{"id":2512,"date":"2025-09-05T21:43:28","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T13:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2025\/09\/05\/a-london-designers-apartment-remodel-for-a-demanding-client-her-mother\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T21:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T13:43:28","slug":"a-london-designers-apartment-remodel-for-a-demanding-client-her-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/ms\/a-london-designers-apartment-remodel-for-a-demanding-client-her-mother\/","title":{"rendered":"Pengubahsuaian Apartmen Pereka London untuk Klien yang Menuntut (Ibunya)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After earning an architectural interior design degree from the prestigious Inchbald School and working for two design firms in London\u2019s Chelsea, Lonika Chande felt ready to strike out on her own. What she needed was an initial solo project to show what she can do.<\/p>\n

That commission came from Lonika\u2019s mother, Lucy Dickens, an artist (and great-great granddaughter of Charles Dickens), who dabbles in real estate: she and Lonika\u2019s stepfather had bought a one-bedroom fixer-upper in Hampstead that they wanted to overhaul as a high-end, long-term rental. The place needed a top-to-bottom renewal: scroll to the end to see the Before shots.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving worked on a number of projects since, it\u2019s fair to say that working with family is not the easiest,\u201d Lonika tells us. Among the challenges: having to cater to her own and her mother\u2019s perfectionist standards on a budget, select finishes that can take a beating from renters, and persuade Lucy to embrace color: \u201cher tendency has always been to paint absolutely everything brilliant white.\u201d Being \u201cmore emotionally invested,\u201d Lonika adds, also played to both of their strengths. Join us for a look at the results.<\/p>\n

Photography by Simon Brown, courtesy of Lonika Chande Interior Design.<\/p>\n


Above: Situated on the ground floor of a Victorian building, the approximately 645-square-foot flat was in recent years  used as student digs, but had initially been an artist\u2019s studio, and that\u2019s the vibe Lonika and Lucy wanted to re-create using traditional detailing. <\/p>\n

The living area came with nearly 10-foot-tall ceilings and original windows that required restoring. Lucy agreed to expand her white paint palette: the walls are in \u201ca warm and inviting but still neutral shade,\u201d says Lonika\u2014Paper I from the Paint & Paper Library. \u201cWith no cornice, the ceiling was painted in with the walls to soften the junction between the two. The window sash bars and rails were painted in Off-Black by Farrow & Ball, not only to make them stand out, but also to highlight the pretty Victorian spindles on the balcony behind. We went for bespoke sheer roller privacy blinds set inside the recess to expose as much of the original paneled detailing on the window architrave as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Above: The first step in the remodel was removing the partition wall between the living room and kitchen and installing a new kitchen. <\/p>\n

The furnishings are a mix of midcentury pieces Lucy already owned and antiques Lonika tracked down at good prices. The sofa cushions are made from vintage Kuba cloth: \u201cas an artist, visual texture is extremely important to Lucy,\u201d says Lonika.<\/p>\n


Above: Lonika designed a U-shaped kitchen with Shaker-style cabinets (purchased through her builder) that she managed to convince her mother to paint in Paint & Paper Library\u2019s Muga, which she describes as \u201ca deep Indian yellow in a glossy finish.\u201d Lonika\u2019s grandparents on her father\u2019s side were East African Indians\u2014\u201dtheir parents came over from India to build the railways in Africa\u201d\u2014and she says her post-college travels in India are what solidified her plans to become an interior designer.
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Above:  Lonika\u2019s contractor opted to paint the cabinets in situ, a process she describes as \u201ca decorator\u2019s nightmare given the lengthy drying time between the coats: after the base, my painter applied three oil-based layers, and each took three to four days to dry\u2014but it was definitely worth it.\u201d,<\/p>\n

The fridge and pantry are concealed in the tall cupboard to the left of the sink. The counters are in durable, stain-resistant Carrara quartzite, \u201cjust as expensive as marble, so not a cost-saving exercise but a practical detail.\u201d The peninsula configuration, Lonika explains, \u201callowed for some additional base cabinet space, enabling us to get a full-size washing machine and dishwasher in. We also wanted to keep an open feel, and so restricted the upper wall cabinets, and needed to make up the space elsewhere. I worked through a few layouts and this was the best solution.\u201d<\/p>\n


Above: An antique shelf provides storage and a place to prop art over the sink. The unlacquered brass cabinet knobs are from Rowen & Wren, and the Old School Electric Blown Glass Pendant Lights are from Holloways of Ludlow.
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Above: The living rooms opens to a compact dining area with a 1960s extendable teak table, Serge Mouille-style light, and antique pichwai wall hanging,  a devotional Hindu painted cloth. The new floor is engineered oak.
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Above: In the hall, Lonika introduced paneled doors with reeded architraves, painted in a pale green from Paper & Paints Library called The Botanist. The paintings are by Lucy: to see more of her work, go to Lucy Dickens.,<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent a lot on the build and getting the bones of the property right, with good-quality flooring, tiles, and other fittings,\u201d says Lonika. \u201cThings like the ironmongery and the new doors were expensive. This meant that we had a tighter budget for the soft furnishings.\u201d<\/p>\n


Above: For continuity, the hallway green reappears in the bedroom on the woodwork (the walls here are in Paint & Paper Library\u2019s Wattle V). The oak and cane bed is the Reema from Made, and the quilt is an antique kantha.
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Above: Lucy\u2019s antique kimono hangs on the wall next to a chair from Myriad Antiques in Holland Park and a Belgian sideboard in its original paint.
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Above: A Matilda Goad Signature Scalloped Lampshade on a Flagon Table Lamp by Loaf. See more ideas in Trend Alert: The Return of the Artfully Patterned Lampshade.
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Above: In the tiny bath, Lonika installed a glass-walled shower with metro tiles on the walls and Portuguese Encaustic Alvito tiles on the floor, both from Fired Earth. The cabinet is bespoke and painted in a glossy Farrow & Ball shade of auberine called Brinjal.,<\/p>\n

Sebelum<\/h3>\n


Above: The apartment was originally \u201cone large, elegant, dual-aspect room that was gradually partitioned off to create a series of smaller spaces,\u201d says Lonika.
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Above: For years the apartment was rented out to students, hence the loft bed. The platform was removed to make way for the new dining area.
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Above: The bathroom had received a slapdash remodel quite a few years ago. <\/p>\n

Here are three more inspired apartment remodels from around the world:<\/p>\n