Private residence in Wetherby Gardens

In the beautiful South Kensington district of London, Italia and Partners, an architectural firm based in Turin that operates both in Italy and abroad, oversaw the renovation and interior design project for a residence in Wetherby Gardens. The 65 square metre apartment had a large living room with kitchenette, accessed by a small entrance lobby that was dark and oppressive, which also led to the one bedroom with the bathroom in it. The main design challenges that the firm from Turin had to meet were to change this dysfunctional situation while adding a second bedroom and a kitchen that was separate from the living room. The lobby was eliminated to create a living space at the entrance, giving more light to the whole environment. The kitchen was located at the centre of the building, bordered by floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that divide the environments when necessary, while providing a more open space. A second bedroom-study was also created, as well as a corridor leading to the master bedroom, which has a large balcony overlooking the gardens from which it gets its name, and the bathroom, which is now directly accessible. A bespoke bookcase/wardrobe was designed into the corridor to contain all the technological equipment, as well as a storage area to further optimise the space. Italia and Partners gave great importance to the lighting design, which is one of their hallmarks. The artificial lighting provided by iGuzzini Laser Blade devices is general, homogeneous and diffused. They are inserted into grooves only 4 cm wide embedded in the ceiling, which intersect in the daytime area to become a decorative element. The corridor features linear devices, as does the bathroom, where they are joined by other decorative devices.