With Residential Land’s redevelopment of Palace Wharf complete, it was – as ever – up to our in-house designer Tessa Ferguson to curate a polished yet warmly inviting interior, while retaining the building’s historical idiosyncrasies.
“Palace Wharf is an old warehouse that was built in the 1900s,” says Tessa, “ I wanted to give a nod to its industrial past in the design and furnishings – without going overboard of course!”
Here are a few of the finishing touches breathing 21st century life into this early 20th century jewel.
Windows into the past
Perhaps the most pronounced acknowledgement of Palace Wharf’s heritage are the steel windows that have been used in every apartment – a key component in the industrial chic styling. We turned to 160-year-old window manufacturer Crittall for the restoration.
“Crittall windows, as they are now, were first manufactured in 1884 – and have retained their popularity ever since,” says Tessa. “Their features are particularly associated with the Art Deco and Modernist movements, and have really come back into fashion with the renovation of warehouses into residential property.”
The window stays used are folding openers with a gleaming chrome finish, their pleasingly mechanical appearance and high polish encapsulating both the old and the new.
A festival of light
“There are certain materials that I don’t think will ever go out of fashion,” says Tessa. “We tend to use chrome and nickel for light switches and sockets, for example. These metals have been in since the 1930s and I think they’re simply timeless.”
This Bistro Chandelier designed by Ian K. Fowler from Circa Lighting is a prime example, comprised of clear glass baubles and polished, glinting nickel. A chaotic yet balanced collection of angles when viewed from the side, it becomes an unexpectedly orderly asterisk when viewed from below, and is another tasteful tip of the hat to the Art Deco period.
Highly-polished dining
This Garibaldi table from Eicholtz in polished stainless steel and glass allows for the subtle interplay of light and shadow in a lower ground floor dining room.
Directly above the table is a window in the dining room ceiling, allowing you to look up through the living room floor and out of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling Crittall windows. The light that shines down both passes through and bounces off the highly reflective table, illuminating the entire dining area.
All of the shagreen, none of the guilt
This faux shagreen coffee table offers all of the aesthetic pleasure of a living room centrepiece covered in sharkskin with none of the ethical or environmental concerns. The carbon-coloured metal frame contains a landscape of chequered textures that will always present new, seemingly organic details to discover.
Aquatic cushion fabrics
These throw cushions covered in Gaucho Baltique fabric from Lelievre Paris offer a colourful indoor hint of the river that can be seen if you look out of the living room window, while the angular fragmented pattern gives the room an unmistakably modern touch.
Throw yourself into Missoni
Draped casually over an armchair’s backrest, this sumptuous Missoni throw boasts a hypnotic pattern you could get lost in for hours.
Wake up and step outside
French doors (Crittall, of course) lead from an upstairs bedroom onto a balcony overlooking the Thames. What better way to start your day than watching a sunrise turn the river into a glimmering spectacle while you drink your coffee?
Rooftop relaxation
A vintage-styled birdcage candle holder allows for softly-lit evenings on the rooftop, with the tastefully illuminated Hammersmith Bridge to your right, and the Thames snaking its way towards Putney on your left.
Going out
High tide or low tide, the view is always spectacular when you step out of the front door. With sights like these, leaving your home becomes almost as enjoyable as staying inside it… almost.
For more information or to enquire about Palace Wharf click here.
