2019-06-01 Homes and Gardens

A

blankcanvas’is howinterior

designersBrittMoranand

EmilianoSalcidescribedDean

andDanCaten’snorthLondon

townhousewhentheyfirstembarkedupontheproject.

‘Itwasveryplain,sowehada lotofroomfor

creativity,’Brittrecalls.Identicaltwinbrothersand

foundersofinternationalfashionhouseDsquared2,

DeanandDanhadbeenrentinga houseinNotting

Hill,butwerekeentoputdownrootsintheiradopted

country.Theyfounda whitestucco-frontedGeorgian

townhousea stone’sthrowaway,inMaidaVale.

Thehousehada neutralyetfeminineinterior,

whichtheCatenswereeagertoupdatewiththeir

ownmoreadventurous,colourfultaste.Thetwins

summonedtheexpertiseofBrittandEmiliano,

foundersofMilan-basedinteriordesignfirm

DimoreStudio.‘Wehadreallyenjoyedworking

withthestudioonourrestaurant,Ceresio7, which

is ontheroofofourMilanheadquarters,’saysDean.

Andthesignatureinky-bluewallsoftheeateryis a

motifthathasbeenrepeatedintheLondonhouse.

Itsdesignjourneystartedwithanimaginary

storyline.‘Theideawastorecreatethetaleoftwo

worldtravellersandallthetreasurestheyhad

broughtbackfromthevariousplacesthey’dvisited,’

saysBritt.Anotherinfluencecamefromthe

orientalismDeanandDanhadseeninthestudio’s

SalonedelMobileinstallations,whichwaslater

translatedintothechinoiseriefoundindifferent

roomsinthetownhouse.Eagertopreservethe

traditionalidentityoftheproperty,thestudio

createda schemewherevintageandcontemporary

noteswouldbejuxtaposedinperfectharmony.

Boththestudioandthebrotherswerekeento

introducesomeelementsofsurprise.‘Wedidn’twant

aninteriorthatwouldlooktooorderly,asit canseem

contrived,’ says Dan. Instead, each room contains

detailsthatmayseemunexpected.‘Aninterior

needssomethingdisturbing,’addsDan.‘Itwould

lookboringif everythingwasinharmony,andthis

is anaestheticweusea lotinourowncollections.’

Thesecleverlydiscordantdetailspermeatethe

property,fromthelacqueredblushceilinginDean’s

bedroom,totheburnt-orangevelvetsofainthesnug.

A darkandsensualpaletteofblues,greensand

burgundyredspervadethehouse.Ina smallerspace,

thesebravecolourchoicesmightseemoppressive

buthere,amonggrandproportionsandlarge

windows,theyaddanintriguingdepth.Wallpanels

areusedinanelegant,moderntakeonthesymmetry

andordertheGeorgiansloved.Texturedwallpapers,

ofsilkinDan’sbedroomandbambooinDean’s,

areperfectlydisplayedinthisformat.Inthedining

room,metallicstakecentrestage,withbrassfrom

theslidingdoorsandsteeloftheRomeoRegachairs

pullingfocus.‘Setagainstamberglass,thedoors

offera smoothtransitionbetweenthehallwayand

atmosphericdiningroom,’saysBritt.A carefully

curatedmixtureofItalianmid-centuryfurniture

andlightfittingsaddcharismatotheirsurroundings.

Havingbeenestablishedinthehousefortwoyears,

thebrothersarepleasedwithhowtheinterioris

ageingaroundthem.‘Wewantedourhometobechic

butwithoutfeelinglikea showroom,’saysDan.‘We

didn’twantourgueststobeafraidtotouchthings

orsitdown.Themoreusethingsget,the more

authenticandcharmingtheylook.’

Withbothbrotherskeenonentertaining,thehouse

hasalreadyhostedplentyofparties.‘Theground

flooris perfectforbusyorintimategatherings,’

saysDan.Spillingoutintothegarden,guestsare

concealedfromonlookers.‘Welovehowprivateit is

here,withthegardenlowerthanstreetlevel,’says

Dean.Thisexclusivequalityundoubtedlycontributes

to a home that is as intriguing as it is beguiling.&

inspiRation