SARAH-LOUISE MARKS AND CHRISTOPHER PHELPS

Sarah-Louise and Christopher are the globetrotting couple behind renowned Instagram accounts @TheAdventuresofUs and @no.17house, which is dedicated to inspirational spaces. Known for their sophisticated take on traditional interiors, the couple have extensively remodelled their own Victorian home in Richmond, restoring original features such as fireplaces and cornicing and creating a beautiful bespoke his and hers dressing room on the top floor. ‘The constraints were definitely space and ceiling height,’ says Sarah-Louise. ‘We had to work around steel beams, ensuring we maximised as much storage as possible, whilst at the same time keeping the wardrobe functional and clutter-free.’

As with every aspect of the renovation, Christopher and Sarah-Louise meticulously planned the internal arrangement of the wardrobes, which they share equally. ‘We wanted the space to work for both of us,’ Sarah-Louise explains, ‘which is a challenge as men and women shop and dress very differently. We spent a few evenings listing everything that we wanted to store and drawing out different versions of the plan until we felt that we had reached the perfect layout for the both of us.’

Elevating organisation into an art form, the wardrobes are split between a long section for dresses and coats, shelves and drawers for jeans, bags, activewear, socks and underwear, with a larger section with two shorter rails for shirts, jackets, short dresses and tops. There is also a dressing area with a footstool and mirror and a few finishing touches still to come. ‘We like to plan our outfits, and will be adding some Rose Uniacke hooks to the edge of the wardrobes to help us to style our looks.’

The bright, functional dressing room is perfectly symmetrical, with clean lines and closed cupboard doors creating a calm atmosphere that contrasts with the bolder elements in the rest of the house. The wardrobe insides are made from warm, tactile oak and the doors feature handcrafted black bronze hardware by Van Cronenburg. Finished with a coat of tadelakt (a natural lime-based plaster) on the door fronts, walls and ceiling, the effect is unified and enveloping, with subtle texture. ‘It catches the light in such a beautiful way,’ says Sarah-Louise. ➤

Making a dressing room, rather than a kitchen or living room, the heart of the home might seem unusual, but for founder of design agency Tomorrow PR Neil Byrne and his fashion designer partner, it made complete sense. With rooms stacked one upon another, the unconventional layout of their east London apartment called for a fresh approach. ‘We could immediately see the potential for one of the mezzanines to become a large dressing room,’ says Neil. ‘The bedrooms didn’t have the space to add storage, so this was the perfect solution.’

Because of the strange shape of the space – ‘a squashed wedge’, as Neil calls it – bespoke was the only way to go. It also meant the couple could tailor the cabinets to their needs. Neil chose to commission Uncommon Projects, a company that specialises in bespoke plywood cabinetry, after admiring the quality and simplicity of their work at a design fair. ‘They were super excited when they discovered we wanted to play with colour and have some fun with the design,’ he adds.

The vibrant palette is based on German artist and Bauhaus member Josef Albers’ work in colour theory. Neil’s partner, who is known for his use of fluorescent accents in the clothes that he designs, drove this aspect of the project. He tried a multitude of configurations before settling on an assemblage of yellow and green shades for the wardrobe doors, taking care that they didn’t jar with the adjacent rooms. The wardrobes wrap the two walls of the mezzanine, with one side opening out to the triple-height living room and the other to the dining room below.

The couple’s different approaches to dressing are reflected in the division of storage; ‘My other half has more clothes, so he has the longest side,’ says Neil. It’s meticulously organised by type, whereas mine is a bit of a jumble! He will plan his outfits for the week, whereas I tend to wear the same few things time and time again.’

The wardrobe’s central location is practical, but the bold design also holds its own against the large-scale artworks that hang throughout the flat. ‘It really is the focal point of the home,’ says Neil.

‘THE BEDROOMS DIDN’T HAVE SPACE FOR STORAGE, SO THE MEZZANINE WAS THE

PERFECT SOLUTION’