A Retreat in the City

After many years as a rental property, this compact Maida Vale flat was ready for a new chapter. With its owners now looking to use it as a London pied-à-terre, the brief was to completely rethink the interior, transforming a tired one-bedroom flat into a comfortable, characterful retreat that would feel distinctly their own.

MALT redesigned the flat throughout, with a new kitchen and bathroom, custom-designed storage, refinished timber floors and a complete scheme of furniture, finishes and window treatments. Warm walnut, soft blue-green tones and natural textures create a calm, cohesive backdrop, with subtle references to the owners’ connection with Japan adding a personal layer to the design. Lighting was carefully considered throughout: replacing the original reliance on downlights with a layered scheme that provides plenty of bright, practical light when needed, alongside softer, more intimate lighting for the evenings.

The result is a considered and welcoming pied-à-terre that makes the most of every inch. Calm, comfortable and quietly individual, it has been transformed from a long-standing rental into a personal retreat designed around this next chapter in its owners’ lives.