Case study

A Victorian Pied-à-Terre, South Kensington

Designed by Ella Jones, Kaye Design Studios

On a quiet crescent in South Kensington, where pale stucco façades rise in measured Victorian rhythm, this 1,200 sq ft apartment had remained largely untouched for more than thirty years. When Ella Jones of Kaye Design Studios first encountered it, the rooms felt suspended in time – vintage wallpaper concealed behind later layers, old newspaper cuttings tucked beneath floorboards, fragments of a former life waiting to be revealed.“It truly felt like discovering a hidden treasure trove,”she recalls. What followed was a complete renovation, shaped by a desire to bring light, clarity and character back into its bones.

Walls were opened up, ceilings raised where possible, and discreet storage carefully integrated throughout. Parquet flooring now runs across the principal rooms, its formal geometry softened by layered rugs, while artwork curated with Rebecca Gordon lends depth and personality. The atmosphere is airy yet grounded – modern in its flow, but enriched with texture and warmth.

The bathrooms, however, mark the most significant transformation. Previously run down and awkwardly arranged, they were dominated by bulky layouts that consumed precious space. In the master bathroom, a dated bath-shower combination was removed to create a walk-in shower clad in Calacatta Viola marble. Its bold veining introduces drama without heaviness, lending the room a refined composure.

To maintain a sense of lightness, Jones selected a Drummonds Crake vanity in place of a heavier, cupboard-laden piece. Raised on slender legs, it avoids visual weight at floor level, allowing light to circulate freely. Brushed brass fittings bring a gentle warmth to the marble’s cool surface.“I’ve always felt that brass introduces an elegant warmth to a bathroom,”she explains.“The clients had never used brass in their other homes, so I encouraged them to try something new – and what better place to do that than their city-based pied à terre.”

More traditionally elegant sanitaryware feels entirely at ease here – proportions and detailing that respect the Victorian architecture while quietly elevating it. The result is a calm haven in earthy tones, conceived as a place to unwind and retreat from the pace of the city.

The guest bathroom adopts a subtly different tone. As it also functions as a guest loo, it offered an opportunity for play. Green and cream striped tiled walls introduce rhythm and personality, while sanitaryware from Drummonds’ Bestwood collection brings a cleaner, slightly more contemporary edge. To accommodate a second Crake vanity – so admired by the client in the principal bathroom that it became non-negotiable – a sliver of space was borrowed from the adjacent bedroom. Structurally complex, the adjustment proved transformative, allowing the same lightness of form to be carried through both rooms.

“What I love most about Drummonds is that you know you’re investing in sanitaryware that will stand the test of time – in both functionality and design,”the designer notes. That assurance is tangible in the weight of the brassware, in the clarity of the cast forms, and in the quiet confidence of pieces conceived for longevity.

The finished apartment is light and airy, modern yet textured, its Victorian bones newly articulated rather than obscured. The bathrooms, once dated and space-hungry, have become rooms of intention – tailored to the clients’ routines, responsive to the architecture, and grounded in craftsmanship that feels both considered and enduring.

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