Dezeen Magazine

MWAI adds copper fixtures and marble surfaces to Victorian apartment in London

Bespoke joinery and minimal materials feature throughout the interior of this London apartment, recently transformed into a contemporary home by local architecture practice MWAI (+ slideshow).

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

The studio was tasked with creating a home for the director of joinery company Interior-iD, with whom they worked closely for the duration of the project.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

Each room within the Maida Vale Apartment was conceived as a unique space – each characterised by darkening colours and materials.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

"Darkening metal trims and tones signal an increased level of privacy between room functions," explained the architects. "Bright copper turns into antique brass; minimal Corian surfaces turn into richly textured marbles."

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

For example, surfaces in the household bathroom are light-coloured but walls within the en-suite bathroom are painted dark grey.

Fixtures within both bathrooms – including a round copper sink and white taps – were sourced from German design brand Dornbracht.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

In the kitchen and dining room, solid surface material Corian was used to create work surfaces. Wooden cupboard doors are white-stained to emphasise their copper-coloured metal trims.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

A black-painted wall conceals a closet, and acts as a partitioning wall between the apartment's entrance and open-plan kitchen.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

"Every nook and cranny of the apartment has been utilised to maximise the storage capacity," said the team. "This was made possible through the close collaboration between the joiner, client and architect."

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

"For example, hidden doors in the kitchen joinery reveal ample additional storage space, vital for homes where the kitchen is at the heart of the home," they added.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

Herringbone flooring, which also features inside a recently renovated 1930s apartment in Vienna, is used throughout the majority of the home with exception of the bathrooms.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

Following the project's completion, the studio worked closely with interior design company Gunter & Co to choose soft furnishings and lifestyle objects.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI

Other Victorian property renovations include a multi-level apartment inside a dilapidated terrace house by UK studio London Atelier, and a new flat squeezed into the top of two homes.

Photography is by Alexander James.

Maida Vale apartment by MWAI
Floor plan – click for larger image