….but it’s in London, of all places. This is a four storied residence of Victorian proportions, with one high ceilinged room after another. The designers here are the Real Deal. Both from Italy, Laura Sartori Rimini specializes in historic preservation and her partner Roberto Pregalli apprenticed with the famed italian interior designer Renzo Mongiardino who designed movie sets for Franco Zeferelli among others. I am mentioning this to point out how the apple does not fall far from the tree. This London home is filled with historic references of theatrical proportions.?The homeowners asked for “very homey, very cozy” and….by golly….they got that in spades.?How is “cozy’ created in such an enormous mansion of a home? Well, let’s look at the above dressing room. The chestnut paneled walls are one of the coziest finishes one can possibly imagine. Into this space is placed a capacious and inviting Empire bed with a patterned spread and various pillows literally thrown upon it. The seasoned antique rug and dark framed late 19th century seascape add more to this sense of history. The lighting?….soft, ofcourse.
The drawing room features hand painted wall motifs inspired by similar ones in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. ?The patterned rug, and antiques from Russia, France and England combine to create that lived in look of coziness.
The master bedroom is an Ode to Pattern….layers and layers of it. The antique paisley coverlet plays beautifully against the multiple patterned walls. Ordinarily the use of this much pattern feels chaotic to me. I literally cannot wait to leave the room. ?But this does not feel that way at all! Why? Because everything is muted and antiqued. The patterns are not full of contrast. They are softened, as if they have been washed thousands of times. I love being in a space where things have been well used and well loved.
Isn’t this a stunning bathroom!? Bold yellow and black striped walls set against a bold yellow and black marble floor. 18th century engravings and contemporary rattan baskets soften the edges.
One of the libraries features a parquet floor, faux painted books within the custom bookcase, and what looks like decorative hand painted border in the ceiling cove.
The second library, pictured to the right, features patchwork curtains of all things. Also a gilt wood sofa covered in red silk velvet and an 18th century Ottoman portrait. In this eclectic London home, the designers achieved their goal of creating a space that “resembles a Pall Mall gentlemen’s club.”
Photos from Elle Decor /April 2008
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