Photo Tour: Listed Georgian Restoration Overlooking the Saatchi Gallery

Join us on a tour of our Grade II listed restoration in Cheltenham Terrace, Chelsea.

The Entrance

First impressions are everything, and what a first impression this is.

Smoked antique mirrors flank the entire right-hand wall, contrasted against a pale oak flooring from Element 7. Light pours through French doors which provide an uninterrupted view from the front door to the garden.

Despite our contemporary additions, the home still reads immediately as a period property thanks to our careful restoration of listed Georgian features such as plaster cornices and architraves.

The Dining Room

The delicate process of preserving period features continued in the dining room. The fireplace, egg-and-dart cornices, folding shutters and shutter boxes are all restorations of the original fabric.

New features – such as the gold-coloured cast iron radiators – complement the Georgian aesthetic so perfectly that they look as if they have always been there.

Furniture and decorations, even when highly contemporary, match their period setting either through their shape or their materiality. The handblown Italian glass pendant light – visible in the 1960s bronze mirror above – mimics a chandelier where each branch has melted and merged.

Both restoration and renovation was performed on the fireplace. The surround is original, while new marble was used for the wall and floor of the hearth, which is flush with the floor thanks to timber edge detailing cut with fraction-of-a-millimetre precision.

The Kitchen

Viewed here from the dining room, the concept of this galley kitchen was to emulate a Parisian apartment, opening up onto a balcony with wrought iron handrails and a garden view, best enjoyed with a morning coffee or weekend glass of wine.

Fitted appliances, surfaces and furniture maximise the available space. Brass detailing creates warm highlights on the high-gloss lacquered walnut cupboards with concealed appliances, finished with a white Carrara marble worktop and splashback.

The Guest Bathroom

Carrara marble makes another appearance in the guest bathroom, where the silver veins in the marble are complemented by silver brick tiles and grey velvet panelled cupboards.

A bespoke washbasin is displayed like a work of art atop a marble plinth, giving unexpected stature to an everyday object. This unique sink is illuminated by 1930s style vintage tube lights.

The Reception Room

Peer through the sash window of the reception room and you can make out a spectacular view of the Saatchi Gallery. That’s if you can take your eyes off this equally spectacular room with its matching pair of restored antique white marble fireplaces.

A full-height mirror perfectly fills the arched wall between the windows, and doubles the view of the stunning centrepiece chandelier.

Bespoke period-style shelving with integrated lighting from Aldworth James and Bond sits above concealed cabinet heating, invisible except for the grills just above the floor. Where heating is visible, its decorative potential is maximised with another gold-coloured cast iron radiator.

Above the other fireplace is the television. It’s not missing from this photo; it’s hidden behind an antique mirror.

Our clients didn’t want their television to be visible at all times, so McAllister AV – who were responsible for all AV design and installation in the house – installed a concealed TV system which, at the press of a button, slides the mirror back to reveal the screen.

The Master Bedroom and Bathroom

Using mirrors to make a room feel larger is one of the oldest interior design tricks in the book, but these antique mirrors in the master bedroom don’t just add space, they add bold and beautiful colour too with their golden dancing patterns.

Hidden behind these mirrors isn’t another world but a bespoke wardrobe by Aldworth James and Bond.

Both the walls and floor of the master bathroom are clad in honey onyx marble, a beautiful translucent stone which doesn’t just reflect light but is filled by it. The gold sanitary fittings seem to float upon its surface.

The Basement

Cheltenham Terrace demonstrates just how versatile a material marble can be. Here it is again in the wine cellar, where it has been hand cut in black and white diagonal stripes.

Wine is the perfect way to end a tour, and whether you want a glass of white from the integrated fridges or a red from the bespoke wall rack, this temperature-controlled cellar will ensure it’s perfect every time.

Has this tour made you imagine touring your own dream home? Contact the studio at [email protected] to begin your design process.