The client wanted a complete makeover and had three specific wishes:

• a fireplace;
• showing their favourite colour, which is green;
• the apartment had to get a luxury yet cosy look and feel.

The project involved an apartment from 2007. At the time, we designed a kitchen for this client, which is still very special and unique. The living room and kitchen were more or less one open-plan space. The living room was accessed from the hall via a glass door with a side window that had been added at the time of construction. The entire apartment needed an update.

We chose to use the fireplace as a starting point. We placed it as a centrepiece in the room to make it the first thing one sees when entering the room. Apartments are not allowed to have a gas or wood-fuelled fireplace so we opted for an electrical version. They don’t radiate heat but the atmosphere they create is the same as with a regular fireplace. We also turned the kitchen and living room into two distinctly separate areas but in such a way that the kitchen is still more or less directly connected to the living room. The dining table is now in the kitchen as well. Seating furniture was placed in front of the fireplace, on a beautiful rug, so right in the middle of the room. We always start by focusing on the space, not on the walls, which may sound a bit odd, but it is not. We love to pull out all the stops and use the space for which it was intended. In this case, the living room is now a proper sitting room with all the features you need, such as lamps, a sideboard, accessories, etc., positioned around the seating furniture. Left and right from the fireplace, ornamental profiles were placed against the ceiling, giving the room a more elegant atmosphere. Everything has been stuccoed and painted with a very matt paint from Farrow and Ball. Part of the living room walls have been wallpapered. At first, the client was a bit apprehensive of the kitchen becoming too dark, but by adding a darker colour around the kitchen, the space has become much more alive. The door frame from the hall to the living room, which held the glass door and side window, was narrowed to a normal-size opening and now has a modern door. All pieces of furniture, fabrics, lighting, etc. were purchased in consultation with Straight Interior Design.

A splendid, elegant, contemporary apartment with warm colours, wonderful furniture, and a cosy and comfortable atmosphere. The client is very happy with the result.