Out with the New: Reinventing the Past in a London Remodel - Remodelista
Patrick Williams’ 1850s East London apartment had “laminate flooring, recessed halogens, and cheap and nasty radiators”–until he took over. Photography via Berdoulat. His two bedroom flat is a showcase of the Berdoulat approach What drives us is not purely a conservative nostalgia but a love of truth and a dedication to... ...the creation of beautiful unique well crafted products he writes in the company manifesto and points out that secondhand shops sell well made items at prices comparable to Ikea s The open living/dining area is anchored by Williams’ vast Penguin paperbacks library. The seating arrangement consists of church pews from ARC reclamation in Petersfield, Hampshire–”one of the best salvage yards in the UK”–sized to fit an eBay table. The kitchen counter came out of an old pottery. A salvaged circular window opens the kitchen to the hall and draws light into the space. The kitchen’s brass taps came from “a wonderful man in Bidford on Avon who restores brassware.” Ship models–a present from Kamcili–rest on a cupboard that came out of a school in Dulwich. Williams introduced old shutters and paneling to his windows: “I got hold of six matching panels from a salvage yard in Petersfield–Georgian, with original green paint on them,” he writes in the Berdoulat blog. On their front sides, it’s not easy to see where I have doctored them, but on their backs I have needed to add in sections of new wood, which are more obvious. The bathroom a real case of out with the new and in with the old has a classic Alape utility sink bought at Labour... ...Wait plastic edge trim removed Take a look at Falcon Enamelware from the UK and Barn Light Electric s Enamelware Made in the US A widened doorway with an antique door in Down Pipe leads to the master bedroom. He called me straight away and we arranged for collection the following morning at 8 a.m. The room has a newly built alcove bed. Curtains are made of dress silk: “The salesman at Peter Jones was horrified when I said I wanted to use it for curtains. He said it would fade in the sunlight–exactly what I wanted it to do!” In the bedroom’s sitting area, Williams introduced a salvaged mantel that he uses as a bookshelf. The club chairs are hand me downs from his family and the stool is a Coronation Stool commissioned for use during the coronation of Elizabeth II The... ...pulley pendants are French Monte et Baisse lights from Williams friend s shop Un Coin du Passe in Castéra Verduzan France the best brocante in the world A stone statue from a monastery in Liverpool stands watch in the bedroom. Go to Berdoulat to see more of the firm’s inventive restorations.