This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a timeless and elegant apartment design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, Angel O'Donnell.
Angel O’Donnell was tasked with interior designing an apartment inside The OWO Residences by Raffles. Once home to Britain’s military HQ under Churchill’s premiership, this neo-baroque Grade II* listed gem boasts a fine pedigree. Even so, their client was keen to eschew shouty emblems of luxury in favour of a quietly assured scheme that would appeal to a discerning, globe-trotting buyer. So the team set to work creating a warm and welcoming home – where craftsmanship, pin-sharp detailing, expert art curation and comfort work in concert with each other.
SBID Awards Category: Show Flats & Developments
Practice: Angel O'Donnell
Project: The OWO Residences by Raffles
Location: London, United Kingdom
It was a gem of a brief borne out of several brainstorms with The OWO’s Design Director and wider sales team. Eventually we landed on, ‘A sanctuary in the heart of London. Understated yet beautifully crafted. A home from home for citizens of the world.’ The words ‘sanctuary’ and ‘home from home’ resonated with us. There’s an intimate, sort of cosy romance to this language, which conjured images of four-poster beds, elegant glass pendants, embroidered fabrics, and large, deep-seated furniture to luxuriate in. It’s one of the freshest, most single-minded briefs we’ve ever worked on.
The building’s architecture inspired many choices. It’s quite the melting pot: Scottish architects, Edwardian construction, in a baroque style belonging to 17th century Europe. So we thought it would be fun to add our own heady mix of influences – everything from an Arabesque rug to cocktail chairs upholstered in Florentine bargello fabric to a Renaissance-inspired painting by a Columbian-born artist. What better way to appeal to a global audience?
Comfort was the other big design influence. Plush-velvet sofas, Savoir Beds, classic English silhouettes – designs that are timeless and elegant while at the same time robust enough to jump on and nestle into.
It’s all too easy to get swept up in the mythology of a building, especially one as grand as The OWO. This is where Churchill commanded the British armed forces, T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) compiled maps of foreign territories, and Ian Fleming dreamt up James Bond. A pedigree this fine could have easily muddled our thinking. But we kept our cool, exercised restraint, and wheedled out anything that evoked the building’s past too thirstily. This involved a lot of editing. Patterns, colourways, fabric choices, artwork, lighting, furniture, even bead mouldings for the walls – it was all scrutinised. The more we cut, tweaked, polished and developed, the more effortlessly designed and curated everything appeared. Sometimes, the things that can trip you up give you that extra drive and focus.
Getting to work with so many amazing talents was the most creatively stimulating and happy-making highlight of all. Dairo Vargas, the dizzyingly gifted artist whose brilliant colours and bravura brushwork created one of our all-time favourite paintings in the living room. Georgia Stoneman, our trusted art curator and friend, who spent months helping us to compile a serious collection of works spanning multiple decades and medias. Dan Green, Fabrili and CM Upholstery who executed our furniture and joinery designs to perfection. Then, of course, all the Great British brands like Savoir Beds, Porta Romana, George Smith and Tom Faulkner, whose creations elevated our schemes to new heights.
We’ve entered the SBID awards because we’re proud to be SBID accredited, happy to number among its global community, and supportive of its tireless quest to protect, nurture and champion talent without bias.
Being a finalist means the world to us because it involves so many people. Clients, suppliers, craftspeople, tradespeople, artists, gallerists, plant specialists, storage and installation experts – everyone who got us over the finish line owns a slice of this achievement. And from a PR perspective, it’s always fun to have awards news to talk about in social media and pitch presentations. It gives you licence to show off in a kind way. It’s the cherry on a very well-decorated cake.
Questions answered by Ed O’Donnell, Co-Founder & Creative Director at Angel O’Donnell.
We hope you feel inspired by this week's design!
If you missed the last instalment of Project of the Week, featuring an immersive retail design by External Reference, click here to read it.
Angel O'Donnell were asked to interior design a penthouse and sub-penthouse inside One St. John’s Wood, a new luxury development in NW8. Both residences enjoy the rarest of London views: big skies, treetops as far as the eye can see, golden sunrises, showstopping sunsets and, of course, the legendary Lord’s Cricket Ground.
This happy blend of nature and iconic architecture inspired many choices – from hand-drawn floral motifs to sculptural furniture and geometric patterns. Each apartment, while different, feels part of an exclusive collection, something our client was keen to achieve.
The rippling bronze coffee table base. The oscillating lines on the rug that resemble light-dappled water. The dimpled vase. The curled wooden bowl. Even the folds and twisted leather piping on the cushions. These fluid and irregular shapes balance the clean-lined simplicity of the joinery.
While the sofa Angel O'Donnell designed – with its walnut plinth base and mix of textured linen and multi-yarn weaves – is low-slung to maximise the views outside.
The designers upholstered these two Vladimir Kagan armchairs in a soft Edelman leather. They love their shape, like the flukes of a whale’s tail emerging from the watery deep.
Arranging shapes, textures and colours is a way of forging relationships between seemingly disparate objects. It could be a conical lampshade paired with a pyramidal sculpture. Or a set of mixed-media collages that share tonal similarities with wood, brass and marble finishes. By selecting pieces with commonalities, the team brought an unsuspecting corner of the living room to life.
Striped cushions of multi-coloured linen yarns. Stone-washed cushions with handmade leather straps. And a superabundance of pillows and throws. It’s what every bedroom deserves.
Artwork depicting Singapore’s Garden City – with its intersecting lines and architectural supertrees – complement the elliptical shapes and parallel lines elsewhere in the room.
Against the cool calm of the white cotton sheets, dove-grey headboard and evergreen cushions, sit two bold fabrics inspired by Native American iconography. The mix of print and embroidery, geometric motifs and bright colours invigorate the warm neutrals in the scheme.
The flourishing mural of large leaves, delicate pods and long grasses has been hand drawn and printed onto panels. The design is exuberant and life-affirming – and a pleasing counterpoint to the measured fumed oak side tables, and cushions with their neat arrangement of teal, mint and ochre circles and crescents.
The large bronze table lamp resembles a Stonehenge monolith. Its substantial frame provides a visual backbone to the mix of soft, plump and lean shapes in the room. Whether it’s the reassuringly rounded profile of the Marenco sofa or the shiny accents of the glamorous Hollywood Regency coffee table – there’s plenty to savour.
Like Disney’s Pixar lamp, our thin-stemmed floor light has an animated quality. As it leans over the two bespoke lounge chairs, its posture appears inquisitive. Its reflective copper shade mirrors the gleam of the coffee table. While its angled rod echoes the diagonals in the wool, mohair and alpaca fabric of the chairs.
The glass- and ash-wood table was designed in-house. The base, which pays homage to miyadaiku Japanese carpentry, is cunningly simple. No bolts or nails. Just five interlocking pieces of wood that form a top with four triangular legs. It looks architectural, skeletal even. The precision of the half lap joints combined with the drama of the scorched wood are beautiful to behold.
Structural forms and materials continue to flourish throughout the apartment. In particular, the Roman-like arches of the headboard and the ziggurat-inspired shape of the lamps. These speak to the riot of architectural genres found in the neighbouring Lord’s Cricket Ground. We especially love how the lamps’ teeth look wincingly sharp against the smooth, burgundy velvet.
In the same bedroom, vintage drawers painted a pale buttercup, a flower-like wall light and an impressionist landscape create a bucolic scene. It’s a surprising contrast to the industrial-looking lamps diagonally opposite. And that’s what St. John’s Wood is all about: village sensibility mingled with a little raw-edged urban style.
A dark, moss velvet headboard further endears us to nature. So, too, do the opal-glass wall lamps and chunky hand-knotted throw. There’s a soft, rounded wholesomeness to these pieces, which is gently counterpointed by the geometric patterns of the cushions, and sharp detailing of the art deco bedsides.
A large piece of art – coppery, elemental, strong – provides a striking focal point in a room filled with houndstooth and lightly stippled pear-hued cushions, linen and lambswool throws, and pale grey upholstered walls.
Just as nature ages, the pleated brass pendant lights will patina over time and develop some of the dark, rich tones present in the artwork.
Photo credit: Taran Wilkhu
About Angel O'Donnell
Since launching our London interior design studio in 2018, Angel O’Donnell has won a variety of international awards – both for our designs and for our outstanding client-focused work ethic. Our portfolio features a diverse mix of projects – from Deco-inspired penthouses and traditional country retreats to contemporary Greek villas, modular student accommodation and luxury show apartments in multi-unit developments, including the rapidly popular Build to Rent sector. And that’s what we’re all about: creating an assortment of styles that elevate, enhance and embolden every project we do. There’s no signature look. Just exquisite design and impeccable quality.
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Richard Angel, founder and managing director of SBID Accredited Design Practice, Angel O’Donnell reveals his unique perspective on managing an interior design studio. After making an award-winning comeback following a period of redundancy, he launched his own practice with co-founder and interior designer, Ed O'Donnell.
What is your current job?
I’m founder and managing director of Angel O’Donnell, a London based design house that I founded with Ed O’Donnell in October 2018. My role is the business generator, together with the overall running and strategy that we adopt as a studio. As the initial customer point of contact for AOD, my role is incredibly client facing and whilst Ed takes over the client management once a project is in the studio, I really like to maintain the interface with our clients at all times, even if that is for a coffee and a chat to check in and see how things are!
What is your background and how did you get into interior design?
I started life as a chartered surveyor but have always loved the creative industry. I was previously working for a major developer in London when I was asked to join an interior studio, whom I was a client of, and who were in the process of selling their business. The Private Equity buyers wanted to increase the firm’s presence in London and so were really looking for someone to spearhead that expansion. I joined as London MD which is where I met Ed and we got on fantastically well, and realised that our mindset was very much alike!
However, in April 2018, I was made redundant and after some soul searching and a lot of research, realised that I could offer a better, more commercially astute service within a crowded market - but needed a phenomenal designer to compliment my skillset. I approached Ed and in October 2018 the doors were open for business and we won our first commissions shortly thereafter. Then in October 2019, on our 1st anniversary, we won our award from the SBID International Design Awards. To be recognised globally by the industry professional body, with a hugely respected judging panel, as being one of the best at what we do, was a huge accolade and somewhat humbling, especially when we were up against competition from some of the industry greats internationally.
Describe an average day in your job role..
Well it’s slightly different now compared to prior to Covid-19. Before lockdown, it was always an early start! I like to kick start the day with a spin class or gym session, and then I’m on the train to make the commute from my cottage in West Sussex into our office in Soho. This is when I’m able to plough through my paperwork and emails that have come in overnight, together with catching up on my diary and to-do list! Once in London, I grab my regular flat white from Grind on Beak Street and have a catch up with Ed on projects, what’s happening and when, together with a creative review of designs that are in hand. From 12pm onwards, I’m out of the office, meeting new clients, catching up with existing ones and generating new business. Often, I’ll meet up with an old contact in the property industry for a light lunch. I tend to work a long day and will attend an evening event at least 3 times a week in London, networking or learning. I’m a member of Soho House and they put on some great professional talks which I find so interesting and inspiring, they’re not necessarily design related but do challenge the way I think!
However, since March my daily routine has changed somewhat! Now, it starts with a Joe Wicks exercise routine at 9am with my kids, catch up with Ed over Teams (which thankfully we’ve been using for about 18 months now so there is little change), updating our live blog (www.angelodonnell.com/blog) and then dealing with the tasks for the day, partaking in a number of webinars and coupled with some maths and English tutorials!! Quite a balancing act!!
We’ve had a big drive on social media recently, where we’ve been wanting to put our skills to use helping others, which has led to our ‘Wednesday Wisdom’ series on Instagram’s IGTV. The response to that has been great, helping our followers with a number of the burning design issues that they’ve been wanting to deal with, especially now that they’re spending so much time at home! I always, always finish each day with exercise and yoga or meditation, it’s so good to clear the mind and stay physically and mentally fit.
Lockdown has been an incredibly busy period for me, other than Angel O’Donnell, I co-own a hotel in Surrey which was obviously forced to shut, so that has been challenge unfortunately having to deal with the furloughing of all the staff and navigating a path in uncertain times. However, I always recognised that the hotel was not fit for purpose in its current form, even prior to the pandemic, and thankfully during lockdown, I’ve secured planning to convert part of the hotel into 18 residential units and another part that’s Grade II listed into a boutique restaurant with 12 bedrooms, which I have confidence will no doubt be hugely attractive in the future as we see an uptake in the ‘stay-cation’ market.
Which elements of your profession do you enjoy the most and/or find the most rewarding?
I love the excitement of bringing on a new client and turning an idea or a dream into a reality! I love people and being able to surround myself with great colleagues, and amazing clients is a dream! Many of our clients worry about not having the vision or are sometimes embarrassed to express their taste and style ideas and it’s incredibly rewarding when we’re able to find the thread that inspires them and to pull that into a design.
Furthermore, I love the creativity and drive of entrepreneurship, thinking of new ideas, testing them and making them happen! I’m so lucky to have Ed as a business partner, we get on fantastically and have completely complimentary skills, which makes for a brilliant fit and is incredibly rewarding!
Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?
Yes!!! We’ve just finished the tallest Build-to-Rent building in London for Canary Wharf Group, designing all their front of house and communal areas and the results are fantastic! We’re also on site on our second project for a particular client in Fitzrovia, having completed his first home in the summer of 2019 which he wanted to refurbish to sell. He’s now down-sizing into what will be the most fabulous pied-a-terre, so it’s great now bringing that to reality!
I’m also a little proud that Ed and I have managed to pitch for the work, secure the contract and design the most fabulous penthouse in a tower on the banks of the Thames in London, doing so entirely remotely during lockdown! This really will be the most phenomenal apartment and I can’t say much at this stage, other than it has a vast roof terrace with spectacular views of London, and we have plans for a sunken, outdoor lounge and a hot tub, it will be a pretty special place to sip champagne from when complete!!
What do you find the most challenging aspects of your job?
Lack of time!! Time is such a precious commodity and being a still relatively new business, it’s still very much Ed and I doing everything which is great on the one hand but means I’m working incredibly long hours on the other!! Nick Jenkins, founder of MoonPig, talks about working smart and not hard and I’m trying to embrace that, employing others where I can so I can delegate and really using technology to help make my life easier but it also takes time to know what tech is best to suit our needs and then learning how to use it!
More recently, it’s been lack of human, physical interaction when trying to develop business but we’ve secured two jobs during lockdown, which whilst they’ve been a challenge, they have also been the most rewarding, as we’ve really had to think creatively in how to secure the work.
What do you wish you knew before working in the field?
The secret to fee scales and how best to charge clients! If I knew that, then I’d be winning all the work I pitch for!!
What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?
Tenacity is critical. Learn your craft, have the strength of your convictions, and don’t take no for an answer, and success will follow. There is also no such word as can’t!!
To those that are reading this, I would say that the coming months, and possibly years, are going to be very difficult for many both in and out of the industry. Sadly, we will see a lot of redundancies and many businesses will not survive. However, for those that can show tenacity, resilience, and an incredible work ethic in the face of adversity, they will come out stronger than ever. It was only two years ago that I was made redundant; I had huge concerns as to how I was going to cope financially and what the future had in store for me but I spent time thinking about how to create a business and drive success, 18 months later I was celebrating my win at the SBID 2019 Awards! You just need to believe in yourself!
What has been your favourite project to work on?
That is a tricky question, as they have all been great, with different challenges along the way but with fantastic results! However, if I had to choose one, it would be The Atlas Building penthouse in Shoreditch. The client had high expectations but was a dream to work for, we loved the collaboration between ourselves and our client, and the result was incredible!
What do you think is the biggest problem the interior design industry faces?
I think it needs to be recognised as a professional body, much the same as RIBA or RICS for architects and surveyors alike. Furthermore, is the issue with fees, it’s been spoken about numerous times at SBID events and in the wider press on fees not being paid and the challenges being faced, particularly around the final payment. There are now several online escrow account businesses, where provided there are cast iron terms of business between the client and the customer, monies can be held in escrow before a payment is due or a dispute arises.
Who do you admire the most in the industry and why?
I really admire those that are multi-faceted in their business interests, the likes of Kit Kemp being both interior designer and hotel owner, Chloe Macintosh for her work on Made.com and then creativity at Soho House, and in the same vain Vicky Charles for the Soho House ‘look’ she has been so fundamental in achieving and that people want to emanate, and of course my friend Edo Mapelli Mozzi who has created both a successful design studio and real estate development business.
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This week's instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a contemporary loft apartment situated above the famous Soho Theatre. Angel O'Donnell redesigned and reconfigured this central London duplex apartment on behalf of a private client. The apartment, which spans 1750 sq ft across two floors, boasts a generous open plan living and entertainment space with a spacious kitchen centred around an island and a large, yet cosy living room providing the perfect place to relax above the hustle and bustle of Soho. The show stopping centrepiece of the space is an 20 ft tall retractable roof which can be pulled back almost entirely, opening the room up and flooding it with natural light, creating a sense of inside/outside living.
Project: Soho Loft Apartment
What was the client's brief?
The client hadn’t touched the property for 15 years and needed to bring it up to date before putting it on the market. They wanted a fresh looking scheme that reflected the location of the apartment and were concerned that the apartment lacked proper zoning – currently arranged as a totally open plan, one bedroom, totalling 1750sqt - they wanted our help to maximise the cost per sq ft.
What inspired the interior design of the project?
Soho provided us with a wealth of inspiration, from its architecture, nightlife, creativity and its unique blend of old and new that works so perfectly in this part of town. We took inspiration from nearby venues like Soho House Dean St which is directly opposite as well as of course the theatre downstairs. We don’t have a ‘house style’ as such, we prefer to take our lead from the properties we work with and the nearby surroundings to create an environment that we believe best suits each particular project.
To further enhance the feeling of bringing the outside in, we adopted an organic and natural colour palette in the living room with green, blue and turquoise hues. A dramatic feature wall was painted in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue and creates ambience at one end of the room, whilst bar stools in a forest green velvet provide a subtle reminder of Soho’s nightlife. An ivory coloured sofa is also decorated with a mix of cushions in Mulberry and Zinc textiles.
What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?
The toughest hurdle was how to turn the huge open plan space into something more commercially viable without breaking the bank & keeping that airy, light filled feeling. Our proposition was to build a wall across the original snug area, with sliding pocket doors. This created a separate room which was multi-functional; snug, study or second bedroom. We also advised the client to keep the kitchen and spiral staircase. These looked dated but by adding the dramatic dark paint colour behind them, gave them a new lease of life and made them look contemporary once again.
What was your team’s highlight of the project?
Really the highlight was the client’s reaction at the result. They were literally lost for words when they saw the transformation and even though we had created a second room in an open plan space they thought that the space felt bigger. They genuinely felt like this was the home they had been wanting to create for years. Hugs all round !
Questions answered by Ed O’Donnell and Richard Angel, founders of Angel O’Donnell
We hope you feel inspired by this week's Residential design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire
If you missed last week's Project of the Week featuring beautifully bespoke, authentic and consciously curated interiors for a boutique hotel in the mountains of Italy, click here to see more.
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