The apartment had not ben touched since the 1970’s, with green shag-pile carpets throughout – even in the bathroom, a sunken bath and flock wallpaper. The flat was devoid of period detail and felt undersized and heavy. Our brief was to modernise the apartment, open it up and make it feel light, and put the period detail back where appropriate. Working closely with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea conservation officer, we reinstated fireplaces, lathe and plaster ceilings and all the period detail that had been removed. This was considered ‘planning gain’ and allowed us through negotiation to make bold changes elsewhere. We removed sections of floor, created a new sweeping bespoke staircase, removed walls and installed glass screens. The flat now has a series of well organised, well proportioned spaces. They flow well into each other, they are filled with light and are finished to a modern high standard. The materials bring character and interest and the lighting added drama where we could. Bespoke furniture is used throughout, the apartment was fully re-plumbed and rewired, every space was finished to the highest standards possible.