For this studio designed by MWAI, the clean-lined geometry and bold colours create a striking interior with a graphic quality. Undertaken in collaboration with specialist contractors ‘Virtue’ and joiners ‘DOIG’, the exacting finish and uncompromising design vision extends to the bespoke kitchen, bed, and joinery fixtures. Photography by MWAI.

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The concept for this studio apartment was to bookend the space with dramatic dark blue areas. This is at one end, the kitchen, and at the other, the bedroom. Opposed, these spaces are screened with a functional but character-filled shelving unit which works to section the space in a highly flexible and graphically-suitable way. The large drawer boxes at the base conceal storage and allow the shelves to express the more curated items of the homeowners, who enjoy coming to London frequently from their European home base. The kitchen functionality is concealed, as it feels more like a living space at first glance, with the unified colours and decorative shelving across the window. Like many micro-living concepts, this room must compile many functions into one carefully composed layout. This meant, for example, we ensured the desk would fold away and the wardrobes could form the bedhead.
Due to the tight tolerances of the joinery and the many functions the room had to perform, the design evolved into an exacting piece of product design. Every element was crafted, like elements within a mechanism. This accommodates the clients’ needs while maintaining the purity of the overall vision. For us, the space became an investigation into the theory of small living, echoing the creative efficiency and precision required in a yacht.

The project references Le Corbusier in various aspects and critically adopts principles from early mid-century design to create its frame of reference, balancing modernist ideals with the character of living. In this way we worked meticulously with the clients to meet their specific requirements, ensuring that all parts were thoughtfully planned and executed.
With much more personality than a hotel room, and considered references to the formal expression of Bauhaus, this project was a joy to work on for us. At the end, we had two very happy clients.