There are some homes you just fall in love with the second you see them. This penthouse designed Irenie Cossey of Irenie Studio is one such place.
The London based interior designer, consultant and curator has revealed this penthouse transformation at Barnsbury Sq in what was a close collaboration with their client.
They have injected cohesion to the space whilst looking at the constants, like the way the penthouse is a place full of light with a dual aspect giving views over the park and courtyard.
The resulting re-design created a place of comfort with an interesting mix of subtle colours yet remaining serene and calm.
The transformation enabled a united feel across the penthouse, yet giving each individual space its own identity.
The client's unique personality was reflected in a re-curation of their art collection and the use of vitrines as display and storage piled up memories for meaningful pieces collected from around the world.
Speaking about the project, Irenie Cossey says: “Creating cohesion was central to the success of this project. The space had huge potential but needed calming and pulling together. The client owned beautiful art work and a great collection of books and objects. These needed a new landing pad that would bring calmness to a very crowded and outdated space.
This space was used as a place of work and entertainment so dual usage was key. The client had some very particular rituals. The way he faced when working was different to how he sat in the evening.
I wanted to retain and respect these but challenge the seating, table and location of this. The mode had to work day and night and using clever lighting and materials allowed this unravel.
Early on in the process we worked together on a few tasks and quickly reached an aesthetic alignment. He was very invested in the design process and decisions.
Vitrines were the obvious backdrop for this space. More private views in private spaces and more public in the living space.
A moment to reflect and showcase treasures. A beautiful piece of joinery was designed for the hall wall. Stained oak with cork inset to match. These subtle yet considered details play a role in creating surprise areas of stillness in the space.”
Working with McCormack Joinery bespoke pieces and fittings were also introduced in the kitchen, bedroom and living space. These provided extra storage, introduced new materials and acted as display cases for the clients art and design pieces and books. In some cases these could be moved to different parts of the penthouse adapting to whatever purpose is required.
Other key points addressed in the project included; enhancing features of the existing architecture, maximising the dual aspect of the space, introducing invisible and seamless details, using apertures to connect spaces through the penthouse and providing touch points throughout the space.
Speaking on completion of the project the client Padraig Cronin said;
“I loved working with Irenie, and her talents have turned a ‘place I lived in’ into a proper home. I am one of those people who (thinks he) knows what he likes, design-wise, so it was very interesting to see how it is *really* done by someone with Irenie’s talents and skills. She understood immediately what I didn’t like about my previous set-up and quickly made me see how a better world was possible!
She is excellent on colour, materiality, mood and flow. As well as having great taste generally. And it was very reassuring to have a designer who added to those creative strengths with a keen focus on practical details throughout the process of turning the early design conversations into a finished set of drawings and specifications. Two other vital things: Irenie has a positive/can-do outlook which really helps, and she got stuck in to make sure builders and tradesmen etc were executing perfectly the vision she had. I could not be happier with the result, and would recommend her without hesitation.”
For more information on Irenie Studio visit: irenie.studio
