One of London’s most prestigious international design and development firms Finchatton is marking its tenth anniversary this year. And founding director, Alex Michelin, has encapsulated the company’s interior design and architectural expertise into his own three-bedroom, duplex penthouse apartment in London’s Knightsbridge, Adelto takes a sneak peek.
The luxury London apartment, which has been recently completed, incorporates the classic disciplines of scale and symmetry, coupled with highly contemporary spaces and materials. In fact, Michelin’s apartment is more contemporary than most of Finchatton’s developments.
Michelin wanted to maximise the property’s south-facing aspect over the private garden square. “It is so peaceful up here; you can hear the birds and hardly believe you are in the centre of town. Growing up in the Caribbean, I have to make the most of the light and garden views. Having a south-facing apartment has been my overriding dream,” says Michelin.
Natural light is a trademark of every Finchatton property and the design team is cunning in the subtle use of reflective materials such as mirrors, chrome, polished timbers and plaster to maximise the reflections from daylight and evening lighting. Skylights are built into the roof terrace to draw light into every room, including the internal bathrooms.
The top floor of the contemporary duplex apartment is dedicated to entertaining space and is fully open plan, without doors to obstruct between the kitchen, living and dining rooms. When the sky-frame floor-to-ceiling doors to the roof terrace are open, the room is without any barriers at all. A glass cantilevered staircase floats up towards the second roof terrace.
The finished product is a far cry from the original which had remained untouched and the home of an elderly gentleman for half a century. Previously the apartment was a series of small rooms leading from a tiny hallway and with an awkward staircase.
The luxury penthouse, with two roof terraces and direct lift access, defines Finchatton’s ethos: understated, exceptionally well-crafted with tailored hand-made furniture, eminently comfortable and luxurious.
