Cover The main living area in this London townhouse features Gubi Pacha chairs beneath a white-painted ceiling
The main living area in this London townhouse features Gubi Pacha chairs beneath a white-painted ceiling
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Inside interior designer Kelly Hoppen’s stunning London townhouse renovation, where neutral tones, natural textures, and thoughtful lighting turn a once-dark artist’s studio into a serene, light-filled haven
The townhouse in London had all the right bones—extraordinary ceiling heights from its days as an artist’s studio, windows that flooded the space with natural light. But when Kelly Hoppen first walked through, black dominated everything: black joinery, black metalwork, a black lacquer coffered ceiling in the entrance hall that seemed to swallow the light whole. “The property itself was in great condition, but the interiors felt heavy, with black joinery and metalwork dominating the space,” says Hoppen, the interior designer whose four decades in the industry have made her globally recognised for neutral palettes and clean lines. Her clients wanted something lighter, something that would let the building breathe.
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Brightness over shadow
Above The entrance hall’s pivot screens disguise the structural columns
Above A bespoke console takes centre stage at the entrance, where geometric marble flooring contrasts against the warm lighting
The entrance hall’s pivot screens disguise the structural columns
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Hoppen started with paint, the simplest transformation that would yield the greatest change. Little Greene’s Slaked Lime Mid replaced the black throughout, while in the entrance hall, the designer removed the black lacquer ceiling and installed a larger white coffer with warm lighting that welcomes rather than warns. The ground floor flows from the entrance through to the kitchen, dining and living areas in an unbroken sequence. Hoppen layered in linens, velvets, bouclé, plaster and timber—natural textures that hold light differently throughout the day. Stone coffee tables anchor the rooms alongside carefully chosen metal accents, while black appears sparingly now, used to ground rather than overwhelm.
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Hidden passages
Above The kitchen showcases exposed white-painted beams against dark cabinetry
The kitchen showcases exposed white-painted beams against dark cabinetry
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The kitchen holds an unexpected surprise. What appears to be standard cabinetry actually conceals the entrance to the master bedroom suite. Opening the hidden door reveals a dramatic staircase that Hoppen describes as “a secret reveal when discovered”.
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Above The dining area centres on a bespoke Archer & Smith table
Above These Robert Langford bar stools and the marble island reflect Hoppen’s clean aesthetic
The dining area centres on a bespoke Archer & Smith table
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The master suite was in worse shape than the ground floor, its layout cramped and poorly lit, with oversized black wardrobes that crowded the bedroom and a bathroom that had been divided into a series of disconnected sections. Hoppen opened it all up, adding a four-metre-high Crittall window and uncovering a street-facing window that had been blocked, flooding the space with the kind of light the building was designed to capture.
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Practical solutions
Above The home office’s towering Crittall window maximises the natural light crucial to the building’s original purpose as an artist’s studio
The home office’s towering Crittall window maximises the natural light crucial to the building’s original purpose as an artist’s studio
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Later, when the clients asked her back, the side return garage became a boot room and a dog-bathing area. The original external doors remained, as listed building requirements meant preserving the facade. However, inside, she fitted full-height timber storage and Crittall doors that connect to both the garden and the main hall, with a built-in bench that anchors the space.
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Above At the entrance, pale green paint brightens the beams, offset by a pink neon artwork
Above The home’s bespoke detailing relies on material quality and clean lines rather than ornamental features
At the entrance, pale green paint brightens the beams, offset by a pink neon artwork
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The lighting throughout these soaring spaces required careful attention. The high ceilings and open areas called for multiple layers: architectural lighting, uplighters for beams and corners, and ambient options for different times of day and types of moods.
“Large open spaces with high ceilings can feel cold,” Hoppen explains. “Originally, the dark joinery and sharp black ceiling angles heightened that effect.”
Living with design
Above The glass partition system facilitates views between the office and the main living areas while maintaining separation, with B&B Italia Maxalto furniture and integrated lighting creating a stylish workspace within the open-plan layout
The glass partition system facilitates views between the office and the main living areas while maintaining separation, with B&B Italia Maxalto furniture and integrated lighting creating a stylish workspace within the open-plan layout
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The furniture tells its own story of balance between old and new. A bespoke Archer & Smith dining table stands alongside Pierre Paulin Groovy chairs, while contemporary pieces from 101 Copenhagen and Arteriors add texture and interest. A rug from Hoppen’s own Loloey collection grounds the office space.
The clients’ verdict, delivered directly to Hoppen, speaks to something more profound than mere decoration: “Something about the way you captured the energy, the warmth, the design… it’s rare. You transformed the space and elevated how we live in it.”
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Above The main living area features lofty heights and lots of sunlight, with integrated shelving maintaining the sense of openness here
The main living area features lofty heights and lots of sunlight, with integrated shelving maintaining the sense of openness here
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Hoppen, whose client list spans international celebrities and luxury hotels, is working on projects worldwide at present, expanding her Marks & Spencer collection that makes her refined aesthetic accessible beyond the realm of bespoke commissions. But she still finds herself drawn to loft-style spaces: “They are rare in London, and here the sense of balance and openness reflects exactly what I strive for in design.”
The artist’s studio keeps its dramatic proportions and natural light, the bones that made it special from the beginning. It just serves a different kind of creativity now.
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Photography: Mel Yates
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Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
