{"id":279687,"date":"2026-02-12T02:11:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T02:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/279687\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T02:11:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T02:11:14","slug":"how-a-small-london-apartment-went-from-a-white-box-with-great-bones-and-no-soul-to-a-cozy-colorful-alpine-chalet-inspired-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/279687\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Small London Apartment Went From \u2018A White Box With Great Bones and No Soul\u2019 to a Cozy, Colorful Alpine Chalet\u2013Inspired Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

This garden apartment in Notting Hill is a masterclass in how pattern, color and a little visual trickery can turn a pale, rather joyless space into a home with verve and heart. Reimagined by Sarah Southwell, a former artisan handbag maker turned interior designer, the three-bedroom apartment is now an elegant, feminine home that\u2019s at once composed, characterful and faintly mischievous.<\/p>\n

Its owner, who divides her time between London and the Swiss Alps, was keen to weave elements of both sides of her heritage into the house design<\/a>. \u2018I wanted this flat to reflect the homes I grew up in,\u2019 she says. \u2018In my first conversation with Sarah, we talked about my love of painted joinery and woodwork \u2013 they remind me of my family\u2019s house in Switzerland, which dates from the 1600s.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Entryway: Millwork in a smoky gray-blue is punctuated with notes of red in the runner, rug trim and lampshades. Millwork in French Blue, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Wall lights, Pooky. Ticking stripe shade, Beatrix Interiors on Etsy. Trent stair runner in Raspberry, Roger Oates Design. Red-trimmed rug, Alternative Flooring.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

The owner arrived at that meeting with just two wallpaper swatches: a trellis design by Colefax and Fowler<\/a> and a graceful floral by Manuel Canovas<\/a>. The trellis reminded her of her late mother, a Swiss interior designer who had used a near-identical paper in their London home. \u2018Sarah took that as a starting point,\u2019 she recalls, \u2018and somehow managed to bring together the two places that meant the most to me.\u2019<\/p>\n

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The apartment required no structural work \u2013 it even came with some well-made millwork \u2013 but it was, in Sarah\u2019s words, \u2018a white box with great bones and no soul\u2019. The brief was to create a home that felt warm and uplifting, a place for relaxed evenings and lively dinners. \u2018Lighting and mirrors were key,\u2019 Sarah recollects. \u2018I wanted reflection and glow wherever possible.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Dining area: A chinoiserie wallpaper blurs the boundaries between house and garden.
Modern Chinoiserie wallpaper, Rockett St George. Spindler dining bench, Perch & Parrow. Planter and butter dish, Tooka.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

In the dining area<\/a>, which opens directly onto the garden, she lined one wall with foxed mirrored tiles \u2013 a clever device to bounce light and widen the narrow room. The opposite wall is papered in a verdant chinoiserie print, drawing the eye to the garden beyond. Hidden within the mirrored wall is a secret door leading to a tiny cabin bedroom<\/a>: a cocoon-like space with a built-in bed and painted trim inspired by Alpine chalets. \u2018Designing small rooms<\/a> is one of my favorite things,\u2019 says Sarah.<\/p>\n

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Children’s bedroom: \u2018Everyone is obsessed with this room \u2013 children and adults alike,\u2019 laughs the homeowner. Shelves lined in Trousseau wallpaper, Dado Atelier. Quilt, Antique Quilt Company.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

Green became the thread that runs through the apartment \u2013 from the emerald cabinetry in the bathroom<\/a> to the soft moss tones of the bedroom\u2019s trellis \u2013 complemented by shades of aqua, teal and smoky blue. In the entrance hall, Sarah painted the millwork in pale blue, contrasting it with a runner and lampshades in punchy reds. Even the backs of the bookshelves are painted a deep radicchio tone, giving flashes of warmth between books and objects.<\/p>\n

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Living room: A luminous painting brings a gentle glow. Art by Jack Frame at Clarendon Fine Art. Ottoman, Sarah Southwell Design + Interiors; in Devon Stripe, Ian Mankin; skirt in Improvisation, Ottoline. Isla sofa, Sofa.com. Lampshade covers, 46 Stitch<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

The living room<\/a> centers on a luminous painting of a cherry tree in bloom, its gold-leaf background casting a gentle light around the space. \u2018When I told the artist I was buying it because it reminded me of my mother, he renamed it after her,\u2019 says the owner. Around it, ruffles and stripes \u2013 on cushions, lampshades and table skirts \u2013 add movement and texture without ever feeling twee. \u2018Stripes are a constant in my projects,\u2019 observes Sarah. \u2018They bring rhythm and joy and keep things from feeling too polite.\u2019<\/p>\n

Design expertise in your inbox \u2013 from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups.<\/p>\n

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Kitchen: A lively striped wallpaper and red-painted cabinet backs were chosen to lift the existing cabinetry. Tangier Red Stripe wallpaper, Alice Palmer & Co. Back of cabinetry in Radicchio, Farrow & Ball. Rug, Swedish antique.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

Sarah\u2019s respect for what already existed is evident throughout. In the kitchen, she simply lined the backsplash in a striped paper by Alice Palmer & Co<\/a>, sealed with Plexiglas for practicality. \u2018I\u2019m a huge advocate of working with what you have,\u2019 she explains. \u2018Paint, wallpaper, a change of hardware \u2013 they can all make a world of difference.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Bathroom: A rickrack trim and a frilled bath mat temper the bold green. Woodwork in Emerald Green, Farrow & Ball. Inserts in Bianca wallpaper in Nacre, Manuel Canovas at Colefax and Fowler. Bath mat, MG & Co.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

In the bedroom, the owner\u2019s two cherished prints finally come together: the trellis wallpaper and a blind in the favorite floral. The same botanical reappears in the adjoining bathroom, this time in another colorway and inset into the emerald cabinetry. \u2018When I first saw the green paint, I thought it was possibly too bright,\u2019 admits the owner. \u2018Then the wallpaper went up and it all made sense.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Bedroom: Blue paintwork adds an uplifting contrast to the trellis wallpaper. The painting is a much-loved piece that belonged to the owner\u2019s mother. Leaf Trellis wallpaper, Colefax and Fowler. Woodwork in Vert de Mer, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Wall lamp, Pooky. Lampshade, Beatrix Interiors on Etsy. Round cushion covers, TBCo.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sarah Griggs)<\/p>\n

Her affection for the neighborhood has deepened since moving in. \u2018I thought the Notting Hill Carnival would be chaotic, but it\u2019s magical,\u2019 she says. \u2018The local steel band on the Thursday before is one of the most moving things I\u2019ve experienced \u2013 the sound goes straight to your soul.\u2019 As indeed does the flat itself. Once a white shell, it is now layered, glowing, and deeply personal \u2013 a home alive with color and memories.<\/p>\n

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