East London Townhouse

London-based interior design and visual branding studio PL Studio has unveiled the interiors of a three-storey townhouse in East London. The creative duo, with Italian and French roots but based in South London, was appointed by a colour-loving couple to transform a sterile and soulless new-build townhouse in Forest Gate into a warm, kaleidoscopic and characterful home.

Having been recently completed and part of a new development, the townhouse was composed of a series of light grey square rooms that felt a ‘clinical’ and were lacking personality; the homeowners reached out to the creative couple to give life to their vision and help them create a welcoming, bold and colourful home, suitable for hosting friends and family, as well as spend many evening and weekends chilling at home with their lively puppy.

Sabrina Panizza and Aude Lerin, founders of PL Studio, commented: “Although we admired the architecture and loved how the townhouse was beautifully filled with natural light, we felt that overall, the property was lacking character and positivity; we wanted to create a home that reflected our clients’ personalities and joyful spirit, a home filled with positive energy.”

The duo’s response to the brief was a design packed with punch, colour and confidence. The starting point was a trip to Marrakech that the homeowners had recently taken; they came back to London with a desire to feel the warmth of the magical Moroccan atmosphere, seduced by the captivating shade of the electric cobalt blue, now known as Majorelle blue.

Embracing this intense yet fresh shade of blue, Pl Studio created a wow-worthy Moroccan-inspired entryway, with references to one of the most famous gardens in the world, the Jardin Majorelle. This vibrant Mediterranean colour palette, composed of cobalt blue, sunny yellow, and different shades of greens, combined with pink hues, instils warmth and joy into the entrance room. In the evening, the Tom Dixon Etch pendant light casts an intricate set of shadows thanks to the finely pierced flat metal sheets. Arches and geometric shapes have been painted on the walls to evoke a magical atmosphere and introduce the surreal mood of the ground floor room.

The entryway leads on to the studio/psychologist cabinet; this room, used by one of the two homeowners to welcome and work with his clients, needed to be an inviting and soothing space, one that made patients feel relaxed and cocooned, but also encouraged to ‘let go’ and free up their minds. The designers added surrealist touches such as the low table, and opted for a trompe-l'œil ceiling, featuring a soothing blue sky with clouds, which provides a dreamy atmosphere. Wall panelling was also added to bring warmth to the space.

Journeying from floor to floor, guests are accompanied by the Majorelle blue, which connects all spaces and becomes the ‘fil rouge’ of the townhouse. On the first floor, the principal bedroom is bathed with three different shades of green and features geometric shapes and black lines; black and white geometric patterns and stripes, combined with the punchy pink of the artwork, instil a whimsical atmosphere; the space is complemented by a bespoke archway leading to the walk-in wardrobe and featuring an iridescent sheer curtain.

Sabrina Panizza and Aude Lerin commented: “It takes a brave couple to embrace so much colour! Our clients didn’t have a clear idea of what they wanted, but they had a strong desire to be surrounded by pieces of art, colours and objects that would give them good energy, which is so powerful. They were not afraid of mixing different shades and colour combinations, so we went for bright, bold, and fearless!”

Next door, the guestroom is a joyful yet calming space, with a striped, green ceiling that adds a fun touch and creates an interesting contrast with the more natural look of the canework wardrobes and Moroccan rug.

The second floor is a large open space dedicated to the living areas; here PL Studio designed a playful contemporary version of the traditional wall panelling, with rectangular shapes featuring on the wall behind the dining table. The bright orange, cobalt blue and blush pink enliven the space and evoke a cheerful atmosphere, perfect to entertain family and friends.

The wall design has also been used to create a visual division between the dining room and the kitchen space; the inverted electric mint green and white, connected by a pink stripe running along the open space, provide clearly defined spaces that still look cohesive and flow into each other.

The living room is an inviting space featuring vintage furniture pieces, as well as a Berber rug and a pastel pink sofa, which complements the Pluck kitchen and its sophisticated Ruskin Blossom pink cabinets. 

With a passion for bold designs and a keen eye for colours, PL Studio instilled life and positivity into a space that needed a soul; willing to always create an element surprise, the designers played with the ‘unexpected’, resulting in a one-of-a-kind home.

Photography Credits:

·       Photographer 1: Taran Wilkhu

·       Photographer 2: Aude Lerin

Photographer Website:

·       Photographer 1: https://www.taranwilkhu.com/

·       Photographer 2: https://www.audelerin.co.uk/

 E-mail of Photographer:

·       Photographer 1: [email protected]

·       Photographer 2: [email protected]

Brands / Products

PAINT COLOURS

Entrance & arches on the stairs 

Graham & Brown - Kimono 
 

Studio / cabinet 

Rebel Walls wallpaper 
Farrow & Ball Nancy’s Blushes 
Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster 
 

Principal bedroom 

Lick Green 13 Matt 
Lick Green 16 Matt 
Lick Green 07 Matt 
 

Guest room 

Graham & Brown Stirling Green
 

Living area

Graham & Brown Stirling Green
Farrow & Ball Nancy’s Blushes 
Graham & Brown Brazil 
Bristol Paint Ultramarine Blue
 

ENTRANCE

·       Rug - Beni Rugs

·       Lounge chair - Six The Residence

·       Bench – Zara Home

·       Console table and magazine rack – La Redoute

·       Pink low table – MADE

·       Pendant light – Tom Dixon

·       Floor lamp – Houseof

·       Marshmallow twisty stool - &Klevering

CABINET/OFFICE

·       Sofa – belonged to the owners  

·       Desk - MADE

·       Pendant light – Nevo Pendant Light by Heal’s

·       Glass coffee table in a - second-hand piece

PRINCIPAL BEDROOM

·       Blue bedding - The Conran Shop

·       Artwork - PSTR Studio

·       White lamp – H&M home

·       Arch mirror – MADE

GUEST ROOM

·       Wardrobes – MADE

·       Side table - H&M Home

·       Sofa bed – Urban Outfitters

·       Rug – bought in Marrakech

LIVING AND DINING ROOM

·       Dining table – bespoke

·       Mismatched chairs – Anthropologie and owners’

·       Sofa – Swoon Editions

·       Rug – MADE

·       Terrazzo coffee table and side table - Urban Outifitters

·       Rocking chair – nkuku

·       Dining room ceiling lamp – Owners’

KITCHEN

·       Pluck kitchens