Our design inspiration for today comes from an elegant penthouse in central London’s exclusive Mayfair district.  The classic Mayfair penthouse boasts excellent views of the city’s skyline including Green Park and Buckingham Palace.  The new owners, an international family, purchased the 7,000 square-foot residence, located within a 1904 heritage protected Old Park Lane building, to establish for themselves a London base for when they were in the city.   Luigi Esposito and his team at Oro Bianco Interior Design transformed the space into a luxury home where the family could both comfortable reside and entertain with great style.

The family asked the design team to restore the noble proportions of the main public rooms, and where possible, to extend those proportions into the more intimate family areas as well.  The interior architecture had to be reconfigured a bit to create a home suitable for modern living, while also preserving and restoring the exquisite period architectural details.  The design team was to create a home that was classic in its design, but completely contemporary in its function.  The completed residence would also need to properly display their extensive collection of modern art, and perform a list of other special functions.  The home was to be turn-key complete with everything in place including the linens and dishes.  Note:  The design house had just come together and this was their first project as a team.

CLASSIC MAYFAIR PENTHOUSE DESIGN

The classic Mayfair penthouse is designed to allow the foyer, entrance hall, drawing room, formal dining room, and living room to serve two functions.  When the series of lacquered wood and glass double doors connecting them are open, they serve as grand entertaining space.  The doors can also be closed to create more intimate areas where the family can relax together.  Above, we see the foyer as it opens onto the entrance hall. The design team anchored the room with an ormolu-mounted Louis XIV commode, inlaid with tortoiseshell marquetry and a dazzling mirror above it.

A grand formal entrance hall sets the tone for the home’s glamorous interiors.  Polished black and white marble floors shine as brilliantly as the lacquered doors. A pair of crystal chandeliers reflects forever in the large antique gilded mirror on the far wall.  An ebonized and ormolu-mounted Louis XV-style marquetry desk in the Boulle technique centers this space, topped with an ink-well in the same style.  The designers expertly restored the crown molding to its original splendor. Imposing sets of double doors give the room an air of grandness while allowing natural light to flow through into the rooms beyond.

Here we have the double volume drawing room. Paneled walls emphasize the room’s height and volume. Another fabulous large crystal chandelier illuminates the space. The colors are soft while the surfaces are smooth and reflective. Lead designer Luigi started his career in fashion and it really shows here. An antique c.1870 Hepplewhite secretaire bookcase serves as a focal point dividing the two seating arrangements. Luxurious silk and velvet cover the Soane sofas with skirts trimmed with bullion. Two layers of tailored curtains frame the sets of French doors that open to balconies.

The drawing room flows into the cozy library. Bespoke designed shelves and cabinetry frame a traditional fireplace mantle topped with a contemporary painting. The property, of course, features discretely managed complete automation and includes Lutron lighting, underfloor heating, motorized blinds and concealed speakers, along with all of the other amenities necessary for a modern luxury home. Nothing was allowed to impact the classical design features. The Bianco team worked very closely with the Conservation Department to ensure that they fully understood and approved their designs.

The formal dining room includes a bespoke hand-crafted table designed by the team and created by Linley; the woodworking company founded by the nephew of Queen Elizabeth II. Brazilian Mahogany, Amboyna, and American Walnut form the beautiful inlaid designs. It can seat as many as eighteen people comfortably under the glow of the crystal chandelier.

The powder room is just an exquisite jewel box of details.  

The bedroom corridor features back-lit, hand-painted eglomise glass panels which give the impression of natural light streaming in from both sides. The series of translucent glass panels form an English Garden theme.

Blue is the client’s favorite color, and it serves as the primary color in the master bedroom. Blue silk covers the head and footboard of a Rosewood Simonetto bed. Bespoke designed silver-leaf damask covers the walls. Beaumont and Fletcher bespoke designed blue silk drapes, hand-embroidered with silver thread and Swarovski crystals dress the windows. The closets were custom made in Italy and installed on site. They were perfectly planned and finished with rich lacquered wood, inset with mirror panels. An antique Persian rug layers on the silk carpet. Even the desk chair features hand embroidery. Another beautiful crystal chandelier, sparkling like jewelry completes the room.

The master bathroom displays serious luxury detailing. The Pietra Dura floor includes a mosaic of over 30,000 pieces of semi-precious stones, such as amethyst, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, and carnelian. The bespoke vanity, fabricated with Brazilian Mahogany, is inspired by traditional French furniture.  All this rests beneath beautiful layers of crown molding above.

The home includes two guest bedrooms with en suite bathrooms finished out with as much care and attention to detail as the rest of the home.

That concludes our design inspiration for today, my friend. 

This was Oro Bianco Interior Design’s first official project as a team, and it was a big success. It firmly set the design group into a solid position.  This project gave solid credibility to Luigi and his entire team of architects and designers.  The home received plenty of press in London and Internationally.  The luxury design has received endless praise and critical accolades.

“True craftsmanship defines us. Using the most specialist of traditional crafts from every corner of the world, we work alongside talented artists to create truly bespoke interiors by designing and producing joinery and wall panels, furniture, and lighting, pietre dure floors and breath-taking tapestries – true beauty with strong attention to detail.”

For more residences featuring Classic Design for modern living, be sure to see:

Knightsbridge Townhouse Reinvention

Fifth Avenue Classical Design

Oro Bianco’s Classic Mayfair Penthouse

Oro Bianco Interior Design, founded in 2011 by Luigi Esposito, Stefania Mazzarini and Killian Thomas Lynch, is a luxury design house once distinguished by its sole focus on London’s super-prime property market.  Their initial decision to focus solely on super-prime property created an interior design powerhouse, ideally positioned to bring the best in luxury design to London’s super-prime property owners. 

Today, Oro Bianco Studio specializes in creating magnificent architectural interiors for international clients around the world.  The multi-national team of RIBA architects and interior designers work on global projects for the luxury high-end interiors market.  The company includes Oro Bianco Milano, which designs and produces their luxurious furniture and decorative lighting.

Interior Design: Oro Bianco Studio

Photography: Barry Murphy

Press Release

thedesignawards.co.uk

Thank you so much for reading along with me.  I hope you enjoyed this classic Mayfair penthouse with its architectural details paired with both traditional and contemporary furnishings and finishes.  There was no shortage of inspiring interior design ideas packed into this one today!

Have a great day!