Southwood, a 4-storey 1970’s London townhouse, had masses of potential when Highgate-based architects and interior designers LLI Design took on its young owners’ brief to respect its 1970s style, though without being cliched.
Based in Highgate, a leafy and very desirable North London suburb, the house had large rooms with lots of light – though its ‘circulation’ areas were quite cramped and dark.
View of the master bedroom from the open-plan master bathroom

Quote LLI: ”Top of their wishlist was a contemporary glass and steel open-tread staircase and a master bathroom with distinctive WOW factor”.
The bathroom (pictured above and below) is a glamorous mix of modern and retro styles. Luxe, baroque mirrors sit comfortably above a contemporary, ‘Jack and Jill’ floating sink. The walk-in glass shower makes a smart contrast to the more stately white bath. LLI infused a deliberate ‘bedroom’ feel to this bathroom, due to its proximity to the master bedroom – thus adding to the design ‘flow’ of the house. Though the owners requested a distinctly ’70s vibe, clearly seminal ’70s avocado bath suites were right out.
A Hans J Wegner ‘Papa Bear’ armchair sits beautifully on a bold, black and white striped rug.
The new glass and steel staircase (pictured above) was introduced at the back of the house, between the lower ground and the upper ground floors . Its visual impact was grea...