RECEPTION HALL BY STUDIO VERO
DESIGNERS ROMANOS BRIHI AND VENETIA RUDEBECK HAVE DEVISED A FLEXIBLE ENTERTAINING AREA
1. THIS IS A LARGE ANTEROOM that stands between the main entrance lobby and kitchen breakfast room of an apartment we decorated in Chelsea. The owners use it both for informal entertaining as well as somewhere to host guests prior to sitting down to dinner in the main dining and drawing room.
2. Each area of the apartment has an individual ‘talking point’ yet they all link to one another. We created themes such as hand-painted monochrome walls in the entrance, which are picked up and echoed in the fireplace and joinery in this room. Equally, the yellow velvet on the chairs here is subsequently communicated on some brass detailing in the kitchen.
3. IT WAS IMPORTANT for our clients that this space had a clear purpose. Key to achieving this was redesigning the existing built-in storage and solid linear limestone fireplace that spanned the entire width of the wall. Instead, we designed joinery that is both a library display and a working bar, and replaced the fireplace with a modern iteration of a classical design boasting clean architectural lines in black marble.
4. The dividing screen is an interpretation of an antique original. The mix of blacked steel, antique brass and mirror are replicated opposite on the custom stairway. It creates a powerful divide, yet its open design allows glimpses into the adjacent room and beyond to the terrace. 5. FOR THE FURNITURE, our clients’ brief was to blend styles by Jean-louis Deniot and Kelly Wearstler – essentially bridging Parisian style with bold and eclectic accents. The chairs were designed to be delicate yet form a strong statement in the space, using slight linear legs in blacked steel offset by rich ochre yellow fabrics.
Founded six years ago, Studio Vero is a London-based interior design practice led by creative directors Romanos Brihi and Venetia Rudebeck who share a cool, cosmopolitan aesthetic. It is known for its considered spaces and collaborations with celebrated artists and artisans. Studio Vero, 020 3818 0210, studio-vero.com