An Exquisite Contemporary Home with Industrial and Rustic Interior in London

A Brick in the Wall by Maisha Design

No one knows Shad Thames like Almas Shamsee of Maisha Design. Having lived in the area for ten years, she is the go to designer for this riverside nook of London and knows better than anyone how to make the converted warehouse apartments work for a modern client. So when the owner of this apartment in the Butler’s Wharf end of Shad Thames was looking for a designer, Almas was his obvious choice.

The apartment had to be changed from a one bed, one bath to a two bed, two bath, which involved a complete reconfiguration of the flat. In order to create a second bedroom and bathroom from the space the kitchen had to be moved further into the apartment, forming an L-shaped open plan living space with a dining area and a living area.

The kitchen units were made to measure by Maisha Design, a service that is offered to all of the company’s clients, and are made from a blue-grey lacquer with a quartz counter, the textures of which replicate marble. This colour theme is continued through the whole living area, and brings warmth to the exposed brick walls that make up the apartment.

The pendant lights that hang over the island are from John Lewis and bring a touch of delicacy to the apartment. The frame of the lights is unfinished metal, but the glass softens the design and prevents it from feeling too industrial. The fabric used on the blinds and curtains in the open plan space was chosen as the pattern echoes the brick walls, and adds colour to the space.

The dining area is composed of a made to measure L-shaped bench with a rustic-style, solid wood table. The LED and pendant lighting, and the soft grey fabric on the chairs, lifts the area and gives it a real sense of intimacy – perfect for entertaining.

The living area itself continues the blue-grey colour scheme, and uses the same ‘brick’ print fabric on the curtains and cushions. The big industrial balcony doors are softened with sheer curtains, giving the room a more elegant feel. The sofa was made by The Sofa & Chair Company, with feather-wrapped foam and covered with a Romo fabric, which has a slight metallic sheen. Surround sound has been discretely added in this area, and Sonos runs throughout the apartment.

A second chill-out area has been created in the second bedroom, which doubles as a reading nook. The clients wanted this room to be functional as a guest bedroom and also as a relaxation area, so Almas designed the room so that the big double bed could be used as a day bed. This was achieved by upholstering the wall behind the bed with faux-leather, and creating a cover to go over the bed – when the cover is on, with throw cushions, the effect is of a deep sofa.

The master bedroom needed to be a soft and luxurious room, and Almas accomplished this through the use of silk carpets, luxurious bedding and clever use of details. The wardrobes and cabinets were made bespoke by Maisha Design, with horn handles from Ochre. Rather than using bulky curtains, which would cut down on space in the narrow room, Almas used sheer blinds in front of electric roller blinds. As the sheer blinds are drawn all the time, it creates a soft fabric wall, giving the room a very romantic feel. LED lighting above the wardrobes provide ambient mood light when required.

One very bespoke detail of the apartment lies in the bathroom, as Almas explains:

“I always ask a client a list of things they would like in their apartment, and from that ask them to select their must-haves. The client is a huge Liverpool United Fan, so at the top of his ‘must-have’ list was that the Liverpool logo ‘YNWA’ (You Never Walk Alone) was used somewhere. We used it in the tiling in the bathroom, and he maintains it is his favourite detail of the flat!”

With so many stunning features to choose from in this industrial yet elegant apartment, that’s the sign of a true fan!

Photos courtesy of Maisha Design