The Thoughts and Process Behind a Luxurious and Arty Penthouse

In this week’s interview with 2021 SBID Awards winner for the Residential Apartment Over £1M category, IAIA – Idea Art Interior Architects, Darine Jabeili talks about creating personal designs and maximising and manipulating natural light in interiors.

How important is it to enter the SBID Awards & receive industry recognition for your work? What are the benefits?

The SBID awards offer an international benchmark for design around the globe, featuring work from world renowned architects and designers. Entering the SBID Awards is opening a gate to international exposure and a chance to connect with many other professionals in the field.

What do you think made this particular design an award winner?

The unconventional client’s lifestyle led us to sit with them on endless discussions to guide our design and adhere to their best needs. This penthouse was created for a young and sophisticated couple with their own understanding of aesthetics and design. Coupled with the clients’ desires, daylight was delicately directed into the space, creating different scenarios and ambiances.

What inspired the design scheme of the luxury penthouse? How do you ensure the end result of an interior design is unique and personal to the client and their lifestyle?

Design is a process. In fact, it is a constant growth starting with a conversation with the client.

We always make sure, to sit down with our clients and understand their intentions and aspirations. The conversation gets personal, and we dive deep into their lifestyle and habits. We then brainstorm on many ideas and iterations that we think would suit the client and start working on developing them. Throughout the development phase, we discard some of the ideas, develop others and come up with new ones along the way. This process is what we love the most about our work, because it gives life to the project, and challenges us to outwork ourselves every time.

What are the key considerations when it comes to utilising or maximising natural light within interiors? Why is this important?

Whether we are designing spaces in the city or in remote locations, nature and the environment of the project are crucial. We, humans, are designed to live with Nature and be a part of it. One major natural component is: Natural Light. We study each space according to the depth of the slab, the ceiling height, and the openings proportions, leaving no room for deep or dark spaces with low natural light. We also work on the play of shadow and light in a space, by designing artefacts that respond to different scenarios of light.

Now that you’ve won an SBID Award, what are the next steps? Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

We are happy to have landed the SBID Award this year, and for a project that we love. We are working on numerous projects which we are very excited about. One of our current projects is the interior of a residential apartment combining the four natural elements of Nature: Water, Earth, Fire and Air. The elements come together to sculpt the spaces and generate immersive design features in the apartment.

What advice can you give to young designers starting out in the design industry?

The design industry requires talented and self-driven leaders who are patient and enthusiastic. For all the young designers we advise that they never lose the spark and the curiosity to explore beyond the market and trends. Break the mould, and do not conform to what the industry has implemented.

Questions answered by Darine Jabeili, Head of Design Department, IAIA – Idea Art Interior Architects.

Today’s post is dedicated to the second installment about the recently opened The Wellesley hotel in Mayfair.

A lot has happened since Part 1 when A-Gent of Style reviewed the ground floor public areas of the already prestigious hotel.

But first and foremost, congratulations are in order: The Wellesley and award-winning Interior Design company Fox Linton Associates have been shortlisted for three awards at the 2013 European Hotel Design Awards; The Jazz Lounge and Oval Restaurant, The Crystal Bar and also The Suites are now in competition.

What an impressive achievement. Highly deserved.

A-Gent of Style was granted access to all floors of this 5-star ‘new kid on the block’ (The Wellesley itself confirmed it is not a 6-star hotel despite the media hype before its opening) and is taking you today on a private tour of the guest rooms.

Above the public areas of the ground floor, The Wellesley is graced with 36 guest bedrooms spreading over seven floors, the last two culminating in the signature Wellesley Penthouse offering a private terrace with stunning views of Hyde Park.

Every room offers 24-hour-butler-service and is individually finished with sumptuous décor and amenities, equipped with the latest state-of-the art technology ( electric curtains, 52″ flat screen TVs, in-room laptops, Samsung control tablets and complimentary Wi-Fi), all cleverly integrated in the bespoke elements.

The rooms are sheathed in a palette of cream, ivory and off-white – mostly faux leather panels on the walls, luxurious wall-to-wall carpets and beautifully drapes of pleated fabric on the windows – with different accent colours (gold or burgundy in the Deluxe rooms), and some of the bespoke joinery designed by Fox Linton Associates is made of Art Deco-favoured ebony Macassar in a high gloss, veneer-finish. There are hints of brass and bronze in the custom-made lamps by Dernier & Hamlyn (who also created the chandeliers on the ground floor) and also the ribbed lever handles by Joseph Giles (but polished nickel on the bathroom side). The stepped, coffered ceilings provide soft and flattering glow that complement the colour schemes. Elegant black and white framed photographs from Vogue and Vanity Fair archives, probably shot by Blumenfeld, are scattered around the rooms (and the corridors). The headboards are upholstered in leather and the deluxe king-size beds are enveloped in customised luxurious bedding.
A perfect night, no doubt, to be had in the arms of Morpheus.

The Penthouse floors comprise the Churchill Suite, Wellesley I, Wellesley II and Penthouse Suite which are the jewels in the crown of The Wellesley. The latter is situated over the top two floors which are linked by a private leather-panelled staircase. This suite can boast its own private terrace, boardroom and personal humidor.
All the rooms are interconnected and give a great sense of rhythm, fluidity, privacy and exclusivity.

Here, the rooms are wrapped in a palette of champagne and pearl, the accent colours on the sensuous mohairs and velvets are rich, saturated midnight blues and browns, and there are hints of silver and gold to express the glitzy “Roaring Twenties”/Hollywood feel.

A-Gent of Style found the stepped, travertine Art Deco fireplace simply sublime.

A humidor and a wine cabinet, both in high gloss Macassar, are flanked on both sides of the dining table.

All the bathrooms at The Wellesley are equally stunning: the focal point is unquestionably the beautiful, deeply veined Italian Carrara Arabescato marble on the floor and on the walls which give the rooms great character, substance and grandeur. The shiny mirrored, silver-polished vanity units and shelves add a sense of elegance. Top-end bathroom fixtures and accessories by Dornbracht and Villeroy & Boch finish off the décor superbly well.

So, whatever takes your fancy – a top-notch cigar, Cognac, cocktail, intimate meal, celebratory Afternoon Tea or romantic stay in a suite (A-Gent of Style will happily settle for all of them. At the same time) – The Wellesley is the latest ultimate hideaway in London to ‘Chanel’ your inner Agatha Christie in stylish and tasteful surroundings.

A-Gent wishes Fox Linton Associates and The Wellesley good luck on November, 19 at the EHDA awards ceremony.