November 14th 2023.
Overwhelmed by aesthetic inspiration? This is how interior designer Francesca Johnson found the style that truly reflected her.
Taking on a major interior design project for the first time can be a daunting experience. And when you're trying to make it a one-off statement that reflects your passions, inner life, and most important relationship, it can be an even more formidable task.
But Francesca Johnson rose to the challenge and created a gloriously unique home in her two-bedroom apartment in an Edwardian conversion in the East Sussex coastal town of St Leonards-on-Sea.
The 1,033sq ft first-floor flat was filled with colour, art homages to the greats of literature and music, vintage chandeliers, delicate ceramics, and sensuous textures. They renovated, landscaped and decorated the flat on a budget of about £120,000.
The couple had moved to St Leonards-on-Sea from south London during the Covid lockdown of 2020, after visiting friends there many times and falling in love with the seaside location, creative community, and independent spirit. When they viewed the flat, they were smitten with the light streaming in through the huge south-facing windows in the high-ceilinged living room, and with the original features like the fireplaces, delicate cornicing, and ceiling panelling.
Completing on the property in August 2020, they stayed in a series of Airbnbs in St Leonards until their bathroom was completed. The bathroom was a vision of art deco-inspired glamour in forest-greens and golds. They flipped their original plans, opting for the kitchen and main living space to be at the front of the home to benefit from the south-facing light, taking inspiration from Parisian apartments and Brooklyn open-plan living.
Engineered oak parquet flooring was laid throughout the apartment, adding to the sense of cohesion. Francesca and Ben chose a palette of Little Greene and Farrow & Ball shades for the walls. Working full-time from home while project-managing the three-month build during lockdown was admittedly stressful. However, enlisting the kitchen design team at Howdens in Bexhill-on-Sea helped ease some of the strain.
Francesca found the interior design process to be a bit overwhelming at first. So she thought hard about the purpose of the home and how to make it reflect their personalities. She decided to design the scheme around a few key pieces that were meaningful to her and Ben. The pieces included ceramics, a 1970s photograph of David Bowie, a Concetta Gallo for Habitat bowl, and a sunshine-yellow front door.
Francesca and Ben had very similar tastes, and were aligned on most design decisions. Ben was also very helpful with the DIY. With his background knowledge and confidence, he was able to give Francesca a hand with the project.
Having loved the entire process, Francesca has now undertaken formal interior design training, and has launched her own business, The Concept in Curation. She now helps clients create progressive, considered interiors curated around loved items to build true emotional connection and reflect a sense of self.
Overwhelmed by aesthetic inspiration? Interior designer Francesca Johnson found the style that truly reflected her in an unexpected way.
Taking on her first major interior design project was a daunting experience, but Francesca was determined to make it a one-off aesthetic statement that reflected her passions, inner life, and most important relationship. Her two-bedroom apartment in an Edwardian conversion in St Leonards-on-Sea became her canvas.
The first Covid lockdown of 2020 prompted Francesca and her partner, Ben Shapland, to rethink their long-term lifestyle in south London, and the couple fell in love with the seaside location, creative community, and independent spirit of St Leonards.
On viewing their 1,033sq ft flat, they were smitten, despite the fact that it was simply a shell with no kitchen or bathroom, and needed complete rewiring and replumbing. Light was streaming in through the huge south-facing windows, and the original features were in wonderful condition.
Completing on the property in August 2020, they stayed in a series of Airbnbs in St Leonards while their bathroom was being made user-friendly. Opting to flip their original plans, the kitchen and main living space were put at the front of the home to benefit from the south-facing light.
Engineered oak parquet flooring was laid throughout the apartment, with a palette of Little Greene and Farrow & Ball shades on the walls. Francesca and Ben enlisted the kitchen design team at Howdens in Bexhill-on-Sea to create a dreamy room with floor-to-ceiling duck-egg blue cabinetry and white marble-effect quartz-stone worktops.
Designing a cohesive interior design scheme proved to be the most testing part of the project. Francesca immersed herself in interiors magazines and Pinterest, eventually deciding to design a scheme around a few key pieces that were meaningful to her and Ben - such as ceramics, photography, and a 1970s photograph of David Bowie that was a Christmas present.
A Concetta Gallo for Habitat bowl became the focus for the living room, and the couple's tastes were very aligned, with Ben being hands-on and offering his DIY skills.
Having loved the entire process so much, Francesca has now undertaken formal interior design training, and has launched her own business, The Concept in Curation. She wants to help clients create progressive, considered interiors curated around loved items to build true emotional connection and reflect a sense of self.
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