Our interiors team have been working on a number of communal parts and entrance areas to mansion blocks or blocks of flats in London. These are typically areas that are important to the long term owners of apartments, the directors of the freehold company or tenants. They help to increase the status of the property and increase the property value and rental yields. All of these projects showcased below have involved working on existing buildings and giving them a fresh look. There are many considerations we make in approaching these types of projects:

Depending on the period of the original building, we like to incorporate new elements that are sympathetic to the look of the interior. For example at our Redcliffe House project in Earls Court, we have picked up on the original Art Deco style, and included new wallpaper, decorative mouldings, a monochrome colour scheme, metal screens and lighting that are in tune with this approach. Here’s our proposal for the entrance hall:

Using a few selected feature light fittings – i.e. a pendant to entrance or other main focal area with accenting wall lights can really lift the space visually. It is essential to communicate the style (ie. modern fitting at our Wetherby Mansions project) and worth spending a bit more to get right. Other lighting through downlight, LED strips, etc. is also important in terms of making the space feel bright and open but these don’t have to be high end fittings.

Durable floor finishes:

Carpet – we have used the Unnatural Flooring Company who have a great range which look like natural finishes (sisal, wool, etc.) but are much more durable and better to clean

Natural stone – marble for higher end and  terrazzo is a good option for smaller budgets. We use a lot of composite stones in our projects too.

The decorative staircase was retained at Wetherby but re-finished to work with a more modern scheme

Considerations for wall colours/finishes:

Durability is important, we have to think about people carrying in shopping bags, moving large furniture items in and out. Management companies will probably have a maintenance plan refreshing paint every few years but most wouldn’t be able to touch up regularly. Our schemes are robust and designed to take heavy wear.

Darker colours can help hide scratches that may occur but lighter colours help these spaces which are often small and deprived of natural light to feel a bit brighter. A good compromise could be the Wetherby example, a darker colour to half height and lighter above.

At our project in Bayswater, we have scrapped the dark false ceiling, exposed brick walls, anf floors to create a brighter, more stylish look to completely update this 1980s block.

Concierge desk:

This is common in many of the blocks, and should be treated as a key feature and another place to spend a bit more money to get right. Examples of interesting material choices we have used include marble, metal trims, timber panelling and patterned tiles. As seen here for a proposal for a block in Kensington.

The existing green marble is retained and accented by marble finishes to the floor and reception desk.  This ties into a material palate for the whole communal areas – we are creating an architectural language that is replicated across large areas.

If you are interested in employing our team to upgrade and revitalise the entrance areas, communal parts, stairs, lifts of any other part of a residential block – then please get in touch here with your enquiry.