Pia Design Showcases the Transformative Power of Bold, Joyful Residential Design

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a vibrant apartment design by 2025 SBID Awards Finalist, Pia Design.

Pia Design was commissioned to add personality and fun to a blank canvas apartment, a recently converted former post-office sorting building. The client was keen to think sustainably and not rip out any fixtures or fittings unnecessarily, and to mix and match new and vintage pieces. Through thoughtful design choices and a commitment to the client’s vision, the Garden House project radiates colour and personality, turning a white box apartment into a vibrant and welcoming home.

What was the client’s brief?

Our client wanted to transform a blank-slate, newly converted apartment in Islington into a vibrant home that truly reflects their personality. The brief called for warm, joyful colours – particularly pink and yellow – and challenged us to weave those playful tones throughout the space to create a cohesive, spirited sanctuary in the heart of London.

What inspired the design of the project?

The project was inspired by the client’s passion for colour – especially bold, cheerful hues – and our desire to craft a lively, creative atmosphere. We embraced floral wallpapers and expressive prints to wrap each room in joyful energy. Custom details – like a scallop-edged wall to wall headboard in boucle with pink velvet piping, vibrant bespoke vanity units and a playful trolley island with a scallop edge trim and brass castor wheels – brought personality and flair to the home. These pieces, combined with vintage finds and thoughtful layering, transformed the newly built ‘white box’ into a warm, lived-in haven.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

I am pleased to say this was quite a smooth-sailing project! However, one of the challenges was around the architecture of the space – with the many tall / narrow windows, there was not a lot of wall space, so the layout was tricky to resolve – particularly where to place the TV so that it didn’t produce glare. We resolved this with custom pink velvet curtains that could be drawn behind the TV when the light was too bright.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Our favourite moments were around the bespoke elements – the scallop-edged, upholstered headboard against the vibrant pink Woodchip and Magnolia wallpaper, and the impact of the bespoke kitchen island trolley on castors, the pink scallop trim contrasting against the monochrome of the existing kitchen. It was a joy to see so much colour injected into what was such a blank canvas apartment to begin with.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We decided to enter the SBID Awards to showcase the transformative power of bold, joyful residential design – and to celebrate how contemporary, sustainable interiors can be both fresh and expressive. Garden House exemplifies our believe in spaces that are authentic, personal and enduring, that come together through respect for the existing architecture and fittings, and how creative ingenuity can breathe new life into the old – and save landfill waste in the process.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

This is our third-year running being named a finalist so we are very proud to be shortlisted again! Being named a finalist affirms our commitment to creating interiors with personality and purpose. It’s a wonderful validation of our design philosophy and for our team, it’s both an honour and a boost of confidence, reinforcing our direction and inspiring us to continue to create sustainable design projects.

Questions answered by Pia Pelkonen, Creative Director at Pia Design.