SKY’S THE LIMIT
Sophie and Simon Elborne’s long search for a new home came to an end when they spotted a penthouse apartment with potential
The opportunity to tailor the space to individual requirements made this penthouse apartment in west London a tempting prospect
Searching for a new home can be a frustrating and long, drawn-out process, as Sophie and Simon Elborne discovered when they were house-hunting in London. ‘We’d been looking for a quirky fixer-upper for several months but hadn’t found anything suitable,’ explains Sophie. Then fate took a hand. ‘We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time when we stumbled upon a new development in west London that included a penthouse apartment. We knew it was what we were looking for. The partition walls had gone up, but the project had been delayed. This meant that we were able to work alongside the developers and tailor the space to our requirements.’ As Sophie is an interior designer by profession, she and Simon were able to put their own stamp on the place right from the outset.
The pair were immediately drawn to the apartment’s light-filled spaces, great proportions and high ceilings, but creating the layout proved to be a challenge. ‘We like to entertain and so wanted several different places where we could eat,’ says Sophie. ‘An office area and a place to curl up and watch a film were also needed. Zoning the large, open-plan space was the natural solution and we had to find a way to bridge entertaining and family life [the couple have two young sons, Max and Luc], so I chose finishes that would work with both.’
A generously proportioned bespoke kitchen by DEVOL was the starting point for the scheme as Sophie and Simon both
wanted a ‘foodie playground’. Sophie worked closely with DEVOL’S designers to ensure that the layout was just right. A well was created in the centre of the island so that oils and utensils are close at hand when cooking, for instance, and the kitchen flows into the adjacent dining area, which is a boon for socialising. Both zones are linked by a unifying colour scheme and a trio of oversized sculptural pendant lights.
Simon works in film production, so it was also essential to create a space where the
couple could indulge their love of cinema. With this in mind, Sophie designed and made an extra-large ottoman to go with a slouchy sofa and white rocking chair (an anniversary present from Simon).
In the living spaces and bedrooms alike, bespoke cabinetry was installed to provide ample storage and keep the overall feel clean and uncluttered. And as the main bedroom overlooks the street, Sophie decided to work with the angled roof and create a cocoon-like bed canopy. ‘Bringing more fabric into the room had acoustic benefits as it helped to absorb the noises from outside,’ she says.
When it came to choosing the decor, Sophie opted for a restrained palette of classic shades, offset by subtly patterned wallpapers and fabrics. ‘It’s not an enormous apartment; too much colour and pattern would have been overwhelming,’ she explains. ‘I also wanted the palette to complement the natural finishes in the space. For example, the wall colours are drawn from the sandy tones of the wood, the black door frames from steel, and fresh whites and greys from the marble worktops.’ Deep-navy kitchen cabinetry and steel blue in the entrance hallway were purposefully chosen to evoke twilight tones, while the grey-green shade in the couple’s bedroom creates restful echoes of nature.
‘At heart, it’s a very painterly aesthetic,’ says Sophie. ‘Our homes are a stage from which the narrative of our lives unfold.’ Like the objects within it, the apartment tells a very personal story – one that no doubt will continue to evolve over time.