h&g Visits

The Sa-born designer now calls an elegant London flat home

The London home of sa-born designer Imraan Ismail

Imraan Ismail says he is someone who always sees potential and solutions, which is evident in the central London flat he designed for himself and his partner. They bought the 120-square-metre space set within a grade-ii listed georgian townhouse in 2015. south-facing and flooded with light, Imraan was lured in by the drawing room with its original floor-toceiling windows, marble chimneypiece and 3.8-metre-high ceilings.

his first step was to remove the unsalvageable floorboards and an ugly kitchen ‘pod’ that was enclosed by stud walls. ‘I trained as an interior architect, so spatial issues are foremost for me,’ says Imraan. he focused on clawing back dead space. ‘We foreshortened the long hall: now it ends with a newly built stud wall and, tucked behind it, the main bedroom and en suite.’

While Imraan often mixes designs from different historical periods, for the bones of this project he researched georgian details. Within this classical framework, he has created a fresh, modern aesthetic, opting for a grey scheme throughout ‘because our collection of art is so colourful’. The eclectic collection includes modern collages by artist Ketna Patel and bronze sculptures by south african artist Maureen Quin that echo Imraan’s own heritage. a‘ rt tells the story of your journey,’ he concludes. ‘I like to design interiors that do the same.’ iiinteriors.co.uk

clockwise, from above designer imraan ismail; the open-plan drawing room and kitchen has lelièvre linen curtains and a sofa upholstered in mohair velvet; a quartzite island provides a focal point in the kitchen