If your home is your castle then you’ll want to make it as stylish as possible. Surrounding yourself with the perfect décor and accessories can make us feel us feel better about our lives and where we live and create a positive ambience for our ultimate relaxation. Did you know that there is actually a competition for the best designed homes? It is called the SBID International Design Award. These properties offer a glimpse of some stunning residences which are all worth over £1 million and of the twelve short-listed in 2015, five of them were in London and two in Surrey. They don’t all have to be mansions either as one of the finalists was a tiny two-bedroom apartment in Chelsea.
One of the London homes is Fairlanes, designed by interior designer Stephen Clasper. It features glass walls, a gym, games room, an art deco swimming pool and a garage storing the owner’s classic car collection. There is an Asian inspired bathroom featuring grey marble with its stunning lines and minimalist perfection.
A slightly quirkier property also in London is the House of Books. It has a bookcase structure that runs all the way through the house alongside an orange staircase and covers all five floors of the house. This is a bookworm’s dream design. For designer, contemporary Aluminium Radiators, visit http://apolloradiators.co.uk/Category/3/header/3/radiator-ranges.
Milner Lodge in Knightsbridge is home to a very impressive 90,000 piece waterfall chandelier which cascades elegantly down the central staircase. It looks beautiful but I wouldn’t want to clean it! This Grade II listed property is a Queen Anne style mansion which has been restored very carefully and tastefully offering a clever mix of modern design and luxury with period elements.
One of the Surrey finalists was inspired by items of furniture collected during the owner’s global travels. The pieces were spread around the house and each one acted as a central point of focus when designed the interior for that room. The 1901 country mansion also has its own orangery.
Other properties that made the short list include a house in Berlin that has a large wood carved staircase surrounded by a hall of marble and glass and a swimming pool in the basement. There is also a stunning mansion on the banks of a lake in Burlington, Ontario. Then there is a 4000 sq ft condominium in Toronto with sophisticated and refined décor following its lead from the 1920’s art deco period. A Mediterranean entry features classic blues and whites while a riverside flat in China offers amazing skyline views combined with rich purples and silks. There are very different regions and styles included in the finalists.
The winner of the 2015 awards was the China riverside flat in Shanghai. The design inside the flat represents multiple cultures inherent in China with a focus on Chinese philosophy and the traditionally held spiritual beliefs and values of the elite class. The aim of the designers was to create an exceptionally exquisite visual impression and sense of space.
