A living room that’s a calm sanctuary in the midst of the city

Arabella Youens

Ben Petreath's brief for this room was to create a characterful city sanctuary. Here's how he went about it.

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Interior design forms an important part of Ben Pentreath’s multi-disciplinary architecture, masterplanning and design practice that has built an enviable reputation for combining the strong use of colour and classical detail with simple, graphic patterns and an eclectic mix of furniture and lighting.

The brief was to inject character into the apartment while keeping the scheme calm and restful, to create a sanctuary in the midst of the city. With this in mind, the background palette was kept deliberately simple, airy and neutral, using Farrow & Ball’s Hardwick White on the walls and Andes, a plain wool-sateen by Holland & Sherry, for the curtains.

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Statement lamp bases and ikat shades inject a fresh, modern sensibility to the rooms and are a signature ingredient for Ben. He designed the lamp in the foreground and the emerald-green resin base in the background is by Marianna Kennedy; both use shades by Melodi Horne and all are sold through his Bloomsbury-based shop Pentreath & Hall.

The choice of furniture reflects Ben’s preference for blending pieces from different styles and periods: the Fornasetti drinks cabinet was sourced through postwar and contemporary design specialists Themes & Variations.

The sofa is covered in Old Flax, a hard-wearing yet soft to the touch fabric by Soane.