Inside a Sophisticated Mayfair Penthouse by Juliette Byrne

My name is Juliette Byrne. I'm an interior designer in Chelsea. Today I'm going to show you around our Mayfair penthouse. So this is the main reception area which is wonderful. It's got wraparound windows. We wanted the kitchen to be light and bright and a space where you could actually spend time in during the day. So as promised here we are on the roof terrace with the most amazing views of Mayfair. So this apartment is owned by our clients from Singapore and their brief was to create a wonderful welcoming interior for them which reflects their lifestyle in Singapore. So lots of light and bright areas but also to integrate their existing collections of books and art and to ensure that when they come here they're really feeling that this is home from home. So this is a penthouse set over three floors with the most amazing roof terrace which we're going to take you through later. So this is the main reception area which is wonderful. It's got wraparound windows and it has a fantastic view through the windows out over Mayfair. But we wanted to create an interior that was very welcoming for their guests and so having the seating here in an L shape facing the central feature fireplace was a great way to start planning the room. And so what we did we decided this would be the focal point and we put in this elegant biethanol fireplace here with a marble top and having the tv above it means that all your guests are gathered here when the fire's lit you can really entertain and have a wonderful ambience. We then decided how were we going to add character to the room. So architecturally we decided to copper the ceilings and this adds interest but also adds good lighting with the led strip going around. And then also on these areas here we wanted to build joinery which integrates all the clients library of books which was a very strong point that they wanted us to do. The owners have this fantastic collection of first edition books so by building the joinery this also gave a focal point to the room and a warmth where they could show off their objet and the books. So our first point was to use a show wood high gloss show wood which the units made out of and this really adds glamour to the space. We added a marble top here and bronze detailing which are inset around each of the shelves and on these rods and underneath here is led lighting which gives a soft glow onto the books. So they were very pleased with that and we also added a metal finish here on the doors which creates a reflection and this whole unit integrates the air conditioning. So obviously that's throughout the apartment and the owners really wanted that. Coming from Singapore air conditioning was a very very high on their want list so we made sure that was done. We also wanted to create a feeling of space here so we commissioned this beautiful rug from the Fort Street Studios in New York and this silk is an incredibly soft and elegant way to add softness to the room and to help with the acoustics. So this area here was very important it's their main seating area in the penthouse and so we chose this wonderful Minotti sofa here which is covered in a soft chenille natural fabric and then we added in these elegant silk cushions and also just to give a little nod to one of their loves which is Safari. We added in a zebra print cushion here with a fringing all the way around which is an excellent way of just making the house a little bit more personal for the clients. Then here we had the circular coffee tables which are a nest of tables and they've got an inlay here in a lovely polished walnut and then over here we've got an amethyst glass lamp on a side table and then the owner's chair here which was very important to him he likes to take a book from the library pick up his book and then relax with his wine and then read his book in his chair so that was also very important for them to have somewhere for him to relax on his favourite chair. One of the most important things for the owners was to entertain and so they've welcomed their guests in the drawing room and so we thought it'd be wonderful to create an elevated area here for the dining room by adding two steps either side of the feature fireplace we've created two reception areas and two really special rooms for them to entertain their guests. This particular room we had the brief that they wanted to seat at least 10 people so that was a challenge and by doing the repeat coffered ceiling here it sort of anchored the space and makes it a very welcoming area for them to bring their guests into leading through into the kitchen so it's very practical. So this area here the dining space was going to be a very important feature for the flat but we also wanted it to join through colour scheme wise to the drawing room so we created a feeling of greenery have some mauves and give it a very much an organic feel reflecting their life in Singapore. By adding this table here made out of high gloss show wood it reflects light into the space from the three high windows and really makes it very glamorous. We wanted to have the green backed chairs again from Minotti so this dark green and cream interior makes it a very practical solution but also brings in the pop of colour that the clients really liked. Then moving through across the silk rug again from Fort Street Studios in New York and Bespoke Made we added in these really high luscious faux plants which give a sort of tropical feel to the space and we really complemented it with this green butterfly bespoke art installation which we created especially for the client and it's lots and lots of green and cream and yellow feather butterflies all encased in a perspex box frame here and this is really the focal point of the dining room and at night you've got these cream ceramic based lamps in an organic shape to give warmth to the room which is great for entertaining. On a storage level we put in this very long console here which is practical to get all the china can go into this console but it's also very attractive as a unit because it's got a beaten metal finish here which complements the units again the joinery in the drawing room it's got this lovely chagrin and bronze doors and then a darker more ebony top to it so again very practical if you're serving you can put your food here bring it to the table and really this is a fantastic space for the clients to welcome their guests both from London and overseas. We also wanted to put in these fantastic glass lamps from Charles Bernard which the clients had had in a previous property that we did for them and we brought them into this property and it's given them a new lease of life they were in a hallway and now they're here in the dining room I think they look fantastic and then over the table just to anchor it and make it feel really very grand is the chandelier from Porta Romana which again the bronze complements the bronze on the console and it just adds an extra layer of lighting to the dining area. So leading you through to the other side of the dining room we created this divide if you remember from the drawing room side and this also creates a wonderful area for the clients to have their fire lit and have the shimmering wallpaper which links the two areas and obviously the tv here has a very clever mechanism where it pivots around and you can actually watch it from the kitchen so let me take you through to the kitchen and talk a little bit about that. So before I go into the kitchen and go into any more detail I wanted to explain to you about these doors here that we put in. Basically the dining area and the drawing room area are for relaxing and entertaining but obviously the kitchen is very close by so we thought we'd create these decorative panels made out of bronze and they turn into double doors so if you wanted to shut off the space you would just be able to close the doors by bringing them to the front here. The doors themselves are interesting because they're not just glass doors they're actually translucent so they've got glass here with this really beautiful mesh gold mesh which is inset into the glass and then we've got a leather handle here to make them glamorous so when you're in the dining room and they're shut they look wonderful like screens but when you actually want to be in the and have them open or maybe watch the television you can open them right back and they're held back by magnetic clips on either side so that really joins both areas together but you have the separation as well if you want to. So telling you a little bit more about the kitchen we wanted the kitchen to be light and bright and a space where you could actually spend time in during the So the clients wanted to have an area here for their friends and family to come or maybe just to have a coffee at breakfast so this large area here we created a cantilevered bar which is in a natural palette of a marble based on a Carrara marble but it's actually a lot more practical and it's a composite stone so in fact even though it looks like real marble it's very much better for cooking on or preparing wine or chopping lemons. So that was the brief here is to make a practical kitchen but also one for entertaining as well. This area here was for the sink and we wanted also to have a focal point as it's visible through from the dining area so rather than putting overhead units here to match these ones we actually kept it open and then created these composite shelves which have a groove in the top where we've inset led lighting and then this is a great place for putting objet and actually making it a focal point and interesting from the other area. Then on this side we've tucked away the washer dryer which is behind these units here and then over here we've created an interesting bronze effect on the extractor fan and then a detailing underneath here in bronze with bronze handles. So although the colour palette is neutral we've actually layered it in a way so that it has interest and depth. We've got the naturally veined composite on the worktop, we've got the shelves here and then we've also got the sprayed units here in a soft white but we've accented it with the bronze detailing to tie it in with the glazed doors and then of course the focal point are the Gabriel Scott pendant lights which are bespoke and we chose the soft shell pink here for this particular glass element and then more of a caramel colour for the other two which gives a wonderful warmth and again adds that glamorous touch that you want from a space like this. So for this side of the kitchen we wanted to integrate a lot of storage so all these cabinets here have concealed storage. We've also got an integrated temperature controlled wine fridge with some wine storage here which has lighting integrated inside and then over on this side we've got a larder, double larder, for the client's coffee making. Make a coffee, grab a cup and saucer and then take it out onto the terrace here where we've created a little side terrace with a wonderful green faux wall for privacy. So leading you back through into the hallway where we started, we have this fantastic glass elevator that takes you straight up from the ground floor into the penthouse. So you enter into the hallway, you've got your guest powder room directly opposite you and then we created a sense of arrival by adding in this circular silver distressed leaf mirror here with detailing, a console table and then a real splash of colour with this acrylic artwork from Unit London which really sets the tone of the flat where the owners wanted to have strong colourful positive artwork and then leading up the stairs we commissioned these wall lights which take you right the way through. They're from Charles Bernard and they're in bronze with a hand-blown bubble glass. So come with me and we'll go up to the bedrooms. So here we created a double landing, one side of the landing goes to the master bedroom and then up onto the penthouse roof terrace which we'll show you soon and then the other half goes to a dressing room and into a guest bedroom suite. So we wanted to have this sense of arrival here and we commissioned this beautiful porcelain artwork here with natural porcelain and gold gilt detailing for butterflies which links the butterfly theme through to the dining room. We created a wash of light over it with the picture light and then we've got two more of the Charles Bernard commissioned wall lights either side and of course the leather handrail theme which runs all the way through the house and is echoed in the kitchen on the doors. So here we are on the master bedroom suite. You can arrive by lift or by the stairs and the most important feature is that we commissioned this artwork by Mackay Williamson which is a backlit light box and it's got a textured burnt wood detailing here. You can change the colour using the home automation system but we like it in the natural white and it gives you a sense of arrival before you go through the double doors into the master bedroom suite. We added in these overhead skylights to wash light down and you enter in with a panoramic view of Mayfair and this is the master bedroom suite. So we wanted to make the art the client had the focal point of the room and this is the Japanese rice paper art installation here. It's a three dimensional piece and it's got a strong vibrant colour to it so the other textures and textiles that we use needed to have more of a muted palette and so we chose these soft greys. We've got a natural linen wallpaper on the wall and then to allow the bed to be extra large six foot wide we created these pocket doors here which are fantastic because they sit flush and once you pull them out they slide all the way open but they don't actually use any space and you can have bedside tables here. So to make these look the best we could we added in these bespoke bronze detailed circular handles and carrying on with the bronze circular theme we commissioned these bedside tables so they're circular and organic and complemented by these Porta Romana glazed perfume bottle bedside lights. All in all it gives you a very restful and elegant feel to the room. So on this side of the room the clients wanted to have a television and it's always the same you don't really want to see the television in the room all the time when you're not using it so we actually commissioned this to be made for us. It's a mirror and it's cantilevered off the wall but it's also a television so when you want to have it on you turn it on and the rest of the time it acts as a mirror. Underneath it we've put this beautiful lime washed unit from California and again this lovely glass perfume bottle. We also wanted to point out the fact that the walls are sloping so this was an issue when we were doing curtains so we've created the curtain here and put in these bespoke ombres which holds the curtain neatly back against the wall and then we have motorized romans and then a share blind here for privacy. We also had a small chair added here which is nice for relaxation and a Tom Faulkner lily glazed side table here and an onyx light just to give you a soft ambient light. So let me take you down here into the bathrooms. We've got a master bathroom here with a shower and then an ensuite here so taking you straight through into the master bathroom. In here we decided to choose a Calicata Oro marble which was bespoke to this bathroom. We had the floor done in a large format tile which really gives you a feeling of space and then we added in on the wall more of the marble floor to wall tiles and then a fluted vanity area with a bronze detailing under here which is echoed in these Garnier and Linker hand-blown glass wall lights. Lots of storage here in the cabinets and then a double vanity unit with a very large walk-in shower which we're delighted with because it gives you an elegant TV area, hand shower, overhead rain shower and the niches. So moving out of the master bedroom past the artwork we had this narrow area here which we wanted to transform and make interesting so we added in this organic shaped circular mirror on the wall to bounce the light through. We then mirrored this wall and in here is the boiler cupboard so it's got the boiler in the but it's cleverly disguised and again echoing the other areas of the flat we've got a bronze trim on there. Then the client had additional shoe storage which he wanted to place so we created this built-in narrow unit which has a flip down front and that enables you to put all these shoes in here and then shuts carefully and really looks like an interesting chest of drawers and then above it we've got a motorized blind and a privacy blind. This side of the apartment we created a guest bedroom and ensuite up these stairs and through here an additional dressing room for the owner. So this was the third bedroom with a small shower room and the owners decided they would prefer to have it as a bespoke dressing room area so we took out the existing bed and we've built in all these fitted wardrobes which house the client's wonderful clothes and shoe collection where we've got led light and bespoke shelving. We've also got an open shelving unit here for handbags and we commissioned a round rug here made out of upcycled fibers to add a little addition of color pop of color and then above it we have a CTO hand-blown textured glass chandelier to add drama and then we took out the bathroom the ensuite and created an additional dressing area here with more storage for the client and on the wall it's a hand-painted wallpaper from Studio E in New York which has got a leaf motif. So here we are in the guest bedroom which is overlooking Mayfair with the most incredible views and we decided in this room it will be good to have a blue and terracotta palette so on the walls here we have the client's existing artwork and to complement that we have a textured navy blue headboard with studding and these Porto Romano lamps with a navy blue silk and crystal detailing. We also added in some lacquer bedside tables and a newly commissioned rug here from Riviera and then on the bed we have these lovely soft feathered cushions and a very interesting faux silk wallpaper which has a good shimmer on it to bring as much light in as we can and then for the guests we created a small dressing table area here made out of a show wood bird's eye walnut with these acrylic handles and a circular bronze mirror, a niche with a small downlight and then a very nice suede upholstered ottoman just tucked underneath. We have a Minotti armchair here, artwork on the wall and a beautiful bronze lamp for reading and then the curtains here are from the silk gallery and they're again held back with ombres as we have this pitch on the wall here so we've kept those back there, motorized curtains and then a very clever little downlight here which washes light in the evening over that and onto the faux foliage box hedging that we've put out there and then just up here we have a feature light which really adds glamour to this pitch ceiling. So here we are in the guest bathroom, it's similar to the master as we've used the Calicata Oro marble here but we've got a single basin with a lot of storage above and then either side we've done these back lit glazed units here which give you a really good light because it's internal, we wanted to make sure it was light and bright. We've got a niche here and then of course we've got the Totolu which we've actually turned off otherwise the seat opens and we've also got a very nice glazed coffee coloured plush plate which really adds an extra touch to the room. We've got a fluted shower screen here which again gives a little bit of detailing. We've actually used the tiles made out of the Calicata to create this rather beautiful backlit glazed area for the shower and then we've also integrated a towel rail and wallpapered the walls too so it's a very glamorous and very welcoming ensuite. So this gym area we wanted to make as glamorous as possible and so we mirrored the wall here in bronze mirror with an LED light top and bottom which really enhances the space and then similar to the butterfly perspex boxes down in the dining room we created three more art installations which are made out of paper and they're made into a beautiful floral artwork piece here. Here is the exercise machine that the clients wanted and then along this side we had these bespoke weights made which are in a walnut finish with a bronze detailing from Jim Marine and then this cabinet here integrates the AC unit so we have drills at the back. It's got a bespoke acrylic finish on the doors by Watson and Gabe and then it's also got a cool wine fridge or for waters when you're exercising and then of course we've got the leather exercise ball here again specially made for the gym to color coordinate with the palette and then just to finish off we used an acoustic wallpaper here which gives you a much more muffled sound and also gives you a lovely texture and complemented by the art of floritude installation here in a motif and again the two lights here at night give you a warm sense of welcoming you to the space before you enter out onto the roof terrace. So as promised here we are on the roof terrace with the most amazing views of Mayfair and this area we wanted to make very special for the owners to spend time either as a family or entertaining guests so what we wanted to do was to create a warm welcoming area for them to sit. We restored the chimney stacks here which are of great interest and really add a natural feeling to the space and then we added in a whole green wall here which gives you the greenery and the organic feel to the space rather than just being an outside roof terrace we wanted it to feel very welcoming. There's a large umbrella here and then to give the focal point to the terrace we commissioned this David Harbour stainless steel circular wall sculpture which looks amazing in front of the chimney stacks and actually has up lights at night which are complemented by these solar lanterns. Dining for six and really this is a space where you can spend time during the day and in the evening with the beautiful lighting and the gym what more could you want. So I said what more could you want but here we have more more seating we have a wonderful swivel chairs here for enjoying the view we created a fire pit here for evening soirees and then these amazing Italian candles that you light at night and then again up here we've got a seating area for quiet relaxation for the clients and maybe a cup of coffee or a glass of champagne. Thank you for joining us on our Mayfair Penthouse tour we've loved having you and if you'd like to see some more of our projects our details are below and hopefully we'll see you on the next project goodbye