Emerald Kitchen
A statement kitchen in deep emerald green with fluted brass door profiles, marble-effect worktops, integrated Gaggenau appliances, and a brass-framed breakfast bar.
Belgravia Apartment Refurbishment
13 Thorburn House, Belgravia SW1X
A full interior refurbishment of a two-bedroom apartment in Thorburn House on Kinnerton Street, delivering a rich, layered design with dark joinery, fluted glass screens, terrazzo-effect flooring, and a striking emerald-toned kitchen — all behind a classic Belgravia façade.
Programme 7 months
Budget Band £350k – £450k
Borough Westminster
Outcome Turnkey apartment
Project Overview
Bold design decisions within a traditional Belgravia envelope
The client wanted something unapologetically contemporary: dark tones, textured surfaces, and architectural lighting — while still maintaining the building’s sense of craftsmanship and solidity.
Thorburn House sits adjacent to Greville House on Kinnerton Street, sharing the same intimate, village-like character. Flat 13 is a lateral two-bedroom apartment with good proportions but a dated interior that bore no relationship to the client’s design ambitions.
The scheme introduced a deep emerald kitchen with fluted brass detailing, terrazzo-effect porcelain flooring running through the hallway and social spaces, and dark-stained oak joinery in the bedrooms and living room. A fluted glass partition between the hallway and kitchen allows natural light to pass through while maintaining visual separation.
The principal bathroom was designed around a black marble feature wall, wall-hung vanity in dark oak, and a freestanding copper-tinted bath. The en-suite is more restrained — pale porcelain with brass trim — creating a deliberate contrast between the two wet rooms.
13 Thorburn House Belgravia apartment - emerald kitchen with fluted glass partition and terrazzo flooring
Scope Delivered
What the refurbishment actually changed
Fluted Glass Partition
A floor-to-ceiling fluted glass screen between hallway and kitchen, set in a blackened steel frame, allowing light transfer while maintaining spatial definition.
Principal Bathroom
Black marble feature wall, dark oak floating vanity, copper-tinted freestanding bath, and aged brass fixtures throughout.
Terrazzo Flooring
Terrazzo-effect large-format porcelain tiles laid through the hallway, kitchen, and living area with underfloor heating beneath.
Programme
How the project moved from brief to handover
Stage 1
Concept and procurement
Design development, material sourcing for specialist finishes, and long-lead ordering of the fluted glass panels and copper bath.
Stage 2
Strip-out and services
Complete strip-out of existing finishes, new electrical layout for architectural lighting scheme, and underfloor heating installation.
Stage 3
Structural and screens
Fluted glass partition fabricated off-site and installed, along with all first-fix joinery frames.
Stage 4
Kitchen and wet rooms
Kitchen installed, marble bathroom completed, and en-suite finished in a compressed two-week sequence.
Stage 5
Flooring and decoration
Terrazzo porcelain laid, dark oak joinery installed, and full decoration in a deep, tonal palette.
Stage 6
Lighting and handover
Architectural lighting commissioned with scene presets, final snagging, and client walkthrough.
Delivery Challenges
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Outcome
The details that mattered most on site
Integrating bold finishes sensitively
A dark, contemporary palette in a period mansion block required careful threshold detailing and lighting design to avoid the interior feeling heavy or disconnected from the building.
Specialist material coordination
Fluted glass, copper baths, and terrazzo porcelain all came from different suppliers with different lead times, requiring precise scheduling.
Architectural lighting design
The scheme relies on light to balance the dark palette. A layered approach — cove lighting, recessed downlights, and pendant features — was essential.
A characterful London home
The apartment feels distinctive, confident, and properly designed — a genuine reflection of the client’s personality within a building that could easily default to safe conservatism.
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Looking for something bolder in Belgravia?
We deliver characterful, design-led apartment refurbishments that respect the building while expressing the client — across Belgravia, Knightsbridge, and Chelsea.
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