A Tale of Two Apartments

“I originally met Mrs. Smith back in 2015, when she had a residence in the Middle East but was using London as a second home,” explains Antoni Roig, senior interior designer for our Interior Design Service, which helps with everything from curating furniture to specifying upholstery and choosing palettes. “She visited our showroom in London and asked us to help her design a penthouse she had acquired in the South of France.”

As is frequent with those who use the service – which offers customers a complimentary consultation with a dedicated designer such as Antoni – the client got back in touch ten years later for another exciting project: two apartments in Knightsbridge that she planned to rent. Explains Antoni: “Although the approach was a cautious one initially, the client soon realised that enriching the living spaces with elegant pieces would increase desirability and potential revenue.” 

Amongst the scaffolding, dust, wires and plaster, Antoni and his client met for a recce of both London apartments, during which detailed measurements and photographs were taken. “It gave me a really good idea of the beauty of the two very different spaces,” he says. Once back at the studio, the designer translated the details into drawings and later scaled visuals to bring the proposed vision to life for Mrs. Smith. 

“You could not think of the two apartments as two spaces relating to each other,” Antoni explains. “Each apartment had unique details and light. One is bright and faces the street, for example, while the other looks out onto an interior courtyard. The different architectural details also set different identities and, consequently, different schemes.”

Collaborating with both the architect and client, Antoni selected elegant furniture and upholstery with a practical edge – although he’s keen to point out that the use of the apartments was completely disregarded when it came to planning, as the client didn’t want them to look like rentals. “The rich and eclectic variety of styles within the OKA collection helped to build the schemes,” he says. “The flow from one room to the next resulted in a sequence of tones and patterns that invited all seasons without thinking of a specific final inhabitant. Practical rooms with all the essentials that offered maximum comfort.” 

Furniture that Antoni cherrypicked for his client include the likes of the Coleridge sofas, Balabac side table and Bayuban wardrobe, alongside a large selection of wall art from Malea to Zennor and Hokkaido. He says: “All of these designs sit in perfect harmony with the soft furnishings across both spaces. We also used accent pieces in strategic places, such as the Peking or Katsura cabinets in the entrance halls and the Versailles shelves or Candra and Allegro tables in the dining areas.” He adds: “The finished look – one of understated elegance – doesn’t indicate how new the interiors are, as they’re full of layered warmth and character.”

The client couldn’t have been happier with the result, it transpires. “She even considered ignoring the idea of renting altogether and moving in herself,” says Antoni. “The process and result echoed the first project we did together over a decade ago.” With Antoni providing the finishing touches, from bedding to tableware, the apartments were finally ready to be rented and lived in.

“There’s a certain joy in returning clients,” explains Antoni. “The aged trust of a collaboration from the past, an easy understanding from previous dealings. They always arrive with something new – rarely to revisit what came before. OKA is a supportive partner for clients like Mrs. Smith and we look forward to welcoming her again for something equally exciting and new.”

From colour consultancy to designing bespoke rugs, window coverings and soft furnishings, as well as furniture selection, we curate luxury London apartments and interiors all over the world.