Making an Entrance
A change is as good as a rest, and so the owners of this large six bedroomed detached property in Hampstead decided to totally refresh their home. The house, built in 1929 in a classical style, was a restoration project for LLI Design who were commissioned to undertake the work, with much of it taking place during Covid, which inevitably introduced extra challenges. ‘The brief was to make the house more suited with how the clients wished to live,’ says Linda Levene, Design Director. ‘It was a sizeable, comfortable home already, but we felt we could redesign it to achieve more.’
‘Every aspect was redone,’ says Linda. ‘We changed the layout, the windows, installed new AC, electrics and heating. We took the whole house back to brick. The only thing we didn’t replace was the staircase from ground floor to first floor.’
Ca' Pietra's involvement is visible before one even sets foot in the house. The existing curved stone steps leading to the elegant front door were worn with age. Through careful coordination with the conservation officer, LLI Design gained consent for these to be re-clad in limestone, which was carried out by Ca' Pietra with the result that beautiful curved external limestone steps now lead the way.
Practical considerations took priority for the entry vestibule where mirrored and bronze framed cupboards inject a luxe feel, as well as providing crucial storage for shoes and coats, with practical coir matting underfoot.
Creating an impressive arrival was the order of the day when it came to the entrance hall. ‘We wanted large double doors opening into the grandeur of the reception,’ says Linda.
So bronze double casement doors were installed. ‘We wanted something that was different so that you felt when you walked into the house that you had arrived,’ says Linda. The bronze on the casement doors links with the bronze framed mirrored doors and the metalwork of the staircase balustrades, too. ‘They are very classical and sit rather well with the original staircase and balustrading.’
The aim was to create a statement but calm arrival in the entrance hall. ‘It is a sizeable space,’ says Linda. ‘It has very nice proportions and I just wanted to keep it very classical - the table and the bench have contemporised it but the bones of it are very classical. It is a very calm space - as you walk in you feel that, partly because of the size of the space and partly because of the colours.’
The original oak staircase had discoloured over time so LLI Design gave it an elegant facelift by restaining the banister rail and newel posts to a greyed oak tone and powder coating the metal spindles in black.
When it came to the flooring, Linda was keen to evoke grandeur but also wanted a flooring that was going to be very practical. Greyed oak herringbone was the choice for the rooms leading off the hall, so Linda opted for Ca' Pietra's Sloane Honed limestone as the main floor stone with Kimmeridge limestone for the grey edging.
‘We wanted something serviceable,’ says Linda. ‘You’re not going to mind if someone walks in with their shoes or with a dog. It brushes up quite well and this is why we went for this particular stone.
‘I wanted to go for something that was quite subtle but that had some kind of patterning to it because the wallpapers in this area are quite subtle. I didn’t want something that was too jarring but it needed to be very definite.’
Longevity was an important factor. ‘With flooring, you’re always looking for something that’s not going to date,’ says Linda. ‘I wanted something that was classical and modern, yet serviceable and in soft colours and that’s why we chose these stones.’ The grey of the Kimmeridge edging also tones beautifully with the staircase and the grey stair carpet.
The design of the house was very much about a balance between keeping the soul of the period house but adding contemporary detailing without the scheme grating. Nowhere is this more evident than in the entrance hall. Statement pieces include the beautiful spiralling pendant light and the bronze-clad, leathered-marble-topped occasional table, a bespoke piece by LLI Design - perfect for placing flowers on. A vibrant striped bench provides a pop of colour and sits under the window nearby. It certainly is the perfect finishing touch.
