London & South East Premier Hospitality

Recognition for Minima

Minima, SBID International Design Awards 2014
Written by Roma Publications

Minima, SBID International Design Awards  2014

Minima, a Dubliin based interior design agency, has recently been shortlisted as part of the SBID International Design Awards for its work on their new London Studio.

The Residential Retrofit Project was undertaken by the Minima team in a bid to illustrate their design style to clients in London.

Premier Hospitality caught up with Helen Kilmartin, the firms Creative Director and Owner, to find out more about the project. Helen commented:

“We rented a two bed apartment in London earlier this year and began work renovating the space. We wanted to have a space to show clients how modern furniture works in a classical space, as well as encourage people to be a bit more adventurous with their lovely period houses.

Minima, SBID International Design Awards  2014

“The venue gives us a space to entertain English clients, a place for staff to stay when working in London, as well as an ideal venue for parties and art exhibitions. It is a very multifunctional space.”

Works began on the project in January 2014 when the Helen and her team initially found the flat. The flat was originally painted in magnolia and had an uninspiring design scheme, so Minima worked alongside fit-out firm, Project House, to strip out the space and start again.

The project, which completed in May 2014, mainly involved cosmetic changes including the installation of new carpets, cabinets, furniture, mirrors and lighting. Helen chose this apartment due to its characterful features which included its own entrance, as it’s a basement flat, a 35 foot hallway and patio garden at the back of the property.

Minima, SBID International Design Awards  2014

The impressive hallway features an impressive nine foot panelled mirror which reaches from the floor to ceiling, as well as an elegant black and white marble floor. Minima have also altered the apartment’s second bedroom transforming it into a dining room. The kitchen has been painted in white and finished with a Carrara marble worktop and splash back and the living room boasts a dark oak floor, multi coloured sofas as well as a beautiful Luke Irwin silk rug.

Minima have used a mixture of pieces from their own collections including Cassina, B&B italia, Flexform Promemoria and Emmemobili. A comfortable Florence Knoll white armchair and Cassina Nuvola rossa Book case can be found in the apartment as can Promemoria lamps in bronze with linen shades.

The dining room seats 10 and features a quirky round UFO table containing Terzani Globe metal light which gives the illusion that the room is round; the table also casts a beautiful pattern on the dark walls.

Minima, SBID International Design Awards  2014

An array of art by Irish artists has also been used throughout the apartment including pieces from Patrick Scott, Siobhan Mc Donald, and pieces on loan from Nag Offsite gallery by Kohei Nakata, Gareth Jenkins.

We asked Helen what it meant to be involved in the SBID International Design Awards:

“For us to be shortlisted it is great as we are relatively new in London – so it is fantastic. This short listing of our project shows we have received a little recognition already and we hope we will get more work in London as a result.”

About the author

Roma Publications