In London's Kentish Town, a striking one-bedroom apartment has come to market. Tucked inside the imposing Beaux Arts Building on Upper Holloway, it may be modest in size, but its pop art-inspired colour palette packs a serious punch – think less understated elegance and more comic-book Ka-Pow!
Designed by Bunkall Architects, the apartment is a masterclass in using colour to create character. Soft pastel hues are are applied with confidence and purpose throughout, each room expressing its own identity through colour and aspect. The kitchen, for example, is painted in three shades and punctuated by a vivid yellow stripe, while the hallway is drenched in one calming shade of green. Throughout, generous use of neutral tones keeps the scheme feeling sophisticated rather than overwhelming.
After passing through the building's grand entranceway – complete with expansive glazing and ornate Beaux-Arts detailing – and taking the lift up to the apartment, you're welcomed into a hallway lined with mint green walls and chequerboard cork tiles running underfoot. Original windows draw in abundant natural light, setting the tone for the bright interiors to come.
At the end of the hallway, the living room opens to the right, connected to the kitchen via a wide doorway. Here, soft-pink walls provide a gentle backdrop to the sky-blue door frame and skirting boards, which continue seamlessly into the kitchen, creating a visual thread between the two spaces. Continuous cork flooring further amplifies the effect.
Together, the kitchen and living room feel exceptionally bright, uplifting and refined. Black grid-framed windows flood the space with light – but they also utterly transform the overall look, lending the interiors a graphic quality reminiscent of 1950s comic book illustrations. It's a fun twist that takes this apartment from cheerful to distinctly unique.
The spacious bedroom offers a calmer atmosphere. White walls are paired with pink skirting boards to create a soft backdrop, while another large window and lofty ceiling heights enhance the sense of space and light. Next door, the bathroom introduces a slightly darker palette, finished in peach-coloured paint and deep-green Balineum tiles.
In many ways, the apartment both complements and contrasts the building that it sits in. While their styles differ vastly, both are memorable in their own right. Built in 1909, the Edwardian façade is one of London's most impressive examples of the Beaux-Arts style – a grand, theatrical architectural style that originated in Paris in the 19th century.
Against the historic backdrop, the flat's comic-book aesthetic provides an unexpected yet highly intriguing counterpoint that is playful without feeling childish. All that's missing now is a new owner to supply the speech bubbles.
This colourful property is on the market with The Modern House for a guide price of £450,000.
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The Colour Edit
