This is the story of a seven-storey residence from Highgate, London. It’s a residence with a total surface of 325 square meters (3500 sq ft) which is plenty but usually not enough for more than 2 or 3 floors. The fact that this townhouse is structured on 7 different floors makes it a highly unusual and at the same time very interesting case. LLI Design recently completed a total redesign and refurbishment of the house and now we get to see its new look.

The living room is situated on the third floor and has a beautiful stone fireplace and an L-shaped sofa accompanied by armchairsLiving room before renovationsThe kitchen has been relocated. Originally, it was situated on the second floor which wasn’t exactly practical

The owners wanted a complete transformation of the house. They requested a contemporary style with a colorful and practical character. It was particularly important to avoid making the spaces feel cold and impersonal so the designers came up with custom strategies for each area. The owners had a large collection of vintage posters which can now be seen in various areas of the house where they cheer up the decors with their colors.

The kitchen is bright and open, featuring white cabinetry and an elegant island which doubles as a barMarble backsplashA dining table for 12 people occupies the other end of the first floor, sharing the plan with the relocated kitchenThere’s cute little fireplace nook in the new kitchen, with a brightly-colored vintage poster displayed above it on the wall

Several spatial layouts have been modified to give the house a more natural flow and to improve the relationship between different spaces as well as between floors. The kitchen, for example, has been relocated. Initially it was on the second floor which didn’t really make sense. It’s been relocated to the first floor, next to the dining area. It now has access to a terrace and a garden.

The staircase ara the core of the residence has been redesigned as well and is now brighter and has a modern and elegant lookStairs before renovationA secret storage area for shoes has been built into the staircase wall, saving space and emphasizing the practical nature of the new design

The new ground floor houses a home office which can also serve as a guest room or study. It has a really cool accent wall with write-in wipe-off wallpaper. Also on the ground floor there’s this clever shoe storage nook which makes great use of the space under the stairs. The staircase has been redesigned as well. It used to be dark and gloomy and now it’s bright and beautiful thanks to the new skylights and full-height window.

Two bedrooms with en-suited occupy the fourth floor. They were designed for the kids and have a lot of cool featuresThe redesigned bedrooms have simple, clean and light-colored decors and layouts yet they’re not cold and impersonalThe other bedroom has a red-themed interior and a fun hiding space which makes for a perfect reading nook

The fourth floor houses two bedroom with en-suites. They were designed for the kids and they have a bunch of cool features such as cozy nooks and hiding spaces inside the furniture, brightly-colored accent furniture and stylish decorative elements. There’s another bedroom located on the sixth floor.

The master suite has been restructured to include a dressing room extension adjacent to the bathroomThe new dressing room is bright and open despite the lack of windows and its small dimensions

The master suite occupies the entire fifth floor. It’s been reorganized and now has a smaller sleeping area in favor of a dressing room extension which has been added in the continuation of the en-suite bathroom.

The master suite’s bathroom features a double sink vanity with matching wall mirrors and spotlights on the ceilingEverything has been redesigned and reimagined, including the bathroom tub which complements the contemporary style with its minimalist lines

To make the bathrooms look welcoming, the designers worked with various types of wood, patterned tiles and stylish fixtures and amenities. The master bathroom, for instance, has a sleek double sink vanity with matching oval basins that feature soft curves and a very pleasant texture.

The new utility room is situated on the second floor and is very space-efficient, featuring lots of storage in a small space

Other strategies designed to make the spaces feel inviting and comfortable have to do with elements such as the stone fireplace in the living room, the array of beautiful area rugs, the well-balanced color palette but also the lighting system which allows the mood to be adjusted in each room. In addition, there’s a music distribution system with ceiling speakers in seven of the rooms as well as outdoors. These details allow each floor and each space to have its own character.

The lighting and music can be controlled remotely and adapted to suit specific moods and functions