A timeless and characterful home - our recent project in Kensington uses luxurious fabrics and wall finishes combined with rich colour schemes and showcases our client’s eclectic collection of artworks to create a comfortable home packed with interest.

The polished plaster walls in green and copper are by Perucccetti Plastering who have over 40 years experience in creating authentic Marmorino Venetian polished plaster using ancient techniques. Having introduced this highly specialised tradition to the UK in the 1970s, they have perfected the technique, suiting the colours and styles to produce individual finishes.

In our scheme, the colours were specially mixed to complement the Fortuny metallic gold and green curtains which were supplied by Claremont. Our client was delighted with the result which has worked beautifully in the dining room while providing a perfect back drop for their eclectic collection of artworks.

Claremont was founded in 1931 and specialises in exclusive fabrics and trimmings, featuring textiles which are woven by small manufacturers on old looms. Alongside their curated archive they are exclusive representatives of Fortuny fabrics in the UK. The designer Mario Fortuny moved from Spain to Venice with his family in 1889, a city which became the main source of his inspiration. The combination of Venetian polished plaster and Glicine Fortuny fabric, a 17th century Italian design, proved to be a perfect match.

The antique, French extending dining table has a beautifully polished parquet top which complements our client’s antique carpet and also the copper tones of the wall finish. The table was sourced through Wakelin & Linfield who specialise in both Continental and English furniture from the 16th to the 21st century.

To complete the Venetian theme, antique dining chairs from the Marché aux Puces were recovered in sumptuous gaufraged velvet from Sabina Fay Braxton. Sabina’s work echoes her many travels - her velvets, which she refers to as ‘Gilded Gaufrage’, use an ancient technique in which the pile is encrusted with metals and patinated, giving the velvets a wonderful luminous effect.

Sabina Fay Braxton

A quirky touch - as you enter the hallway, is the client’s artwork of a bubblegum-blowing Madonna on the hall stand reflected in a classic Venetian glass mirror.

The highly talented decorative painter Hughie Turner skilfully painted and distressed the new kitchen units to give them an antique finish which blended with the overall scheme adding character and a sense of history.

The pot rack and centre table were customised to enhance the space, creating an eye catching centrepiece, while the banquette dining area was integrated into the colour theme with dark green leather upholstery and a charming zinc-topped table sourced from an antique shop in the bustling Golbourne Road antique district.

The two antique carpets in the drawing room provided inspiration for the overall colour scheme and we contrasted a number of subtle colours with stronger shades to reflect the colours in the carpets. These included the petrol blue silk used on the antique French armchairs and gorgeous red silk used to recover the antique sofa providing a wonderful splash of unexpected colour. Again we turned to Claremont for the silk fabrics.

A calm yet elegant mood was created in the master bedroom using subtle colours enhanced by carefully curated antiques.

The painted French bed was supplied by The Parsons Table Company and is complemented by a pair of antique bedside cabinets from Geoffrey Stead. The beautifully painted desk was supplied by West Sussex antiques dealer John Bird.

The final touch was to create a cosy and inviting upstairs guest bedroom….