Steal This Look: An East-Meets-West Loft in London

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Zoe Chan and Merlin Eayrs of London-based design/development firm Chan + Eayrs call their development projects “House Couture.”

“Every step is carefully choreographed, from selecting the site to choosing the antiques,” they say. Combining “British vernacular architecture with the light and volume found in Japanese homes,” their singular compositions are furnished with a mix of vintage and modern furniture. Here’s a look at their most recent project, the New Cross Lofts in southeast London, as we dissect the elements that make the project so appealing.

Above: The open dining and living space features handmade steel windows on two sides. The lower panes are frosted for privacy.

Above: Subtly feminine color and well-patinated antiques add character to the modern interiors.

The Paint Palette

Above: Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster, a warm, pale pink color, is on the walls at the New Cross Lofts; $99 for a gallon of Estate Emulsion paint.

Above: Cabinets, paneling, and ceilings are painted in Rolling Fog Mid (159) from Little Greene; £98 ($144 USD) for five liters (1.3 gallons).

Furniture & Lighting

Above: Danish designer Børge Mogensen’s No. 1 3-Seater Sofa has a similar look to the built-in benches in the loft’s living area. Available through Frederica Furniture dealers online.

Above: The Original BTC Ginger Floor Lamp, shown here in chrome, is $929 at Horne.

Above: While fairly difficult to track down, Chan & Ayers sourced a pair of Dux Safari Canvas & Leather Lounge Chairs designed by Borge Boije. You can occasionally find the chair via Chairish, as seen here, 1st Dibs, or eBay. For similar styles, see our post 10 Easy Pieces: The New Pale Leather Lounge Chair.

Above: Designed by Niels Otto Møller, the walnut Møller Trolley is $1,725 at Design Within Reach. For something similar, West Elm’s Mid-Century Bar Cart in walnut veneer is $349.

Above: The Fisherman’s Pendant Light in white is £65 ($95 USD) at Pebbles to Sand in the UK.

Above: For a similar gateleg table to the one Chan & Ayers sourced, a George III Period Oak Table from 1790 is $4,484 from Carl Moore, a dealer out of Houston, Texas, on 1st Dibs. Another option is the Late 17th-Century Table for $2,981.72 from LVS Decorative Arts, a dealer on 1st Dibs based in Suffolk, England.

fnji low back chair 27

Above: The black walnut Round-Backed Armchair is 3,500 Yen ($33) from FNJI. See more at Bauhaus in Bejing: Craft Furniture from an Emerging Designer.

Above: Original 1227 Brass Wall Lights from Anglepoise are seen on the walls throughout the lofts. Shown here in deep slate, they’re $230 each at YLighting.