Chelsea, Cranmer Court Pied-a-Terre, Full Refurbishment

Our clients appointed us to fully refurbish this property set within a concierge managed Art Deco apartment block, right in the heart of Chelsea, London. Comprising of two adjoining reception rooms, a large kitchen, principal bedroom, second double bedroom, family bathroom and guest WC; we were tasked with breathing elegance and new life into all spaces.

Whilst Cranmer Court is recognised for its ‘soft’ Art Deco vernacular, the apartment itself had none of these features and was devoid of any real defining character. It had been evolved over the years by various owners, with one idea being planted on top of the other and so our start point was a hodgepodge of builders boxings and incongruous ideas that weren’t hanging together very well.

Our client was looking for us to transform it into an elegant home-from-home in London, fit to serve their family of four. Also core to the brief, was the fact that one of their sons was disabled and required assistance with moving about, so it would be necessary to fit a hand rail to the property. This project was our first opportunity to design for disability, and we set ourselves the task of designing a hand rail that doesn’t look like a hand rail.

This idea was taken forward keenly, and together with our suppliers and fitters we installed a handrail that is subtle, elegant and sturdy enough to take the weight of a young man. Getting this right brought much joy. It has also helped to hi-light to us just how much work there is still to be done on designing for those afflicted with the daily challenges of disability.

We were also required to work with the management body to ensure that all updates complied with the body corporate’s stipulations across all aspects of the renovation. We stripped out all superfluous boxing and then added it back where it was necessary, and in a way to establish balance and harmony. We introduced subtle Art Deco elements which helped to create character, and also, importantly, a sense of connection to place. We framed the windows, and made the most of the window dressings in order to celebrate the views granted from the apartment of the London skyline. We created a haven of calm and tranquility, set not too far away from the hustle and bustle of the King’s Road.

‘ Lindi Reynolds & Co came highly recommended to us for our Chelsea pied-à-terre renovation, and with our project now complete, we would heartily do the same. We engaged Lindi and her team from beginning to end, as our point of contact to manage all aspects of the project. Highly professional, creative and a pleasure to work with at all junctures. What was particularly impressive was the way that Lindi intuitively worked with our personal circumstance to deliver design solutions that we hadn’t dared to consider. The team delivered a handrail to the flat that is a thing of beauty. Most disability design solutions, work to hi-light the affliction they are dealing with, but in our flat the hand rail does not call our sons differences out. This is a great gift.

With Lindi Reynolds & Co the journey to the end result was a joyful one. The team went above and beyond to deliver an end product that addresses our brief and so much more. This project was a most pleasurable journey. Most importantly, perhaps, our flat is worth infinitely more to us on all levels now than it was at the beginning of the process.'

Mr and Mrs D