A NEW HISTORY IN LONDON…
A THEATRICAL 19TH CENTURY ATTIC IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
The project of this small private residence in London was developed in 2013 during the commission for the renovation of the building, that its owners, a young couple of Iranian fashion designers, assigned to Alvin Grassi Design Studio in order to fulfill their romantic dream to transform the attic of a noble house in the heart of the City, into a small elegant residence. It became an abode where the care of details, objects, colours and materials is studied in order to provide any comfort to its inhabitants.
“The ambient is not only made of the available space, but also of the way it could be used. It’s not surprising that the most fascinating aspect of our mission is to accommodate people in a single space and make them feel comfortable inside” says Alvin Grassi, the interior designer assigned to the restyling of this elegant private residence in the heart of London.
“As in the theatre, the key to everything is the illumination. More than any other component, it allows to modify the atmosphere with brilliant results. The light has a leading role together with the mix of modest and luxury items, contrasts of colours and materials, where a unique colour lives, the black one, with flashes of beige and purple-red. The introduction of this small maison into our private collection is a faithful reflection of our esprit”, continues Alvin Grassi.“Here, the images capture the essence of the ambient and surround the contemporary guest by the pleasure of seductive materials. The house owner is cuddled and ensphered by these precious unique elements; our intent is aimed at preserving relax by commiting us to take care of detail quality”.
This small attic of London expresses likely all the mystery, allure, blues, but also the craftiness and some kind of sensuality of the numerous facets of a city never looking the same; the City of London, where the allusions to the 30’s and the 40’s recall the original esprit of this Victorian residence of the early 20th century.
“The concept is inspired by Art Deco and the Victorian London and combines decorative and neoclassical features. It produces an ambient of refined elegance, far from being severe. There are numerous ironic details, sometimes a little bit frivolous and sometimes unusual, like feathers, fringes or hackles to remember that in London, where different styles, have always cohabited and combined, nothing appears out of place.
The dusty attic was brought to its original beauty by the innate love for the proportions, unlimited passion for the research and the maniacal care of details: this is the esprit of the assignment of the home owners”.
Any kind of opulent luxury is forbidden inside, leaving place to the necessity of pureness and simplicity.
“We have restructured the space in a feminine way, identifying it with a woman who, having a new purpose in life, regains her own charm. We have filled the living room, the bedroom and the bathroom with curvy silhouettes, transforming every space in a place of sensitive satisfaction opened to various interpretations. Just noticig the details, you can see how the scenic construction is based on the balanced research of materials, shapes and colours. In this project, the colour and materials form basic part to the achievement of the goal to get a balanced space. The ability of using colours and materials doesn’t mean only finding those that, visually, match the best, but also being aware of the energy they create”.
This small attic of London was a summary of experimentation, it was like finding ourselves in the middle of a 40’s movie, whose characters act among the vibrant environments of London and this Victorian attic, reconfiguring the building so to become the reference for the home owners, eternal travellers, tourists, urban wanderer and lovers of beauty and design.
In this set the guests move in complete freedom, accompanied in a trip of pure glamour and luxury. That’s the creation of an “Enlightened visionary”.
In the rooms as in the common spaces, the attention catches a single detail of furnishing or an art piece, a big mirror or a spot lighting with a strong aesthetic effect, items made to be noticed; that’s why we like to mix modest and luxury things: we create hard to define spaces.
The intention was to defeat the trend to destroy individualism, imposed by the global industry.
The most elegant streets of our cities boast the same brands, items and hotels. Gone are the days, when people arriving at Rome, Milan, Paris or London, were excited about the idea to find unique, unexpected and extraordinary places.
photos by Monica Silva & Max Zambelli
