Property of the month: A mid-century modern Notting Hill townhouse
Despite following the pared-back tenets of mid-century design, this West London home is bursting with luxury quirks
If there is one trend that has taken the interior world by storm over the last decade, it is mid-century modern. Celebrities from Chrissy Teigen and John Legend to Lizzo have chosen to deck out their mansions this way; anyone who’s anyone has an Eames lounger and a Danish sideboard.
This trend simply refers to design elements harking back to the – you guessed it – mid-century. Between the 1930s and 1960s design turned away from the ostentatious and towards the minimal, taking cues from the International and Bauhaus movements and capitalising on new technologies and materials available after World War II. Mass migration to urban areas at this time, and the resultant smaller living spaces, also influenced the design of the era – it had to be functional.
Popularised by the likes of Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, and Charles and Ray Eames, mid-century design is democratic and, in many ways, simple, with a tendency towards organic forms, clean lines and natural materials. It is not without its fun, however – mid-century design favours pops of colour, with palettes ranging from bright hues to earthy tones, especially olives or rusts.
This month’s Property of the Month – a five-bedroom home in Westbourne Park Villas – has mid-century charm in abundance. Enter on the raised ground floor, where Crittall doors and multi-tonal parquet floors connect the two reception rooms. Downstairs, an Eames-inspired kitchen-diner marries emerald green cabinetry with stainless steel and charcoal accents in a chic wood burner.
Parquet floors give way to poured concrete in the glass-panelled extension, a barely-there boundary with the sprawling garden. Meanwhile, the master suite occupies the second floor, where a mezzanine makes the most of the vaulted double-height ceilings.
Buyers can find inspiration in an abundance of contemporary art and low-lying, retro furniture, which works perfectly with the house’s composition. Nowhere is this more evident than in the immense entertainment room – here you will find wood-panelled walls, raw concrete and exposed pipes paired with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a 1940s-inspired bar, and a U-shaped sofa lining the sunken social space (2022’s interiors must-have).
There are also plenty of modern luxuries which make for a rare indulgence in the city centre. Bibliophiles, for example, will appreciate the south-facing library. For others, the outdoor space will be the draw, where illuminated pathways lead to a timber-clad hot tub and sauna. If you’re on the hunt for an on-trend home packed with idiosyncratic features, look no further.
This property is listed with Domus Nova for £12,500,000. For more information visit domusnova.com
