A tiny London flat with ingenious interiors by Beata Heuman
For the young owners of this two-bedroom flat on the ground floor of an elegant, mid-19th-century stucco house in leafy west London, coming across it when they were looking for somewhere to buy was like discovering a diamond in the rough. ‘While the internal space might appear small on the floor plan, it certainly doesn’t feel that way at all when you are living in it,’ the wife explains.
This owes much to the ingenuity of Swedish-born, London-based interior designer Beata Heuman and her senior designer Fosca Mariani, whom the couple called on to renovate the flat when they bought it in late 2018. Balancing the challenges of redesigning such a small space within the restrictions of a Grade II-listed building amplified how important it was to make every inch count and Beata’s attention to detail became microscopic. ‘Details are always very important to us, but they matter even more in a small space, because everything is experienced so closely,’ she explains.
MAY WE SUGGEST: Clever small kitchen ideas
The key was creating a sense of different areas and moods ‘so the owners didn’t get bored with the one main room they have’, she adds. Here, as the kitchen, dining space and sitting room converge as one, Beata and Fosca’s design scheme needed to satisfy the varied demands of cooking, relaxing, working and entertaining. The trick they used was to differentiate between the cooking and sitting areas – previously all found in the one space – by installing a U-shaped kitchen. This immediately created an additional surface on which to serve food or use as a bar. ‘It also provided a wall against which to place a banquette, which was something the owners really wanted,’ says Beata.
Customised joinery also took advantage of the flat’s impressive ceiling heights and the flow of light, which constantly filters through the full-length windows. ‘With all that vertical volume, extending details like the artwork and bookshelves draws the eye upwards,’ says Beata. The rounded edges of the kitchen cupboards, the marble shower surround and the dining table – even the lip-curve of one of the bespoke sofas – also lend ‘subtle welcoming touches that make it feel easier and lighter to move around the space’.
Colour has been added through furniture and art. Decorative vintage plates hung high above the picture rail add interest to the otherwise all-white space. The blue and green veins of the Cipollino Verde marble kitchen splashback almost resemble a painterly landscape. A vintage kilim in the kitchen doubles as discreet sound insulation. And a theatrical headboard in the main bedroom and the deep cerulean hue of the bathroom walls – satisfying the client’s desire for something unexpected, explains Fosca – all add personality and character. ‘Such contrast makes the total space feel all the more varied and interesting,’ says Beata.
A layered and ‘slight nostalgic flair’ – as Beata refers to it – runs constantly through her work. ‘It’s a lot more relaxing and true to human nature to spend time in a space that isn’t just one thing,’ she says of the mismatched side tables jostling alongside a Fornasetti-papered TV cabinet, a vibrant circus-print fabric pitted against a delicate Swedish floral wallpaper in a bedroom, and rich hues of mustard juxtaposed against emerald, teal against ruby red. ‘Adding a bit of everything into a space ensures that there are lots of different things to look at and the space can naturally evolve.’
The result is an elegant flat that resonates with ‘warmth and magic’, attest the owners. ‘After living here for over a year,’ says the wife, ‘we still have moments when a particular detail catches our eye and we stop to appreciate its beauty’.
Beata Heuman: beataheuman.com
Simon Brown1/8Custom pieces by Beata Heuman Studio include a TV cabinet decorated with Fornasetti’s ‘Nuvolette’ wallpaper from Cole & Son, the artwork above it and the mirror over the chimneypiece. One bespoke sofa is covered in Designs of the Time’s ‘Halian’ (YP15033) linen from John Boyd Textiles with a cushion in Beata Heuman’s ‘Marbleized Velvet’.
Simon Brown2/8The other sofa is in Lelièvre’s ‘Cosmos’ velvet in conifere with cushions in Nicky Haslam Design’s ‘Shutter Stripe’. Above it hangs a Surface View map, next to a ‘Belles Rives Bar Table’ by Rita Konig for The Lacquer Company
Simon Brown3/8Sleek cupboards designed by Beata Heuman Studio are complemented by brass handles, and a work surface and splashback in distinctive Cipollino Verde marble. The vintage kilim adds colour.
Simon Brown4/8In the sitting room, bespoke cabinetry, which combines areas for storage and display, makes the most of the space, illuminated by ‘Scallop Wall Lights’ in nickel from Jim Lawrence.
Simon Brown5/8The custom-made banquette, covered in ‘Heritage’ leather in mustard from Yarwood, and an oak and powder-coated brass table – both by Beata Heuman Studio – are teamed with ‘Vilda 3’ bentwood chairs by Gemla. The ‘Hackney’ floor lamp in a bronze finish is by J Randall Powers for Visual Comfort
- spare room</a>, Mark Hearld’s ‘Cirque d’Hiver’ cotton from St Jude’s was used for the headboard and bedcover. ‘Selma’ wallpaper in mossa by Astrid & Rudolf on the walls and ceiling unifies the space. The ‘Hector Medium Pleat Wall Light’ is by Original BTC.","contentType":"photo","credit":"Simon Brown","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":418,"width":320,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_320,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"},{"height":835,"width":640,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_640,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":835,"width":640,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_640,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"},{"height":1670,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_1280,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":1336,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_1024,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"},{"height":2673,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_2048,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":1670,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_1280,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":1670,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.houseandgarden.co.uk/photos/618946378373470f8394e21e/master/w_1280,c_limit/112-105x.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Simon Brown6/8In the spare room, Mark Hearld’s ‘Cirque d’Hiver’ cotton from St Jude’s was used for the headboard and bedcover. ‘Selma’ wallpaper in mossa by Astrid & Rudolf on the walls and ceiling unifies the space. The ‘Hector Medium Pleat Wall Light’ is by Original BTC.
Simon Brown7/8A headboard designed by Beata Heuman Studio features the cotton ‘July Throw’ by James Daw from Slowdown Studio. It is flanked by ‘Oban Rise and Fall Wall Lights’ from Vaughan. The cotton ‘Indian Cut-work Bedspread’ is from Howe.
Simon Brown8/8A bespoke Carrara marble shower surround and vanity unit contrasts with walls in a dark blue gloss paint. Best Tile’s ‘Moroccan Encaustic Cement Pattern 06k’ tiles add decorative detail to the floor
