This Luxe West London Apartment Was Once an 116-Year-Old Town Hall

Built in 1909, converted to an office building in the past, and then most recently turned into a residential building in 2019, the building that houses Rodney’s two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment was designed in what he describes as the “style of a Baroque Palazzo.”

Five years ago when Rodney took on the renovation of this apartment, which is located in the oldest part of the building, he loved both the building’s location and the design details. “I had been looking for a home with special architectural character and once I have viewed this property I immediately put on an offer,” Rodney writes.

Before the renovation, Rodney describes the apartment as a “standard box painted white” with generic finishes and lacking in character. His vision was to “restore elegance and grandeur to the interior, leveraging the period features such as high ceilings, sash windows, wall paneling, and an original fireplace.” It was the perfect blank canvas.

Rodney worked with DEV Decorations, led by Eugen Vlad (Rodney explains he’s the “person behind the immaculate gold leaf ceiling finish at St Pancras Hotel”), to complete decorative finishes in the space. He also worked with Viaduct when it came to supplying furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

Challenges of this renovation included a water leak that damaged newly painted ceilings and walls right after the renovation was initially finished. (Though it thankfully got repaired!) Another difficulty to overcome was creating a space that could serve both as a home and as a “working atelier.” But perhaps the biggest challenge for Rodney was simply designing for himself!

“As an interior designer, it is my role to cater to and fully address client’s needs. However, as I am overly critical in delivering a perfect vision, being the designer and a client has proved to be an obstacle,” Rodney explains.

• Living/Dining — Farrow & Ball’s Ancona Blue
• Hall — Farrow & Ball’s Red Earth
• Bedroom — Farrow & Ball’s Olive

• Furniture — Rico Sofa from Ferm Living
• Giancarlo Piretti Lounge chair — 1st Dibs 
• Roos Vanderkerck throw — Belgium
• Sculptural Side Table— Shuffle by Andtradition
• Radiality Rug — Linie Design
• Throws/Cushions — Hay, Acne Studios, Ferm Living
• Dining Set — Vintage Mid Century Danish Chairs from 1st Dibs + Bespoke marble table
• Bespoke Curtains — Velvet curtains La Maison Pierre Frey with double pleat headings + Off white sheers from Dedar 
• Artwork — Ronan Bouroulec Drawing 4 (blue) and Drawing 6 (red) + one at Dining area
• Accessories + colourful small table lamps: Jonathan Adler,  Artemest, Andtradition, Hay
• Burgundy Head Bust Display — Artemest
• Mantelpiece 18th Century Rococo Gilded Mirror — Christies
• Antique Gilt Framed Oil painting — Sourced from a chateau Rouen
• Plants — Elephant ears (Colocasia), Monstera, variety of Small Plants from Frederiek Van Pamel in Bruges

• Armchair 1 — Tokyo chair by Bensen
• Portrait — Jesse Rose Bird

• Oil Painting — Andre Jean Antoine Despois 1828
• Runner Rug — Hay
• Rechargable Lamp — Liberty
• Wooden Bench — 1st Dibs

• Beddings — Selfridges, Conran, Objects of Use
• Bedframe — 1st Dibs
• Oil Painting with gilded frame — G La Paye 1888

Thanks, Rodney!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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