After leaving Chelsea, Alexandra Tolstoy – British writer and adventurer went to London with her family to live and work. Her new living space is filled with furniture, textiles, pieces of Russian folk art, and souvenirs from her travels in Central Asia.
Alexandra Tolstoy completed the house in a rather urgent situation when she had to find a new place to live in a short time, so the design form of the project was decided quickly. The strong personality and depth of Alexandra’s outlook on life is reflected in vibrant colors and maximally inspired decor.
The house with fairy beauty with many loving and unique colors is the new residence in London of writer and explorer Alexandra Tolstoy and her three children. The interior space is a combination of traditional British values and Russian romanticism; Those two elements completely blend and express Alexandra’s unique aesthetic style.
To reduce the load on construction time, she changed the tiling for the wall by painting. The rationality in each color array combined with interior items creates a sense of completeness. This design plan not only ensures the simplicity in the implementation process, but still shows the sense and spirit of the owner. Even the selection of accent details (with colors, patterns) such as tablecloths, curtains, carpets are intentional and in careful calculations from designers and Alexandra. All these items are easily replaceable so they will become the basis for future re-decorations.
In a number of jobs that require specialized aesthetics, Alexandra turned to professionals to assist her. For example, Benedict Foley, an expert in antiques and pictures, assisted her in arranging the hanging layout, choosing fabrics and many other aesthetic forms in the house. According to what the owner shared, the support of experts turned her house into a space in the pages of illustrations for Alexander Afanasyev’s fairy tale book or Brothers Grimm. Each of her children’s bedrooms seems to be transformed into Aladdin’s magical caves. In the dining room, the walls are painted in ‘Pimlico Green’, by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler for Fenwick & Tilbrook, reminiscent of folk art. The room’s highlights are Lewis & Wood’s ‘Joseph’ velvet chairs contrasting with a Luke Irwin rug and an antique Swedish painted cabinet.
Another notable detail in Alexandra’s bathroom is the 19th-century Russian floor tiles that were inspired by Taruga Creaciones. In her bedroom, she used linen by Volga Linen and Robert Kime as drapes and bed sheets to create the space in a 20th-century Irish look. An embroidered Uzbek coat and dresser hangs above, which helps to recall the charm of Central Asians in the green steppe.
The result can be seen that the acumen and subtle perspective in aesthetics have turned the test of time into a driving force that urges Alexandra to make instinctive but artistic decisions. Sometimes the first idea that comes to mind is the key to a unique and new ideal space.
HF MARKET | August 5, 2021