apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Keegan's Balance of New & Old
House Call

Name: Keegan
Location: Hackney neighborhood of London, England

This is my Victorian 1 bedroom converted apartment on the edge of a park in Hackney, London. Moving into my apartment presented many space issues. I was renting a much larger property prior, so I had to find unique ways to store and display my things with the flat feeling cluttered.

 
 

I decided to renovate the property with a clean, modern fitted kitchen and bathroom, and then to decorate it with antique and vintage pieces I've collected over the years to give the apartment a good balance of new and old. As a collector of musical instruments and art, I kept the walls bright white, with gallery appeal, to display them. I also hung my bicycle in my bedroom and used a clothes rail instead of a bulky clothes chest. I have under bed storage for clothes as well.

I chose a WW1 trunk to use as a coffee table and to double as storage. I built in the chunky shelving myself which provides great floor to ceiling display space. I built it around my radiator to conceal is slightly. My breakfast table folds on either side to save space when not in use.

My bathroom floor is engineered bamboo — very resilient in the wet and provides great warmth in the winter. The rest of the apartment floor is engineered oak. I also chose a wooden butchers worktop in the kitchen. More wood, less stone.

Green, red and white are the 3 dominant colors. Green breathes life in the apartment, the red warmth and the white gives a perception of space and calm.

Thanks, Keegan!


• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.

Tags

House Tours, collection, renovation, London

Related Links

Share

Comments (18)

i really like this place. it is comfortable and light and doesn't feel designed within an inch of it's life. i've lived in london and this is the perfect anti-dote to all the rain and dark stuffy interiors. great job!

posted by davidsl on November 3rd 2009 at 3:56pm
view davidsl's profile

LOVE the blue door!

posted by MisaL on November 3rd 2009 at 3:57pm
view MisaL's profile

Really nicely done. Love the colors, the accents and the overall look. I'd just lower that mirror over the sofa about 12 inches (or however many centimeters that is) =>

posted by queenbee1230 on November 3rd 2009 at 4:08pm
view queenbee1230's profile

i'd like to see more

posted by sunan on November 3rd 2009 at 4:18pm
view sunan's profile

You can always tell when someone doesn't live in california... Seeing things on shelves above the bed instinctively makes me cringe! But I love the place....

posted by spiralcma on November 3rd 2009 at 4:47pm
view spiralcma's profile

Lovely! Great job. I also would love to see more of it.

posted by carrefour_ny on November 3rd 2009 at 5:51pm
view carrefour_ny's profile

I love this!
Is that an Interpol record by the television?

posted by andee1 on November 3rd 2009 at 5:52pm
view andee1's profile

I had the exact same impression as Queenbee.
And could not figure out if that was a mod microwave or TV, as it looks like a kitchen to me for some reason.
Nicely done, thanks for sharing.

posted by sassydo on November 3rd 2009 at 6:05pm
view sassydo's profile

I'd love to see what you did with your kitchen.

posted by ngnerd on November 3rd 2009 at 8:34pm
view ngnerd's profile

a diagonal toilet? very cool. love the animal skin rugs too.

posted by thorndale on November 4th 2009 at 3:54am
view thorndale's profile

@ Andee1 - Yes, it's Interpol - Antics
@Sassydo - It's a mounted television. The kitchen and living area are combined. London living... :)

Thanks for the comments.

posted by Keegan on November 4th 2009 at 9:34am
view Keegan's profile

I really like this. It's very neat and still has a lot of personality/livability.

posted by SonicPersephone on November 4th 2009 at 4:08pm
view SonicPersephone's profile

Love the loo!

posted by kake on November 5th 2009 at 2:05am
view kake's profile

that tub/shower is amazing... yes, a house tour here would be great...

posted by megs22 on November 7th 2009 at 3:38pm
view megs22's profile

Very, very nice. May we see more? I have a rental and have resisted changing the white walls. This is inspiring

posted by hippyvieja on November 7th 2009 at 8:05pm
view hippyvieja's profile

very nice! is that storage under the bed? if so where did you get it. i have very little storage and i have been looking for ideas.

posted by raevyn1980 on November 8th 2009 at 3:35pm
view raevyn1980's profile

@Raevyn1980 - Storage and bed from Warren Evans in London.

posted by Keegan on November 9th 2009 at 8:08am
view Keegan's profile

Ooh this is really lovely. I love the living room especially. Love the trunk, sofa, and the beautiful rug. I love how it feels cozy and comfortable but not at all cramped, and the mix of modern and old is beautiful. This is a house tour where I'd really be comfortable living there. Great job!

posted by livc on December 2nd 2009 at 1:08am
view livc's profile