Interior Designer Katharine Pooley On Her New Notting Hill Townhouse Project

A timeless, elegant townhouse in Notting Hill has risen under the helm of award-winning design mogul Katharine Pooley

Interior designer Katharine Pooley doesn’t do things by halves.

For luxury homes and hotels scattered from Hong Kong and Dubai to Monaco and London, she has scoured global auction houses for the perfect artwork or antiques, and had furniture and fittings tailor-made by the trusted artisans of her little black book.

Katharine Pooley in the living room of the modern townhouse in Notting Hill

Her latest project, a townhouse in the smartest enclave of  Notting Hill, London, is a transformation of what Katharine describes as a ‘blank canvas.’  “I felt this property had tremendous potential to become a remarkable work of art,” she says.

“My vision was for a youthful and luxurious interior with eye-catching dashes of pure colour and statement sculptural pieces that were inspiring, thought-provoking and timelessly elegant.”

The entrance of the seven-floor house features subtle Japanese influences

With seven floors to play with (two below the ground and five above) and large airy rooms with smatterings of period detail, Katharine had plenty of scope in terms of colour composition and scale of furniture and artwork.

The owner of the home is passionate about Japanese culture, which became a subtle yet significant guiding force throughout the project. 

The games room includes a bespoke bronze bar and a brick wall that opens into the garage

Japanese influence can be seen in the low-rise linear furniture, much of it commissioned in Parisian ateliers and specialist British workshops, with details such as silk wallpaper and a 12-foot high plaster carving of a bonsai tree by the staircase. 

Her favourite piece?  “For me, it has to be the interconnecting crystal ellipses of the living room chandelier. They are  constructed of precision-cut, rock-crystal baguettes and totally unique, like a giant jewellery piece.” 

Sculptural pieces adorn the bedroom, complemented by art and blue accents

While the living and sleeping areas, with their views out onto the  manicured gardens of the home, breathe polished elegance and calm, the below-ground games room speaks of a more glamarous and masculine mood.

Guests can hang out at the bespoke malachite and bronze bar, and have a game of pool at the walnut table, before hitting the button next to the large-scale cityscape by Australian artist David Hinchliffe – a gesture that will lead them to the garage for their ride home.  katharinepooley.com

Photography By James McDonald

From Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Spring Issue 2021