8LI 6IWSYVGIŴ`ŴART & DESIGN
Working Order The office is the star of a seven-storey home in Notting Hill. Words: Helena Madden
WHEN HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER interior designer Katharine Pooley revamped the Notting Hill home of an international client, the office became a priority. It’s not only one of the first rooms seen upon entering the house but also where the owner, a car and guitar collector, spends eight to 12 hours a day. The space lives within a whitestucco, seven-storey mansion that’s hundreds of years old. Pooley’s thoughtful, contemporary approach juxtaposes the building’s heritage with the owner’s particular passions.
Carpet Gold lurex fabric has been woven with dark blue for the custom silk rug. The metallic accents are meant to evoke the drift marks made by a racing car – a subtle nod to the owner’s automotive collection. The palette extends beyond the ebonised wood doors of the study, where the same hue is used in the living room for continuity.
Desk Pooley worked with the joiners at Halstock to create a bespoke wooden desk, which has a blue veneer paired with antique brass inlays. Drawers built into both of the wide legs help keep the client’s technology organised. The team left the central section of the piece open to show off the thin, statuesque legs of the chair – also accented with antique brass – just behind. The desk faces the doors, positioned for a grand reception when business partners drop by for a meeting.
Shelves The dark walnut shelves have brass and suede inlays in the back of each nook. Pooley sourced many of the objects on them herself, including the petrified-wood bookends, the tiger’s eye sculptures and the antique books. The owner displays his guitars on the shelving that runs along the side of the room opposite the window. Automotive design served as some of the inspiration here, too: the lower cabinet handles reference the shape of a McLaren’s headlights.
120
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
