Before you go, sign up to The Fold, our fortnightly newsletter featuring articles, tips, tools and products for those who love stylish interiors and organised homes.
or call +44 (0)20 8673 1653
This busy family of five had recently completed a full renovation of their beautiful new home in St James’ Park – a four-bedroom, duplex penthouse with amazing views across London.
After the lengthy process of redesign, they were very ready to move in and enjoy their new space.
The move was scheduled for the end of the school holidays. With two small children returning to school and a teenager starting boarding school for the first time, the family’s main priority was to feel settled and back into their routines as quickly as possible.
Their busy schedules meant that organisation throughout the home was key, with efficient and intuitive use of space a must-have.
The family had been travelling prior to the start of their move, so time with them was limited in the lead up to the project. We talked through their main priorities around the function of their new home and the look and feel they wanted to achieve, but then left them to recover from their jet-lag in peace!
By spending some time exploring their current home, we became familiar with the way they lived and how they used their space.
Before the move we visited the new apartments to review the layout and understand the storage. We used everything we’d learnt about the family and their home and designed a layout and organisation system that felt natural and easy to live in.
On moving day, the boxes were delivered and the family settled in for one night before we arrived to unpack.
We focussed first on the children’s rooms and the master dressing room, knowing that being able to get everyone up and dressed easily in the morning would make life in a new space easier for the family. We also wanted the younger children to feel settled as quickly as possible, so their toys were a top priority!
The study, with amazing views over the Thames, also needed to be up and running quickly. We designed a structured layout for everything from paperwork to cables, creating a highly efficient space. We balanced function with style and organised the hundreds of books in a way that felt calm and composed and complemented the amazing work of the interior designers.
The dressing room posed a few challenges – as they often do! The reality of boxes and boxes of clothes and shoes can easily stretch even the most luxurious of wardrobe spaces, and deciding how to create an organised structure with room for everything can be tricky.
We focused on making the most frequently used clothes visible and easy to access. With really clear categories, the couple (and housekeeper!) will always know where to find things, so the dressing room will be easy to use and easy to tidy.
As the family has been away before their move, they hadn’t had a chance to edit before they moved home. We worked closely with them as we unpacked, sorting through everything and helping them to decide what they wanted to keep and what they wanted to get rid of. Unwanted toys, outgrown clothes and plenty of other bits that had been gathered over the years were boxed up. We arranged for these, and all of the packing boxes and materials to be collected and disposed of – the donations to charity and the boxes to be recycled.
A few short days after their move, the family was settled in their new home and back to enjoying the routines of daily life.
Before you go, sign up to The Fold, our fortnightly newsletter featuring articles, tips, tools and products for those who love stylish interiors and organised homes.