Specialist, luxury architectural and interior design practice, nu-builds has renovated this late-Victorian, mid-terraced house which is Tite Street’s newest and most prestigious residential renovation.
The client’s brief was to create a Knightsbridge quality design, whilst retaining the elegance and charm of traditional Chelsea. The client was design-led, requesting individuality to all rooms with bespoke joinery and a selection of finishes. With nu:builds’ project goal to meet the absolute highest expectations for the luxurious residence, meeting its client’s expectations proved difficult with Crema Marfil and Maron Imperial marble detailing throughout the ground and lower basement level – but the team managed expectations.
Crema Marfil and Maron Imperial was selected to retain the classic feel of a Chelsea townhouse. nu:builds created a classic border detail in Imperial marble to the entrance hallway, on the ground floor. Various marbles were selected for the master en-suite, powder rooms and guest en-suites – providing individuality to each space, as the client requested. The lower bathrooms were provided with a much darker, moodier feel; with the upper bathrooms becoming lighter to reflect the movement of natural light within the property.
The main staircase was finished in Crema Marfil, accompanied with a bespoke bronze balustrade with a french polished handrail. The design is classic with a bullnose detail to the steps. The second staircase, from the ground floor leading to the basement, is of a contemporary style, with an open tread, finished in Crema Marfil, with a bespoke leather wrapped and stitched hand rail. The second staircase is positioned below a skylight, to allow floods of light to fill the basement area.
The reception room – which is positioned at the front of the property, with bay windows looking onto Tite Street – has been opened up into the hallway, to give an instant impact-on-entry to the property, with bespoke glass doors in a dark veneer and bronze detailing. Creating a formal space for entertaining, nu:builds installed a centralised, classic marble fireplace, glass chandelier and silk wallpaper in the reception room.
Handmade, silk chinoiserie wallpaper in a Stella Blue, from Fromental is featured in the dining room. The design of this luxurious wallpaper was bespoke to nu:builds’ client, the designers chose how the branches and flowers fell which enhanced the dining room space. A unique addition to the dining room is a fitted, highly detailed wine display, in a high gloss wenge wood, which has been decorated with bronze detailing.
The focus of this project was to retain the classical layout of a Chelsea townhouse with a formal reception and dining room, but to allow the spaces to be opened up through large sliding doors. When the sliding doors throughout the townhouse are opened, a view takes you from the formal reception to the kitchen – where deep Imperial marble and blue tones connect the contemporary kitchen to the classic front of the house.
The ground floor kitchen has been equipped with kitchen supplier, Bulthaup’s, latest metallic finish on two islands to contribute to the clean colour palette that is evident throughout the design. The joinery found in the kitchen is produced from a dark timber, which gives the kitchen a sophisticated, city-home feel.
The townhouse is home to a master bedroom alongside a further five guest suites. The master en-suite is adorned in Calacatta Oro marble.
The master vanity has also been designed to match the marble theme that runs throughout the townhouse.
Leading onto the guest bedrooms, bespoke wardrobes were installed by using luxury timber finishes and leather to create a unique feel to each room. The five guest en-suite bathrooms have also been individually designed to enhance different design intents, again finished in marble and equipped with bespoke fitted vanity units.
Standards are incredibly high for buyers searching in the Royal Borough. The area is filled with unique charm and character. With Chelsea being famous for its design flair and eclectic image, nu:builds have set the benchmark for modern, city living with this project.