One of the next major pieces to define the dwelling was a monolithic marble table. “I had to convince the marble suppliers that I was in the industry, because they don’t do residential deliveries,” Felix says. “An enormous truck with a crane on it arrived and I thought, ‘What have I done?’” He recruited eight or nine friends to carry the piece of marble inside. “That spirit of togetherness is a big part of the home—that dining table is the center of evenings here. I love to cook and entertain. It can comfortably seat 12 and can do 14 quite easily.” The marble, with its strands of green, pink, black, and white, perfectly pairs with the painting.
“As the days draw shorter, I like to change the colors in the flat,” Felix says. He picked the white for the sofa to bring more light into the space as the days get shorter. Apollo the dog enjoys the seating, which is below a painting by Georgie Wilkin. The artwork on the easel is by Felix.
Simon BrownThe ethos and prototypes of Maker & Son make their way into the apartment too. “Some of the new products start at home and will become products at some point. Some of the pieces don’t start here but come here and feel so at home,” Felix says. From a bright yellow chair in the bedroom to a crisp white sofa in the living room, his company’s work fits right in. “The pieces were first designed with comfort in mind, and that’s why they work in any space.” Of course, Felix switches up the slipcovers with the changing seasons—the white sofa cover being a new swap for the coming winter months.
“Every decision is made in reference to comfort,” Felix says about the company he owns with his father, Alex Willcock. “It’s also an emotional comfort—something you can feel good about. Chameleon-like objects that can work in a variety of interiors.” The armchair fits right in.
Simon Brown
The bedroom is all about yellows and pinks. “Those are warm, wonderful, sleeptime colors,” he says.
Simon Brown“With just a few key items, a rental can really become a home. When the painting and tapestry went in, it really transformed the space,” Felix says, referring to a silk tapestry curtain that his friends made to cover the storage area at the back of the flat. “The curtain helps soften the audio in the space.”
Felix has dreams for the unit and will undoubtedly keep transforming it. “I am not a nervous Nancy about being bright and being bold and bringing energy and things in,” he says. “That’s the wonderful thing about a home: It’s living and breathing. It should be in a constant state of transition.”
“I wanted to bring the outside in, so a plan was put in motion for some artist friends to create a silk tapestry of flowers,” Felix says. “When you walk in from outside, you’re greeted with more outside. The windows become a mirror rather than just windows.” The floor-to-ceiling storage disappears behind the curtain and transforms the soundscape.
Simon Brown
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/felix-conran-london-flat
