{"id":3199,"date":"2024-10-31T19:09:30","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T11:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2024\/10\/31\/a-notting-hill-townhouse-tailored-for-living-by-charles-mellersh\/"},"modified":"2024-10-31T19:09:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T11:09:30","slug":"a-notting-hill-townhouse-tailored-for-living-by-charles-mellersh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/a-notting-hill-townhouse-tailored-for-living-by-charles-mellersh\/","title":{"rendered":"Una casa a schiera a Notting Hill su misura per l'abitare di Charles Mellersh"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span>\u201cBy the time I arrived on the scene, the home had been fully renovated and reconfigured, and while&nbsp;it had been finished to a very high standard, it was somehow stillborn,\u201d Charles Mellersh tells us of his latest townhouse rescue in Notting Hill. An architect\/interior designer&nbsp;<\/span><span>(and member of the founding editorial team at <i>Wallpaper<\/i>) who typically oversees<\/span><span>&nbsp;projects&nbsp;from conception to completion, Mellersh treated this one as a relay: The overhaul (which involved opening up the main&nbsp;floor of the three-story brick Victorian and moving&nbsp;the stair) is the work of London architects&nbsp;Michaelis Boyd.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Owners Sukeena Rao, a well-known fashion stylist, and her financier husband had been living in their new quarters&nbsp;while it was just a beautiful&nbsp;shell. Rao had big&nbsp;ideas, but with the arrival of their son (now nearly&nbsp;four), she&nbsp;needed help filling in the pieces: \u201cThis was not easy, but when I met Charles,<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>the stars aligned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span>Photography by Chris Tubbs, courtesy of&nbsp;Charles Mellersh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/570151377837657502.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: \u201cAs soon as you walk into the house, you are struck by the beautiful scent of the Dinesen Douglas fir flooring,\u201d says Mellersh. (Read about the Danish&nbsp;company in our post World\u2019s Most Beautiful Wood Floors.)<\/p>\n<p>The brass-edged mirror is 1950s Italian and one of many pieces from The Apartment in Copenhagen. The Umbrella Stand is a Josef Frank classic from Stockholm\u2019s Svenskt Tenn, Rao\u2019s other favorite source introduced to her by Charles.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2532278728534752507.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: On the&nbsp;ground floor, Mellersh designed \u201ca modern take on the traditional parlor,\u201d fitted it with a black marble mantel&nbsp;by Chesneys.<\/p>\n<p>Of the mix of vintage and contemporary pieces, he explained: \u201cM<span>y approach was to add a much-needed layer of warmth and to soften the architectural frame by way of the furnishings we chose. We selected pieces full of&nbsp;heart and soul.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span>These include a pair of 1930s French armchairs newly upholstered in dusty pink velvet, a brass-framed mirror from Fiona McDonald, and&nbsp;Michael Anastassiades\u2018 minimalist-luxe brass lighting used throughout.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/243518138659645603.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: Quiet luxuries: A Marble Bookcase by Muller Van Severen from The Apartment holds an Ilse Crawford for Georg Jensen brass bowl. The Ball Light is one of Anastassiades\u2019s signature pieces.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3573761140009722774.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: A Franco&nbsp;Albini Rattan Ottoman&nbsp;rests on a vintage Berber rug.<\/p>\n<p>The walls and built-ins are painted French Grey by Little Greene: \u201cMost color choices were pre-decided by the time I arrived,\u201d says Mellersh. \u201cThey lend a quiet calm and happen to be very flattering to the occupants\u2019 skin tones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2945090649196809760.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: A dramatic painting on foil by Peter Bonde was selected on a&nbsp;sourcing trip to Copenhagen as the centerpiece of the room. The sofa is the Jules from George Smith.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Above: The room opens onto a study with a Mellersh-designed bookcase that \u201chouses all the technology, cables, and charging points neatly concealed from view.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>Above: Rao often uses the Saarinen Tulip table for work meetings. The green-shaded light is a re-edition of the 1967 marble and metal&nbsp;Snoopy Lamp by Flos.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2390425928821173515.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: Relocating the formerly central stair allowed for an expanded kitchen\/family room (452 square&nbsp;feet&nbsp;total) on the lower level. The cabinetry is Plain English\u2019s Spitalfields design (stay tuned for more on the UK kitchen company tomorrow). The contrasting ash and walnut table and bench are the&nbsp;Dining Table Two by Another Country. The green&nbsp;Windsor chairs are from Howe: See more in 10 Easy Pieces: The Windsor Chair Revisited.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3863598559557615951.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: One end of the kitchen overlooks&nbsp;a courtyard, and the Flip Garden Chair, shown here,&nbsp;is made for indoor-outdoor use: It can be turned over after a shower, and Mellersh says \u201clooks great with a weathered patina.\u201d The black-and-white prints&nbsp;are by Hugo Guinness from John Derian.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8058928396211594809.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: The bleached Douglas fir flooring from Dinesen continues on the stairs. The gray walls and tall sash window, Mellersh notes, are \u201creminiscent of a scene from a Vilhelm Hammershoi painting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4945183768105655569.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: With its&nbsp;lamb\u2019s-wool-upholstered chair and vintage Berber, the sitting area under the stairs (opposite the entry) is a favorite play space for the couple\u2019s son.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1091554771307859811.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: \u201cThe master bedroom is where we broke away from the subdued hues,\u201d says Mellersh of the&nbsp;Marthe Armitage&nbsp;Hop Garden wallpaper in a \u201cdusty pinkish red that lends a somewhat vintage backdrop to the furnishings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/613905991038748868.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: A vintage cocktail chair in rose velvet from Emery et Cie. The Walnut Stool is a reissued&nbsp;Josef Frank 1950s design from Svenskt Tenn.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8606288435020612277.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: Both beautiful and practical: a Coat Hanger Bellhop&nbsp;with mirror&nbsp;by Michael Anastassiades. For another modern&nbsp;valet, go to Bedroom Secret.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6366547137589536938.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: A Josef Frank&nbsp;brass Hortus Planter&nbsp;stands on a vintage Saarinen&nbsp;table outside the master bath. The towel basket is a Piet Hein Eek design made in Vietnam from scrap wood.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5416917804701930122.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Above: The grand freestanding tub and wall-mounted taps are from Lefroy Brooks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Above: One of our favorites in the house, the son\u2019s room features a pine Louis bed (from now-closed children\u2019s store Serendipity in Paris; see more options here) and a Gotland sheepskin from Skandium. Note the book alcove with built-in storage.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Above: The walls are painted Mid Lead Colour from Little Greene.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Above: Steel-framed glass windows open to a brick courtyard. Says Mellersh, \u201cThe house felt like a very grown up space for a young family, so we were especially careful to make way for the realities of family life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Designer Visit, explore&nbsp;another Mellersh design in Notting Hill, Trade Secrets&nbsp;included.<\/p>\n<p>Also see Mellersh\u2019s own home in An Optimist in Notting Hill.&nbsp;And go to Charles Mellersh Design Studio to see more.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cQuando sono arrivato sul posto, la casa era stata completamente ristrutturata e riconfigurata e, pur essendo stata rifinita con uno standard molto elevato, era in qualche modo nata morta\u201d, ci racconta Charles Mellersh a proposito del suo ultimo salvataggio di una casa a schiera a Notting Hill. Un architetto\/interior designer (e membro del team editoriale fondatore di Wallpaper) che tipicamente [...]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diy-projects"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}