Houzz Tour: A Cozy Place for Children in a Luxury Space

Turning this three-bedroom apartment overlooking London’s Hyde Park into a space where a father and his three daughters could relax and spend time together was interior designer Nicky Mudie’s assignment. The apartment, in the Lancasters development, had recently undergone a luxurious renovation, but the owner called in Mudie to add the finishing touches that would reflect his personality. “The owner is often away on business, so he wanted to create a comfortable but fun space where he can relax with his children when he’s in town,” Mudie says. “Basically, it needed to be softened and made more child friendly.”

Mudie’s client gave her free rein when it came to the design, but a whistle-stop tour around the Decorex design exhibition with him provided her with a little more insight into his taste. “We walked around the exhibition in about an hour, and I asked him to point out anything that caught his eye,” she says. “I then created mood boards based on my interpretation, and we went from there. Luckily, he’s very open to ideas.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A businessman and his 3 daughters
Location: Hyde Park, London
Designer: Nicky Mudie, Violet & George
Era built: Mid-19th century; redevelopment completed in 2011
Size: 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
That’s interesting: The Lancasters development is the longest continuous terrace overlooking Hyde Park


Faux-shagreen wallpaper, soft lighting and some carefully chosen furniture transformed the plain white entrance hall into a warm, welcoming space. “We picked out some of the pieces, such as the sconces and mirrors, at Decorex, and customized other pieces, including the Julian Chichester console table, to create extra storage,” Mudie says.

Abstract Wall Light: CTO Lighting; convex mirror: Collier Webb; customized Henri bookcase: Julian Chichester; antique stool: Fiona McDonald


The entrance hall opens to the double-height living room and mezzanine. “It’s a big space — we had to introduce quite a lot of different elements to make it cozy,” Mudie says. A generously sized L-shaped sofa has ample room for family gatherings, while touches of copper tones infuse the space with warmth. “The owner indicated a passion for metal and warm colors, so copper was a natural choice for this room,” Mudie says.

The enormous copper-backed bookcase serves as both a practical and eye-catching feature and references the smoky glass on the antique coffee table.

Copper and wood wall unit: custom, Rupert Bevan; sofa: custom, Ben Whistler; rug: Eskayel; throw pillows: Timorous Beasties


The cabinet holds a selection of vases by Tom Dixon and Jonathan Adler, with additional pieces from Heal’s and Habitat.

Etch Tea Light Holder: Tom Dixon


Simple walls allow a playful artwork, by Alec Monopoly, to take center stage over the fireplace, while colorful cushions liven up the sofa.

Artwork over fireplace: Alec Monopoly; blue vases on mantel: Bespo, Vessel; large cushion fabric: Parris Wakefield


Another Disney-themed Alec Monopoly painting injects a lighthearted tone into this corner of the living room, which also features a more practical element. “We incorporated a little home office into the design of the wall unit to give it a sense of purpose,” Mudie says.

Brass table light: Vincezo Caffarella via Alfies Antique Market


“We chose the sculptural pendant light together at Decorex,” Mudie says. “It really stood out to the owner, and the copper tones blend in perfectly with the rest of the scheme.”

Chandelier: Quasar Citadel, Cameron Peters


Mudie chose a generously sized dining table to accommodate family gatherings, which she teamed with midcentury-style dining chairs and accessories. The colorful wall panels by the door are printed on canvas and mounted on frames. “They’re essentially artworks,” Mudie says.

Custom wall panels: Repeat RPT; dining table: Leveza, Malabar



Mudie describes the copper-colored sideboard with a dark stained oak frame as a contemporary nod to midcentury style.

Sideboard: custom, Rupert Bevan


The mezzanine area above the living room has been transformed into a homework area for the owner’s children. Colorful storage boxes on the wall have been arranged to look like a sculptural artwork, while an Ikea desk has been paired with stylish Victoria Ghost chairs for a fun but sophisticated look. “We also added wipe-clean panels to the wall so the children have their own creative outlet,” Mudie says.

Victoria Ghost chairs: Philippe Starck for Kartell, John Lewis; desk: Ikea


“The master bedroom was quite a challenge,” Mudie says. “It’s an odd space — very tall and thin — so we created some of the furniture ourselves to fit the space perfectly.” She made an oversized headboard to add interest to the wall, and had slim bedside tables made to fit the narrow spaces on either side of the bed. “We’ve kept this room quite subdued, as the owner wanted a calming space where he could relax at the end of the day,” she says.

Pillows: Violet & George



An antique mirror on the bedroom mezzanine reflects light from the window opposite into the space. “It has a copper frame, so it subtly references the living room,” Mudie says.

Chest of drawers: custom, FormRoom


Opposite the bed in the master bedroom, a grand cabinet disguises a TV.

Cabinet: Pollock Espalier, Julian Chichester


“We commissioned a graffiti artist from Repeat RPT — where we had the panels in the dining room made — to come in and liven up the downstairs bathroom,” Mudie says. “It infused this otherwise overlooked space with a sense of drama.”

Artwork: Print Club London


Bold, bright colors announce the children’s part of the apartment. “It was an opportunity to really have some fun, so once we’d painted the walls, we commissioned another graffiti artist to decorate the space with butterflies — something the owner’s children particularly love,” Mudie says.

Paint: Spicy Sandalwood by Dulux plus custom mixes


Mudie chose a soft but colorful design for the children’s playroom. “It had to be lots of fun but also provide ample storage to hide away and display toys and books,” she says.

Wallpaper: Kandy Brit Pop, Elitis; poufs: Casalis


“I designed this room for one of the owner’s daughters,” Mudie says. “We wanted to make it a fun, cozy, girly space using all her favorite colors without it being too childish. We also put an extra bed in here so she can have friends over to visit.”

Poufs: Casalis; headboard: custom, with Leopard Pansy Purple fabric, 009 Textiles: Multicolored Crossed Moss Stitch Blankets: Zara Home


This fairy-tale bedroom is based on a drawing the owner made from a picture he saw in a magazine. “We basically had our carpenters re-create it from his drawing,” Mudie says. “It’s quite spectacular and enormous fun.”

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