When a young family decided to move back to England after living for a period in Miami, they realized it was time to give their London flat a proper refresh. At a quick glance, the pied-à-terre overlooking an idyllic square in London’s Notting Hill had all the trappings of a charming Victorian terraced house, at least from the outside. Inside, however, presented a very different story. “It was in really bad nick, and all the original features had been taken out,” says interior designer Sarah Vanrenen, who was tapped by the clients to reimagine the apartment’s dark warren of rooms into a sumptuous abode for the couple and their two young daughters.
The clients were eager to breathe new life into the space. “We wanted there to be a grand atmosphere, and this meant reinstating its former character with cornicing, bookshelves, and even a fireplace, which it didn’t have,” they