James Wood
Interior design Cath Beckett's home is a small two-bedroom apartment in London's Notting Hill. But for what it lacks in square footage it more than makes up for in style, and it also proves that with small spaces you don't always have to take the minimalist, neutral approach that is so often the default.
Cath, along with Liv Wallers founded the interior design studio Yellow London (opens in new tab), and all you need do is look at one of their projects to see that color and pattern are their thing.
So of course Cath's apartment was going to be an expression of her love of layering bold hues, quirky patterns, vintage finds, and her unique collection of family heirlooms... The living room/kitchen might be on the small side, but it crams in so much color and pattern and quirky shapes and styles that just totally distracted from the smaller proportions of the room. Throughout the room are unusual family heirlooms, including a pair of horse lamps that have been passed down to Cath from her grandmother.
The two 1950 bentwood armchairs that have been reupholstered in a striking zig-zag fabric by Teyssier Hawskwood, sit on either side of the fireplace and create a focal point for the room. The semi-symmetrical layout of the sofa facing the armchairs is usually one reserved for larger living rooms, so opting for this setup rather than everything pushed against walls gives this space a much loftier more elegant feel. Of course, Cath had to add a quirky touch and replace the handles with amber knobs for the top cabinets and lilac agate on the bottom. The mirrored splashback really helps to make the kitchen feel less boxy, tricking the eye into thinking the room continues beyond.
It's the standout room in the apartment, with all four walls and the ceiling covered in a bold Pierre Fray’s Plein Eté wallpaper. The choice might seem bold for a small space, but this cocoon of color in fact seems much bigger than it is, as the print blurs the edges of the room.
After a visit to the Svenskt Tenn (opens in new tab) showroom when Cath was working on a project in Stockholm, she fell for this cheery tulip print used on the headboard and that became the starting point for the bedroom. The mix of the bold color of the headboard and bespoke red lacquer tables and the backdrop of the softer pinks and blues gives the space a contemporary edge, despite all the vintage pieces.
A lot of the bedroom furniture is sourced from vintage fairs or passed on from family, including the fabulous skirted dressing table and oak chest of drawers.
Instead, the walls are painted in the palest of mint greens, which perfectly contrast the yellows of the headboard, blind and the pop in the lampshade. The bathroom is actually the one that came with the property when Cath moved in, however, she has of course given it a colorful makeover, painting the walls in Farrow & Ball’s (opens in new tab) Lulworth Blue and replacing the tiles with these high impact rainbow stripes. The internal doors are painted a mint green to match the wallpaper in the hallway which adds an extra pop of color to the bathroom.
