The Subtle Differences That Change a Design

I've mentioned before how the design and style of a building's lobby will often be a springboard for the style I'll adopt inside the apartment as well.

This impressive, simple yet sophisticated entrance to the Hakordan buildings gave me the inspiration that surged me forward.

The front entrance

As soon as you swing open the front door you notice an almost-replica of the lobby: wooden elements contrasted with sophisticated black trimming and black track lighting.

I took the fluted wooden panels along the ceiling to lead your eye upward. A compact, neat grey single drawer holds keys, sunglasses and grab-bits as you leave, and also serves as a surface for the contrasting black and white earthen vases. We wanted visitors drawn in by a tastefully designed entrance despite it being small.

We needed a moment of pause after entering, so the front hall closet continues the high-gloss grey theme, bordered with bevelled mirrored accents.

Turning a bug into a feature

Around the corner I reintroduced the American walnut grooved panelling into a niche. Originally it was just an oddly shaped wall, where the protrusion was probably housing the main cables running through the building.

So here's how I changed a bug into a feature: wallpapering the protrusion with an exotic marble paper, coordinating the dazzling effect of the wood against the marble and then adjacent to the neat three-dimensional wall design. After I courageously forged ahead with my gut feeling, I was absolutely thrilled with the outcome.

The apartment next door: similar yet different

Let's revisit the apartment I styled alongside it and see how the two are so similar yet different.

This one had the exact same irregular wall. But because this apartment had a dominant countertop, I didn't want to introduce yet another element, so I continued with the black instead.

The kitchen was installed before I took on the project. I wanted to break up the upper units of solid dark grey/black, so I created two display cabinets by installing inner wall cladding with effective lighting and coloured grey glass doors. I also had the area under the island fitted with the same black grooved panelling, to give that upscale, custom look.

Take a peek outside and you'll see a similar weather-proven panelling on the porch wall, with hidden lighting that shows up at night.

Design at any stage

At CID Design we help clients design and create spaces at any stage of the building process, taking into consideration what already exists. The styling and designing is not only to look great and function well, but to feel uniquely theirs — approachable design that gives you that "this is home" feeling day to day.

An amazing interior doesn't happen without spending some money. But we know where to invest and where to pull back. It's all about balance. We keep things inspirational but real-world too: we don't design museums, specify oddball furniture you can't sit on, or push our style onto you. You can be completely involved in the journey, or take a back seat and let us drive.