URBAN PAD
Using serene colours, rich textures and original art, designer Katie Harbison has given an old-world apartment a new design language
Creating a chic, serene retreat was designer Katie Harbison’s vision for this apartment
If the walls of Katie Harbison’s latest project could talk, they would have some great yarns to tell. The apartment is set across what was once four separate private houses, built in 1850, that were later converted into a hotel in the 1980s. Situated on the third floor of this classic Grade-ii listed building, the west London property has a charming view of verdant communal gardens below.
Assigned to the task of transforming the interiors from time-worn and tatty hotel rooms to a home for a jet-setting young client, and concluding the project during the country’s corona lockdown, Katie had her work cut out. ‘Our client is an art lover who has travelled widely and already had some precious possessions bought abroad that she wanted to display with consideration,’ says Katie. ‘She’s a businesswoman who works hard and wanted somewhere calm yet homely to relax at the end of a long day.’ One of the main selling points Katie’s client was attracted to was that the accommodation is all on the same level. A long corridor connects the main living areas and further along the bedrooms, rather like the state apartments of a historic palace. ‘The living areas communicate through large double doors, so the space can feel private when necessary but also has a sociable, open flow to it,’ says Katie.
‘As it’s a listed building we were not able to make dramatic structural changes, but we worked closely with craftspeople to restore all the architectural detailing to replicate what it would have been in its glory days.’ A new chevron floor was laid and architrave and skirting replaced. Windows and the stucco white front were also restored.
A keen traveller herself, Katie fell into an easy rapport with her client, bringing influences from both sides of the
Atlantic. ‘When I first graduated, I worked for a Scandinavian company in New York for two years. This influenced me towards a pared-back look with lots of linen and a neutral colour palette. Later, when I studied for my master’s in Florence, I fell in love with a more classical aesthetic. Now I like to balance these styles in an old-world meets new design language,’ she says.
Completing the acquisition of furnishings and fabrics from home on her laptop during the lockdown, Katie explains that she was fortunate to get much of her scavenging done before the outbreak of the coronavirus. ‘I did a lot of the buying at the beginning of the year. I found plenty of random trinkets in Paris in January and I also had the chance to drive to Rye where there are many furniture and antiques dealers I love. I came back with a car rammed high with stuff.’ Entrusted with buying artwork for her client, Katie has a strong eye for new talent. ‘I love discovering and supporting up-and-coming artists. I often buy from boutique galleries and dealers other people may not have heard of.’
Combining these widely sourced treasures with Farrow & Ball’s calming Ammonite grey shade, Katie punctuated rooms with charismatic pockets of colour. ‘Rich brown dominates the sitting room, while there is a peach character in the dining room. I was inspired by the pale duck egg and sage colours of the rug in the master bedroom.’ Marble and touches of burnished brass lend poise and elegance while rich fabrics, including bouclé, velvet and wool, combine to enhance the sense of comfort and relaxation. Quite in contrast to the hotel it started out as, this apartment is truly somewhere to come home to.