Luxury House Tour | A Kensington Townhouse

When an unusually receptive client is combined with an open brief and colour-loving interior designer Kate Guinness, wonderful things happen. Peppered with inventive details, playful patterns and rich colours, it’s hard to believe that this Kensington Townhouse was recently a minimalist’s dream. Having lived in the house for years in simple, pared-back rooms, when the client decided to redecorate from scratch he opted for a 180 pivot to colour-packed English comfort. “It was all so easy,” says Kate, “and in fact every time we showed him a few options, he would always pick the boldest one.” The result is a joyfully bright and exuberant interior.

Kate and her senior designer Sarah Davies-Bennion were pleasantly surprised by the client’s inclination for colour. However, after seeing his art collection, filled with bright, contemporary pop-art pieces, it clicked into place. These bold artworks now sit in pride of place around the house, surrounded by colour and happily so. Kate’s own creativity fits in well with this extensive collection, using inventive details like the pale blue woodwork inside the shutters in the drawing room and reeded glass fronts and curved brackets on the kitchen cabinets. 

Kate gives this London residence a new lease of life, radiating warmth and comfort by combining carefully chosen vintage pieces, like this 1960s Danish Rosewood desk, with artisanal textiles and bold colours, including DAVIDSON’s Crayon Occasional Table who’s modern, yet classic design fits perfectly within the Drawing Room.