How to Design a Beautiful British Interior with Charu Gandhi

The first step for Elicyon when designing their OWO Raffles Residences project was to understand the history and heritage of the building. The stories of the architecture and its residents laid the foundation upon which to celebrate these memories.

She shares the story behind the inspiration for this remarkable project. “Everything from the architecture of the building, it's an Edwardian building, and then this incredible history, it's the old war office. There was in fact, we discovered a really amazing legacy where messages during the war were passed through an internal concealed pipe system where you would roll up paper with the message and you would pass it through the system. That reference, as you'll see, comes through where we put a lot of art which is on paper rather than photographic art or art on canvas.”

Blend your English interior with patterns and print from lands far and wide to create a sense of contrast in your scheme. Gandhi explains how a precious kilim rug gives the dining room of The OWO Raffles Residences project an added layer of grandeur and charm.

“The centrepiece in this space, of course, is this amazing kilim, which is a rug. And it's a Suzani Afghan kilim, hand-woven, hand-knotted with natural dyes. We sourced it, and we actually then turned it into an artwork. So we added the loops on the top and we added this very British hanging rail, which I think is beautifully finished and it sort of looks like it belongs there.”

Elicyon’s design establishes a wonderful sense of escape as it flows from one room to the next. By mirroring elements like lighting or accessories in different spaces, the interior feels more coherent and considered.

“I think repeat is not a negative in a property. It creates a sequence and harmony and connects spaces. But of course, you don't repeat everything, but certain signifiers and indicators tell you there's a connection.”

Artwork is an essential ingredient in building a British interior. Look to introduce more traditional options like this detailed tapestry that adorns the bedroom of The OWO Raffles Residences.

“We've got a reimagined tapestry, and what I really like about the tapestry is the view, the sort of long view to a landscape. I think that's quite nice to look at in an urban setting, to bring you a little bit inwards and a cocoon.”

A quintessential ingredient in your modern heritage home is a sense of warmth and welcome. Opting for soft fabrics in soothing tones not only creates a grounding for more patterned accents but also encourages feelings of calm. Gandhi comments on the sense of escape they wanted to create in The OWO Raffles Residences.

“It is in the heart of London and I think this feeling that we wanted to create was of a place that's quite quiet, quite calm and brings in lots of references to the natural world.”

"This isn't the end of the journey for this property. You're seeing it at a particular instant in its evolution and it'll continue to evolve as the person who occupies it adds more pieces, adds more objects from their travels but we have the privilege of marking it at this moment in time."

Read our Behind the Design with Charu Gandhi: The OWO Raffles Residence article to take a closer look at Elicyon's renovation of The Old War Office.