doing its mess. It was an interesting time - after that, we felt ready for anything.'
It helped that the studio had worked with the clients on several other projects, so a baseline of mutual respect and understanding was already in place. Situated on one of west London's garden squares, the house had a chequered history. Built as a detached property in 1864, it was later amalgamated with its neighbour to become a hotel. This then fell into disrepair until 2017, when it was acquired by developers who separated the buildings and modernised them, removing many of the Victorian features. When it was bought by the current owners in 2020, one of the great challenges was to reinstate the character, while creating a practical home for a family with four young children.
The owners are serious art collectors so Studio LO2 has designed the interiors around a number of key pieces. This includes enormous paintings by Christopher Wool and Albert Oehlen, both of which hang in the drawing room, and a Picasso that is now displayed over the fireplace in the dining room. Elsewhere, the floors had to be underpinned in order to support the weight of monumental sculptures.
Mindful of the owners' wish for this to be a working family home, Luisa decided to position the kitchen at the front of the house to maximise the light. A chic yet comfortable ochre-upholstered banquette, which follows the curve of the generous window bay, provides ample seating on one side of a pale marble-topped table, which is echoed by the marble surfaces on units designed and made by specialist Spanish furniture company Gunni & Trentino. Throughout the house, Luisa's team has used a thoughtful, restrained colour scheme of taupe, dark green, ochre and cream, which creates a feeling of cohesion and calm.
Adjacent to the kitchen is a supremely comfortable double drawing room, which is lined with a pale wool wall covering and furnished with armchairs and sofas in fabrics in this dark green, cream and taupe palette. These pick up on the colours of the large-scale contemporary paintings that are showcased on the surrounding walls. In the centre of the room, an intricately crafted chandelier by Cox London is suspended above an ebony table designed by Studio LO2.
Tall glazed doors open onto the hall, where a pinstripe effect on the walls was executed by Spanish craftsmen, who drew each line by hand while the plaster was still wet. At the far end, there is a discreet brass-doored lift; on the staircase, a zebra-striped carpet makes a bold statement.
Luisa's favourite space is the dining room: 'I'd always wanted to combine one with a library.' It is a handsome space with walnut joinery and panelling. Around the table are chairs by New York studio De La Vega Designs, which took over a year to be hand-crafted and shipped to the UK. They are, Luisa says, 'worth the wait'.
Next door, in a more relaxed sitting room, striped red carpet runners have been used as an unusual wall covering, emphasising the comfort and luxury of this scheme. There is a sofa and chairs covered in dark grey velvet, which sit in contrast to two beautiful brass chairs.
Upstairs, the main bedroom has walls and curtains in an abstract fabric and an antique daybed beside the window. In the adjoining dressing room, black lacquer wardrobes with mirrored doors are the backdrop for an ethereal ceiling light by the Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Naut, of Studio Drift. The en-suite bathroom, meanwhile, is a magnificently whimsical space, where Lefroy Brooks fittings are set off by a silk wall covering. The latter is by the Milanese specialist Misha and depicts a forested landscape.
The pièce de résistance? For some it might be found on the floor above, where the children's bedrooms have been designed with each child's interests in mind. One collects vinyl, so has album covers on the walls, while another has a special reading corner. These are playful, magical spaces. For others, it will be the jewel box of a screening room on the ground floor, its walls and seating upholstered in a dark green velvet from Güell Lamadrid. But for me, it is one floor below in the basement, where a beautiful spa area includes a quietly elegant swimming pool, a bar and a sauna in green marble. It is a brilliantly executed family home.
Studio LO2: luisaolazabal.com
Michael Sinclair1/8Units by Gunni & Trentino in dark stained wood with Calacatta Gold marble worktops are brightened by the banquette and chairs in a yellow velvet from Dedar. The pendant light is from MC Lighting Projects.
Michael Sinclair2/8The dining room chairs are in cast aluminium by De La Vega Designs, upholstered in a gold zebra-print fabric, and surround a large selenite and bronze table by Körner Interiors. The globe lantern from Jamb highlights a painting by Picasso.
Michael Sinclair3/8A zebra-print runner from Codimat Collection leads the eye to a Tursic & Mille artwork.
Michael Sinclair4/8'The Amber Route' wallcovering from Misha creates impact in the main bathroom.
Michael Sinclair5/8In the dressing room, an oak island is enlivened by a sofa in 'Sarnico' by Élitis and a Studio Drift ceiling light.
Michael Sinclair6/8Curtains and walls in 'Mountain Wave' from Michael S Smith's Templeton range are the backdrop for a headboard in Zoffany's 'Ozias' and a Porta Romana lamp.
Michael Sinclair7/81960s James Bond posters, a footstool and cushions in Holland & Sherry's 'Cavendish' and 'Mini Drum' lamps from Collier Webb add distinctive touches to the walls and sofas in green velvet from Güell Lamadrid in the screening room.
Michael Sinclair8/8In the spa, 'Large Mulholland' tiles by Kelly Wearstler for Ann Sacks set off the green Indian marble.
