A beautiful London flat with exquisite organization
Today I’m sharing a home tour! It’s a beautiful London flat that’s an open loft space. It shows how home organization can be beautiful! The flat belongs to a friend of Madeline’s! I’ve known Marissa for several years and I must say that I was not at all surprised that Marissa has a beautiful home! Her style is impeccable.
Name: Marissa
Location: Central London, south of the river
Size: 400-500 sq ft.
Type of Home: Studio loft in an industrial, converted flat building
Time Lived in: one year in London, (less than one month in her new flat)!
Marissa had just hit the one-year mark of living in London. She made the decision to take on a new position at the company where she worked in the United States. She waited until after the strictest phase of the lockdown was lifted and then made the move to London. “I came straight from Heathrow with my bags after an overnight flight, and proceeded to quarantine for the remainder of the week.”
Can you believe she moved to London in the middle of the pandemic!? She is so brave! According to her Instagram, she takes full advantage of all that London and the UK have to offer. I hope you enjoy a tour of her new flat. (Keep reading to find out why she moved from one London flat to another)! When she sent me the photos, she was just getting settled in her new home and yet it looks completely cozy and as though she has lived in this space the whole time.
Taking advantage of every corner/space in a studio loft
One of the things I noticed immediately about Marrisa’s flat is her way of mixing the ordinary with the practical and making it look like art. Like her hat on one shelf looks like art when it’s actually just the spot she uses to keep her hat! Shopping bags can hold miscellaneous small items for storage and yet look beautiful on her open shelves from Ikea! The Harrod’s square tote tucked in neatly beside her desk, under the stairs is also a perfect storage bin while looking rather cool in the process!
The Open Living space
It’s all in the details
There’s something so cheerful about a bowl of citrus on the counter! The small space above the microwave is perfect for storing rice and cereal bowls, plus a NYC coffee cup to remind her of her time living in NYC.
Bedroom and clothes storage
Clothing Storage that looks like a boutique!
When I asked Marissa about storage solutions, she said, “Everything needs a place in my home.” I think that’s probably the best advice for living in any space no matter the size!
What a joy it would be to get dressed every day when your closet looks like this! She makes organization functional and beautiful!
A few questions that I asked Marissa to share about her new space:
Favorite Element:
I absolutely love the scale of the brick wall with the large window, especially from the vantage point of sitting on the couch. I was so drawn to the afternoon light that shines which was what sold this listing to me during my search. This location is peaceful too, and I can hear birds chirping in a nearby park. Being on a small street, there are no piercing sirens from emergency vehicles or drunk men singing as they exit a local pub. Your wishlist really does boil down to the little things over time.
Biggest Design/Decorating Challenge:
I know I need to buy a kitchen/dining table so I can host friends, but I don’t want it to get in the way of the flow of the ‘living room’. For now, I’m a happy camper sitting on the rug and eating at the coffee table.
Biggest Indulgence:
I’m pretty price-sensitive when I know an item I’m purchasing might only have a short lifespan with me and is likely to be boxed up and moved every year or two, so I don’t have any homeware with a big price tag. I will say that I jumped the fastest to buy an anxiety blanket upon arrival last year and a Tempurpedic mattress topper after sleeping one night on the mattress in my new place a few weeks back.
Is there something unique about your home?
The tall ceilings create so much visual space, but they are deceiving because I’m pretty sure the clearing on the loft is only about 5’10,” if that. I’m just shy of 5’6,” so I fit very comfortably up here, but it’ll be interesting once my boyfriend comes overseas for his next visit 🙂 this did not cross my mind when I first toured the flat!
Favorite Place to Shop for Home Decor
I could spend multiple hours a week walking the floors and gathering inspiration from the home goods floor at Liberty. The hard part is that I think I have many different styles, so it’s hard for me to commit to one color scheme or dish type, for example. When I need to pick up small things like vases or throw pillows, my go-to is H&M Home.
What’s your best advice about moving to a foreign country?
Be patient with the process, and give yourself grace. Even if you’re moving to an English-speaking country, there are a lot of changes that you’ll experience at one time as you begin a new life from nothing, from understanding how to set up a bank account, utilities, wifi, phone, etc., learning how to shop in a grocery store, becoming familiar with local jargon, and walking on the proper side of the sidewalk… You’ll look back a few months later and realize how far you’ve come in getting settled in a totally new environment.
What do you love most about living in London?
For London specifically, I love that whenever the sun is out for an extended period of time, it feels like the entire country flocks outside. It likely goes with moving anywhere new, but I cherish how frequently I find myself in a new experience or situation that I likely might not have if I were still living domestically. These little moments open your mind a tad bit more.
What do you miss most about living in the United States?
Of course, I miss the proximity to my family and friends. London is so sprawling, and it can be typical for me to opt for the 50-minute walk vs. taking the 30-minute tube or bus ride home. It makes me laugh when I think about when I used to take the subway in New York City just a couple of stops (probably a function of the monthly unlimited pass I had). That easiness to get around was a nicety that I didn’t know that I’d sometimes miss here!
Marissa enjoys all that London has to offer from Wimbledon to Chelsea!
Why move to a new flat?
Marissa was living in a high-rise building that caught fire. Sixty people had to be evacuated and more than 125 firefighters tackled the blaze. Marissa was relieved to be able to “start over” and she says after the ordeal and the waiting to get settled in her new flat, that it feels now like she’s been in this flat all along. “I’m comfortable and at peace in my new space.”
Thank you Marissa for sharing your beautiful new space with us! I think your advice on everything from moving to a foreign country to organizing your open space closet is spot on!
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