A townhouse drawing room as warm and sunny as the personality of its owner
Bright colours, together with contemporary art and furniture, were key to injecting warmth into the drawing room of this west London townhouse by Studio Vero.

Having lived in this Kensington townhouse for almost a decade, its owner enlisted the help of local interior-design practice Studio Vero to bring it to life. ‘My first boss told me that, as an interior designer, we should create spaces that reflect the personality of the people who live there,’ says creative director Romanos Brihi. ‘The owner is a hugely vivacious character with a warm and sunny disposition and it was important that this room — the main entertaining area — reflected those qualities.’
In its previous incarnation, the room was rarely used. A pair of sofas at right angles to the fireplace offered very little flexibility. ‘My client likes to entertain regularly, so one of her requests was for us to create as much open floor space as possible.’ A large bespoke curved sofa extends into the bay window and is upholstered in an ivory boucle by Schumacher.
A pair of 1920s armchairs by Paul Fallow was sourced from Toad Gallery in Chelsea. The two coffee tables, from the Invisible Collection, have resin tops in azure blue and are by the French artist Julien Lagueste.
Distinctive features include cornicing painted in a deep red, sculpture set within the fireplace and a striking Luca floorlamp by Margit Wittig, as well as aged metallics woven into fabric above the chimneypiece. ‘We also re-used a selection of rugs already in situ, laying one over another, which adds more colour and texture to the room,’ adds Mr Brihi.
Studio Vero — 020–3818 0210; www.studio-vero.com
Rosie and Jim: 'Some things have longevity, but it feels like maybe this pandemic isn’t one of them'
Our columnists take a break from worrying about their domestic situations to ponder Venice's empty canals, melancholy reminiscence and the
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
The Country Life guide to Somerset: What to do, where to stay and how to eat
Somerset is rich in natural beauty and history, but it is its wealth of small-scale food and drink producers, farmers and makers that really set it apart from the competition. Find out how to make the most of it all with our indispensable guide.
By Natalie Millar-Partridge Published
-
How to make a gloomy city garden into a haven of colour and nature
Tiffany Daneff discovers how to transform a typically dark London back garden into a light-filled green haven that is always in use. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
By Tiffany Daneff Published