Charming Bijou London Apartment By Maurizio Pellizzoni
This charming bijou London apartment was designed by Maurizio Pellizzoni in an upcoming prime spot of Marylebone. The owners bought it for their young daughter keeping in mind its potential use on Airbnb in the future. The client wanted to have two bedrooms and two bathrooms as this would help to maintain the value of the property. Due to panoramic windows and light colour palette the rooms look very spacious and airy despite low ceilings and modest dimensions.
The owners’ vision was to create the scheme of a Parisienne boutique hotel and Maurizio set out to achieve a vibrant, elegant, luxurious and modern look. The colour scheme evolved to what became a more feminine apartment using soft pastel colours and a mixture of polished brass and chrome finishes. The chosen artwork in particular reflects this style.
Space planning was one of the main concerns for the client as the original layout made every room seem very dark and impractical to use. Initially the entrance hall and second bathroom were very small. This spiral staircase blocked both light from the hallway and made the upstairs living room a really awkward shape and tiny.
The biggest structural change made was to move the staircase in the flat, to turn it and lay it flat against the back wall, creating an incredible open feel to the whole flat. Before when you walked in, the whole place felt small, especially with the minuscule hallway. With only a few tweaks and smoke and mirrors, Maurizio made it look twice the square footage. What makes the flat more special is the chosen flooring. These beautiful pale wooden floors turned it from feeling ordinary, into a home that has a real luxury feel and is much more spacious and bright. The furnishings are offset with accessories and lighting such as the beautiful lightbulb chandelier hanging over the staircase.
Every bit of space has been used which is most obvious in the kitchen where, despite its U shape, there is absolutely no dead space between cupboards. By installing built in wardrobes, the small bedrooms have a decent amount of storage space and the bathrooms, although small, have everything you could need. The flat makes you feel like you finally have space in the very cramped lifestyle that is London. In the winter it offers the ultimate cosiness and hygge ambiance, and in the summer it offers airiness and light to make the most of the good weather.
Kitchen with its modern cupboards and polished brass handles looks simple yet very luxurious.
The apartment is full of interesting decorative details – you literally want to zoom each corner of the space to enjoy its beauitul aesthetics. 
Gorgeous tender pink and blue tiles make the perfect duo with brass fixtures, which create even more chic and refined look in both bathrooms. Despite their small sizes, there is enough storage provided by niche shelves and double mirror cabinets. Compact sanitaryware and careful planning make them very functional and comfortable to use.
Photography : Jake Fitzjones
