These picture-perfect homes have been creatively imagined by some of London’s most renowned designers.
These picture-perfect homes have been creatively imagined by some of London’s most renowned designers.
It takes a certain eye for detail to transform a house into a home. With their expert understanding of colour, texture and layout, leading interior designers have left their mark on this selection of short stay homes. Layered with reclaimed materials and refined finishes, these homes span the soothingly minimalist to the eclectic. All come with interior finesse that won’t fail to impress.
Celebrated for her ability to boldly transform residential projects, interior visionary Saskia Blyth led the reinvention of this former artist’s studio. The result is a home that pays homage to reclamation. Recycled timber beams and antique Parquet de Versailles flooring bring an organic feel to the reception room, matched by textural lime plaster walls and earthy-toned furniture – each piece a bespoke creation by upholsterers R. Knightley & Son. The homeowner’s collection of vibrant artwork pops against the backdrop, while things take a more dramatic turn in the Boffi kitchen with its dark grained wood panelling. Artisanal touches reign throughout: note the smooth coffee table resembling a time-worn pebble, and the tadelakt-wrapped en suite bathrooms that maintain a sense of natural tactility.
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Blenheim Crescent is available for short stays from £1,250 per night.
Homeowner and designer Juliette Sherwood is a master of colour, texture and interior composition, and her vision for Take Courage House is a mirror of its dynamic Central London location. Across the Grade-II listed home, there’s a mingling between the past and the present: Victorian tiles, original sash windows and heritage fireplaces are layered with sculptural lighting from Serge Mouille, Tom Dixon and Petite Friture Vertigo – not to mention the eye-catching artwork from Neil Stokoe, Michael Challenger and Polly Morgan. A steel-framed extension takes on the appearance of an orangery, with vast glazing flooding the indoor planting with sunlight. As for the bedrooms, expect one-hundred percent woollen carpets, Missoni wallpaper, bespoke headboards and reclaimed furniture that subtly echo this esteemed, historic postcode.
Take Courage House is available for short stays from £1,500 per night.
Pioneering architecture by Hugo Tugman sets the stage for equally inspiring interiors from Designed by Woulfe. Granting this four-bedroom home its name, the living area is capacious with a triple-height void that casts the eye upwards to a skylight. Contrasting these straight architectural edges, an undulating brass-toned partition wall, borg Graham and Greene seating and a circular dining table work to soften the space. The Roundhouse kitchen is tailored for year-round cooking, with concertina windows that open onto a garden breakfast bar. Characteristic of the rest of the property, calmness ensues in the bedrooms – united by a wealth of glazing and pared-back tones.
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The Lighthouse is available for short stays from £900 per night.
Studio Loveday have replicated the village-like tranquillity of New End’s Hampstead postcode in their calming interior design. Soaring proportions and wide plank ash floorboards set a refined tone for the main living space, which acts as a gallery for artwork by Katherine Jones and Marek Tobolewski. The old and new seamlessly coalesce here: 1940s bergère armchairs are paired with a contemporary striped ottoman, while the kitchen sees custom-made deVOL cabinets alongside antique dressers and loped oval glass pendants. A country-pile feel is drawn with the tongue-and-groove banquette seating, making for a relaxed dining setting. Stylishness ensues upstairs in the principal bedroom, which is served by an en suite bathroom with muted brown tiles and a bespoke walnut vanity.
New End is available for short stays from £1,200 per night.
Equidistant from Oxford Street and Regent’s Park, this flawless penthouse apartment features sophisticated design by Louisa Penn Interiors. Arranged across two sprawling floors plus a private roof terrace, a captivating dialogue between light and dark plays out. Neutral walls and deep wooden floors set the stage for entertaining in the lounge, while the German-engineered Hacker kitchen is equally as impressive. Ascend a striking spiral staircase to the upper floor, where the principal bedroom emulates your own private enclave. Sleeping quarters exude a restful feel, while a walk-in wardrobe leads to the pièce de résistance. Decked out in Italian marble, the bathroom is sky-lit and showstopping, featuring a freestanding tub and rainfall shower.
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New Cavendish Street is available for short stays from £1,350 per night.
There's a particular charm to every Retrouvius project. Despite their city postcodes, homes such as Westbourne Park Villas are made to feel rustic with salvaged materials galore. Headed by Maria Speake and Adam Hill, the team of interior tastemakers has brought eclectic flair to this Victorian townhouse. Wooden ceiling beams afford a farmhouse feel to the kitchen, which also boasts Jonathan Yeo wallpaper and reclaimed cabinets from the V&A Museum. Upstairs, the principal bedroom takes inspiration from a Parisian apartment, while the family bathroom honours London’s infamous Underground with metro tiling and a Tube map motif.
Westbourne Park Villas is available for short stays from £1,250 per night.
Expert designers at Finkernagel Ross transformed this Kensington mews into a soothing minimalist sanctum. Past the sage-green front door, each room feels refined and gentle with softly-diffused light, neutral colours and sleek timber joinery. From the kitchen worktops to bathroom walls, oversized panels of marble have been used to mesmerising effect, while floor-to-ceiling curtains make a feature of the spacious proportions. Three bedrooms maintain the home’s characteristically muted tonal palette, with comfort prioritised across the bedding, full-height wardrobes and abundance of glazing.
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Napier Place is available for short stays from £1,000 per night.
Symmetry and serenity are the orders of the day at this double-fronted Brook Green villa. Imagined by Denis Balent of Urban Future Org, the home’s palette of organic materials evokes Scandinavian minimalism. Pale wood walls and large panels of glass offer a soothing backdrop for contemporary artwork – spot the pieces by Gavin Turk and Michael Wolf. Meanwhile, a Sonos sound system and Flos Parentesis lighting scheme set an atmospheric tone for hosting. The dining room is quietly full of history, with its original Eero Saarinen chairs and a wooden table reclaimed from the ports of Cape Town. The same considered interior style is mirrored in the garden, one of the largest in west London.
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Caithness Road is available for short stays from £1,250 per night.
Thanks to interior specialist Stephen Ryan, a carefully curated selection of artwork and engaging materials brings this Notting Hill duplex to life. A microcement-laid entrance hall transitions to smart Versilles wood floors in the living space, where Pierro Lissoni sofa and Rietveld armchairs are backdropped by modern paintings and a striking LEAX sculpted chandelier. Dark marble surfaces in the Mark Wilkinson kitchen are complemented by rose-gold pendant lights that illuminate a dining area. In the principal bedroom, you’ll find limewash walls, a floating fireplace and a Le Corbusier chaise longue, while the monochromatic bathroom features an inviting freestanding tub.
Blenheim Crescent III is available for short stays from £900 per night.
At this North Kensington duplex, contemporary architecture is enhanced by local design studio Golborne 44’s refreshing styling. The team is renowned for its playful approach – at Golborne Road, an inverted footprint, vaulted ceilings and arched windows provided a stimulating canvas for interior creativity. The contrasting curves and straight edges of the apartment’s windows and surfaces are echoed in the furniture – noticeably the original 1970s Mario Bellini sofa and the softly rounded Charlotte Perriand wall lights. The mid-century Maurice Burke dining set proves that design classics don’t have to feel dated.
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Golborne Road is available for short stays from £550 per night.
Stay: Read.
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