Restrictions of Rentals

Inspirational Visit – followed by full design and project management

Martyn had just moved into his rented a two-floor apartment, Essex. Wanting to make the place his own but with a few restrictions from his landlord – he came to me for some help.
Wanting to turn it into a comfortable space where he could relax as well as entertain, whilst incorporating his love for Industrial, Retro and Art Deco schemes.

The gauntlet was thrown down for me to create a Bachelor Pad that featured all of these styles across the separate rooms, whilst getting it all to come together.

The kitchen and diner area, I embraced a retro look that felt modern and brought some fun to the space. Covering up the beige tiles with tile stickers (these can easily be peeled off) and a check lino on the floor (lifted easily if he moved out). A grey with a pink undertone sets off the retro red accessories.
Creating a bespoke blind featuring a London scene, gives a piece of artwork along with a functional window dressing.

The lounge has a modern Art Deco feel that is cosy and inviting. Navy velvet sofas with gold accents along with careful a mix of industrial tones – a floor lamp and a feature wall in whitewashed brick effect.
As the room was long, I zoned it to have a dining and lounge space, optimising the entertainment space. This worked well by placing a sideboard behind the sofa.

An existing serving hatch to the kitchen was in the sight line, not being able to do anything structural in the rental property – a large Banksy canvas was added with lights, now that’s a sight line worth looking at!

For the bathroom, we opted for an industrial scheme, painting the walls in Autentico Versante Matt Byzantine and using industrial style fittings. A shower curtain that looks like metal doors and adding another Banksy art, this tied the apartment together..

This scheme proved that it’s possible to mix modern elements with traditional and still achieve a cohesive look. Martyn was thrilled with the final result and felt like he had a space that was truly his own.