London-based interior design firm Studio Est referenced the industrial heritage of Battersea Power Station when designing the interior of this apartment within the refurbished landmark.
The owner of the apartment wanted to transform the empty shell into a space that reflected both his personal taste and the location of the apartment in the former Art Deco power station.
Known for its serene, luxurious interiors, Studio Est has used a palette of subtle, neutral tones to bring a unifying touch to the apartment’s open-plan spaces and create a consistent backdrop for various signature furnishings and artwork.
“We wanted to keep it simple but introduce subtle brutalist elements that evoke the history of the building,” founder Louise East told Dezeen. “These are complemented by softer textures that add a more feminine touch.”
Although some areas of the renovated power plant feature steel beams and other industrial details, East found no original features in the apartment.
The studio therefore turned to furniture, artwork and accessories to add character and visual appeal to the living spaces.
To add an earthy touch and convey a masculine vibe to these spaces, dramatic pieces were chosen, including a large painting in the dining room and a bespoke geometric sofa in the lounge area.
East then adds structural details such as cushions, lampshades and curtains made from a linen-wool blend, all made specifically for the project.
In addition to the bespoke items, Studio Est has sourced various vintage pieces, including leather chairs by Italian designer Mario Bellini that surround the dark wooden dining table.
The dining room also features a Hill House Chair by Scottish Art Deco architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a metallic reinterpretation of Gerrit Rietveld’s groundbreaking Zigzag Chair.
The two bedrooms show distinctly different approaches to colour and materiality. The master bedroom is painted in a rich terracotta shade that gives the space a warm, inviting feel, while the second bedroom features textures that complement the adjacent gardens.
“Even though it’s an open-plan apartment, we didn’t want all the rooms to look the same,” said East, who founded her studio in 2020 after working for other architects and interior designers such as Russell Sage and Martin Brudnizki for 15 years.
“It’s good to be able to move from one room to another and have a different look and feel,” she added. “The master bedroom is intentionally different from the living areas because we wanted to make this a space where the client could come after a day at work and feel comfortable reading a book.”
Throughout the apartment, the owner’s ceramics collection is displayed on distinctive plinths, carefully positioned to highlight specific views into the rooms and of the landscaped gardens outside.
Battersea Power Station was designed by British architect Giles Gilbert Scott and built by the London Power Company in several phases between 1929 and 1955. It was closed in 1975 and subsequently listed as a historic monument.
A lengthy redevelopment of the site on the south bank of the Thames has seen accommodation, hospitality, offices and retail space created while retaining the building’s iconic chimneys and facades.
London-based architectural firm WilkinsonEyre oversaw the restoration and conversion of the former power station, which now features a glass elevator in one of its chimneys.
British studio Foster + Partners designed an office for the technology brand Apple in the building, as well as a store for the company, which still retains four original brick columns.
The photographs were kindly provided by Studio Est.
