Noble profile

Gilt and brass endow a discreetly patrician edge to this elegant Eaton Square apartment in exclusive Belgravia made over by French interiors maestro Jean-Louis Deniot.

French designer Jean-Louis Deniot has a pragmatic, down-to-earth approach to decorating. He often likes to say: “You’re not going to change the course of the world by hanging a pair of curtains.” And although his interiors ooze elegance, they are not necessarily filled with hugely expensive, collectible pieces of furniture. “It’s what I call design confidence,” he asserts. “Some people need to have things from a certain gallery with a certain pedigree and then there are others who are ready to have fun simply with things that speak to them.” He says he is certainly not averse to buying something for a steal at a Los Angeles garage sale and transforming it with just the right choice of upholstery.

He is also a firm believer in investing both energy and money where they are going to have the maximum impact. A perfect example can be found in this grand threebedroom London apartment, where he added a brass profile around the doorways in the entry hall. “Let’s face it,” he says, “it’s more or less a corridor and you need to distract from that fact by adding a detail that catches both the light and the attention of visitors”. For him, entrances are always of capital importance. “First impressions last,” he adds, “and when people walk into a place, they either love it or hate it. There’s nothing in between. It’s as simple as that.”

It’s hard not to be impressed by this 450sqm duplex that he decorated for a South African businessman. Firstly, it boasts a superlatively prestigious location slap-bang on Eaton Square in Belgravia, where previous residents have included the likes of fabled actors Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison, and former British prime ministers Neville Chamberlain and Stanley Baldwin. However, according to its owner, what really makes it unique is its expansive lateral space. “That’s quite rare, because in London everything is vertical,” he states. “It also has a double garden and its own front door.” That envious width was achieved by combining three flats into one – a testing and time-consuming process. “The planning permission was monumental,” recalls JeanLouis, “because the Crown is not keen on units from adjoining buildings being knocked together”.

Almost everything now inside is brand new. Take the sitting room, for instance. “It gives the illusion of having always been there, but there’s actually nothing original at all,” says Jean-Louis . “The whole of this apartment could be recreated elsewhere. All the architectural details were added.” The walls were formerly completely plain and the only thing he really had to play with were the windows at the front that look out directly onto the square. Jean-Louis used them as the starting point for the rest of the aesthetic and endowed the rooms with a firmly English flavour. He installed lanterns in the entry hall (“for me, they immediately shout ‘British’”) and a coffered ceiling in the sumptuous dining room. In his mind, meanwhile, the tall doors with their square glass panels nod to the neoclassical Adam style immensely popular in the second half of the 18th century. Throughout, the architectural elements are rigorous and clean-cut. “I wanted things to be legible and not too confused,” he explains.

“Jean-Louis is a master at creating beautiful homes,” says the apartment’s owner. “He has the ability to create things that are truly unique and one-off.” As in all his projects,

« the designer incorporated here a judicious mix of old and new. On the mantel in the study, two South African papier-mâché vases are paired with a couple of 19th-century English marble urns. In the sitting room, a contemporary fireplace with a surround made from glass back-painted by Paris-based artist Florence Girette is offset by a French 18th-century mirror and a pair of sculpted English armchairs from the late 1700s. For Jean-Louis, the smattering of mid-century French and Italian pieces, meanwhile, helps to make the scheme perfectly timeless.

One thing he had to avoid was introducing too much pattern. “My client really doesn’t like it,” he says. He also had to pay particular attention to adding a certain luminosity to the rooms to counter the famous London gloominess. In the downstairs kitchen, he chose reflective materials – silver leaf behind glass, shiny lacquer and stainless steel – for the cabinets. On the wall of the dining room, he hung a paper painted with iridescent pigments. “When you light the candles in the evening, the effect is quite magical,” he enthuses. And the overall neutral palette is given a lift with touches of brass and yellow in many of the spaces. “I think I must be lucky,” quips Jean-Louis. “Every time I go to London, it’s always sunny. But apparently, it’s not the case for everyone.” deniot.com

SPEED READ

» Jean-Louis Deniot was asked to decorate this grand three-bedroom duplex in London’s exclusive Belgravia which was newly formed from the merging of three apartments. » The French interior designer stamped it with glamorous hallmarks, from the brass profile around doorways in the entry to the coffered ceiling in the sumptuous dining room. » Typical of his design confidence Jean-Louis mixed high and low, vintage and contemporary, such as the South African papiermâché vases paired with mid-19th-century English marble urns. » Metallic elements, iridescent pigments and painted-glass elements amplify and reflect light to counter the city’s grey skies.

This page While the main sitting room looks as if it has always been there, everything is brand new including the panelled walls. Sofa by Jean-Louis from his collection for George Smith. The pair of vintage mid-century lamps have custom shades by Anne Sokolsky. The 18th-century neoclassical English armchairs sit next to a bronze occasional table by Jean-Louis with a vintage 1950s Murano glass lamp on top. The artwork is a watercolour from the owner’s native South Africa. Custom bamboo rug by Galerie Diurne in Paris. Opposite page An 18th-century French neoclassical mirror oversees the sitting room above a glass fireplace by Jean-Louis painted by Parisbased decorative artist Florence Girette. Pair of Hamilton Conte ‘Tanai’ stools upholstered in a Jane Churchill fabric. The custom Royère-style sofa is upholstered in a Romo fabric. A pair of Empire-period candlesticks perch atop the custom bronze coffee table. The mixed-media artworks are anonymous and date from the 1970s.

This page Jean-Louis designed the dining table which has a bespoke back-painted glass top. The accompanying custom oak chairs in the spirit of Jean Royère are upholstered in ‘Linara’ linen from Romo. The candleholders are from Asiatides. The Louis XVI crystal chandelier was bought in Paris and the brushed-brass sconces are from Hamilton Conte. Opposite page, from top Designer Jean-Louis Deniot in the dining room in front of the table he designed. The wrought-iron console in a distressed gold finish in the entry hall is also by Jean-Louis. The mirror is from Collection Pierre by Hutton Collections. The alabaster and bronze sconce was designed by Pierre Chareau. The tapestry is by Alexander Calder. The 19th-century Venetian lantern was bought from Skelton + Culver in Houston, Texas.

This page, from top In the entry hall ‘Scarabée’ sconces from Hamilton Conte and leather benches inspired by an André Arbus design. In the sitting room 1940s armchairs by Maison Dominique are upholstered in a yellow Brochier fabric. Kitchen cupboard doors made with silver leaf behind glass. The upper cupboards beside are lacquer; the lower ones stainless steel. Calacatta marble island bench with ‘Bride’s Veil’ stools by Phase. ‘Chamber’ ceiling light by Lee Broom in Carrara marble and glass. The oven is from Wolf. The taps are from Franke.

This page, clockwise from top left In the walnut-panelled study, a work by a South African artist hangs above the 18th-century English fireplace. On the mantel the papier-mâché vases are also from South Africa. Jean Royère sconces with custom shades by Anne Sokolsky. The armchair on the left was bought from a Paris flea market and reupholstered in a Souveraine fabric. ’Manolo’ coffee table from Hamilton Conte. The sofa by late decorator David Collins was bought at auction. ’Capsule’ bronze stool by Hervé Van der Straeten. 1960s Italian chandelier bought in Milan. Custom desk in rosewood, bronze and leather with vintage mid-century Italian lamp. Desk chair from Jean-Louis’ collection for George Smith and upholstered in ‘Cameron’ fabric from JAB Anstoetz. Bamboo rug from Serge Lesage. View from the dining room towards the stairs with ‘Ovale’ bronze chandelier by Hervé Van der Straeten. The stoneware jar at the top of the stairs is c1900 Moroccan. Artwork by Alexander Calder. Looking into the downstairs family room from the kitchen dining area.

This page The custom sofa is upholstered in a Romo fabric. The 1840s French mirror is made from sheet metal and flanked by bespoke sconces in alabaster and bronze. The trunk-like table is made from petrified wood. Bespoke table lamp by Jean-Louis. Opposite page The custom breakfast table in the kitchen has a dark bronze base with a leather top. The chairs are also custom and covered in a Pierre Frey ‘Wallis’ fabric. The objects on the table are made from papier-mâché. The vintage chandelier was purchased on 1stdibs. The outdoor sofa has been upholstered in a Sunbrella fabric.

This page A guest bedroom looks out to the velvety grassed courtyard garden by British landscaper Jinny Blom. The custom bench at the foot of the bed has an iron base with a distressed gold-leaf finish and is upholstered in a Pierre Frey fabric. Throw made in ‘Inuit’ fabric from Lelièvre. Custom ceramic bedside lamp. 1950s chair re-covered in two fabrics from Métaphores. Vintage lacquered chest of drawers in the style of Maison Jansen with a lamp that dates from the 1950s. Opposite page The master bathroom is clad in swathes of Calacatta marble. The mirror is from the Jean-Louis Deniot collection for Marc de Berny. The sconce comprises a mid-century Italian textured-glass shade mounted onto a custom nickel support. The bath tap is from Kallista. The armchair is Italian mid-century reupholstered in Jim Thompson and Métaphores fabrics. The two vases on the window ledge are French Empire period in bronze.