INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
A warehouse conversion comes to life
HOME CV
WHO Clare Lattin, co-founder of Ducksoup and Little Duck in Soho, lives in this warehouse conversion. WHAT Clare’s apartment is situated in a 1920s warehouse in London. It was the community spirit in the building that appealed to her. The apartments open on to a central space, so the comings and goings of everyday living are shared. Clare wanted to bring the building’s friendly ethos into the apartment. For her, dinners with friends and chats over coffee are more important than interior trends, so her goal was to create a welcoming space. RENOVATION Some walls were knocked through, but Clare wanted to retain a sense of cosiness. So she zoned the space using different textures, floor heights and furniture, and balanced the open-plan interior with quiet corners. Linen curtaining provides privacy between spaces, but there’s lots of seating to create a sociable atmosphere. Despite the zoning, Clare’s palette gives a cohesive feel. Nature is her inspiration, and the white walls are warmed with earthy browns and ochres, with the odd splash of yellow or green. Clare’s home is a busy yet harmonious mix of everyday items and unexpected finds. Textiles from her travels, vintage furniture, woven baskets and washed linens soften the scuffed floors, painted brick and metal beams.
COSY CORNER
Clare has used vintage linens to screen the sunlight and demarcate different areas in her home. Casually hung from rods or hooked over doors, the drapes soften the industrial backdrop. They also offer privacy, covering the large, glazed doors. Bare bricks are a feature of this warehouse conversion and inject warmth and texture. An office nook has been created with a desk placed beneath a metal-framed window. Just beyond the kitchen, this study area is conducive to planning and reading. Even these spaces are zoned within their zones. The study space also features a daybed that’s perfectly positioned for quick work breaks.
HALF-WALL
This is a clever way to divide two spaces, while retaining an open-plan feel, as has been done with the kitchen and living room here (top). The top is finished with reclaimed scaffold planks and is an ideal storage-cumdisplay space for Clare’s culinary ingredients.
STEPS UP
To draw the eye, the staircase leading to her bedroom has been painted in a crisp black. Clare is not one to miss the opportunity for a creative display, so the treads and a nearby shelf boast an ever-changing array of art, books, vases and plants, bringing visual interest and personality to the simple setting.
LIVING ROOM
Clare’s home is both a hive of activity and a cosy, calming place of retreat. Due to her busy life as a restaurateur, she is on the go all the time, so home needs to be a restorative space, bringing instant respite as she closes her front door behind her. The living area is designed for leisurely lazing – an oversized sofa separates off this area. This space is used for various activities, so there are several different seating options, many of them vintage. The rocker, for example, is positioned invitingly in the reading nook.
‘THE LIVING AREA IS DESIGNED FOR LEISURELY LAZING’
KITCHEN
Much of her home life revolves around the oversized vintage dining table, which she has taken with her from home to home. Her collection of vintage Thonet chairs make for elegant seating. The surfaces are covered with an assortment of boards, pots and crocks, which work as functional ornaments. Providing plenty of daylight are the handsome warehouse windows. The sill is used as a mini nursery for a collection of houseplants. This area is next to the casual, unfitted kitchen, the backbone of Clare’s apartment. Despite being a functional area, it has a friendly disposition and Clare can often be found here cooking or mingling with friends.
BATHROOM
Even the darkest corners of the apartment are illuminated, such as the bathroom, where a vintage glass door allows light to filter through. The room is calm and feminine, with powder-pink paint coating the only door in the apartment. The pastel shade is complemented by a vintage lace cloth, which is hung over the window in the door to provide privacy.
BEDROOM
There’s a change of gear in the bedroom. Wanting to create a relaxing space, Clare styled this room minimally, with fewer ornaments. There’s more colour here, too, with muted pastel bedding and a storm-cloud-grey bedspread.