Stripes, Waves, Checkerboard—One Thing Pulls Together This Geometric Home
Here’s how a London creative connected the dots.
Updated Oct 12, 2018 5:11 AM
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Creative director Gabriella Khalil’s home in London’s Notting Hill is chockablock with statement pieces by some of the greats, including an undulating Sottsass Ultrafragola mirror, an angular Gae Aulenti coffee table, and a herd of boxy Scarpa dining chairs. They all scratch the same itch: Khalil’s fixation with geometry. “Stripes, curves, waves, checkerboard—I can’t get enough,” she gushes.
Even though it stretches across three stories, Khalil’s pad could easily have been maxed out by her bold patchwork of made-you-look pieces were it not for her deft hand. For starters she used recurring textures, patterns, and one of her favorite color palettes—cream spiked with brown and black—to tether all the rooms together. The living area’s striped artwork by Wayne Pate and bouclé seating, for example, are mirrored by the nubby Bellini sofa and banded Dedar silk armchairs that follow the curve of her bedroom. “This space is one of the most lived-in spots in my home. I have coffee here, do work, and hang out in this little nook,” Khalil says of the setup.
Her bedroom’s beige undercurrent (Farrow & Ball’s Dimity) nods to the pillows, lampshades, and curtains without competing with them. Likewise the living room walls are awash in buttery Farrow & Ball’s Pointing, a shade that winks to the gridded rug and Khalil’s 3-year-old daughter Grace’s mini lounger. Mom says her toddler loves to sit in her chair when she’s having snacks or drawing, which keeps messes on her seat and off the other furniture.
To add symmetry to her space, Khalil perused her favorite vintage boutiques (namely The Peanut Vendor and Béton Brut) in search of matching sets of bedside lamps, barstools, and the like. Her most cherished twosome is the pair of hand-me-down photographs that hang above the stove, one of a portly pig and the other of an equally paunchy pony, both inherited from her late grandfather. “No matter where I live, they go up to remind me of him,” she says.
With so much to ogle, the creative director knew her eye would need room to rest, so she skipped any imposing fixtures overhead. Instead, a wispy Noguchi paper lantern, recessed can lights, and a few table lamps cast a subtle glow. As dusk sets in, she basks in their soft halo and scrolls through her phone hunting her next grail. Surely there’s room for one more special piece.
The Goods
Go-to London vintage stores: The Peanut Vendor, Edition 94, and Béton Brut.
Most affordable thing in my home that brings me the most joy: My daughter’s mini armchair in the living room covered in a cream bouclé fabric. It is from Zara and one of the best buys. Everyone comments on this chair, and she sits on it all the time.
This textile is so me: The Pierre Frey bouclé fabric on the armchairs in the living room. It’s such a soft, textured, neutral hue.
Biggest splurge: The Sottsass Ultrafragola mirror in my bedroom.
Upholsterer who can do no wrong: London Upholsterers.
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