The remodelling of a house in London by Rajiv Saini along the lines of a fusion of conventional and contemporary aesthetics has rendered an astounding edifice of excellence.
In this three storey home at Portbello Road in London’s bohemian Notting Hill area, Rajiv Saini has dexterously combined the aesthetics of the old and the new, changing it all entirely, yet keeping the shell intact. The house had to be appropriated as multifunctional and flexible that could appeal to a prospective creative occupant.
The aesthetic here is more Scandinavian with blonde timbers and a white and grey palette. The Douglas fir floor boards are from the Danish Company Dinesan. The staircase was rebuilt to consolidate the spaces to achieve, in the words of Rajiv, the impact of “ethereal glowing light” in the space.
The ground floor has an open plan with living, dining and kitchen areas juxtaposing each other. A green wall at the far end spans two floors. The remarkable features of the house include an old redwood sideboard and vintage chairs in dark-hued upholstery in the living area, the glass roof at the back, the staircase that folds around a central void and is used for storage, the glass and iron cupboard, the room with a terrace on the upper floor and the bath with a ladder-like towel rack.
Rajiv has transformed the house into a light-filled, sober and elegant home with gentle amalgamation of contemporary and traditional. As a dexterous designer, Rajiv intuitively as well as consciously understands that his work has to acknowledge the past, look the present unblinkingly in the face, and serve as a sound foundation for the future.
