Inside A London Penthouse By Charu Gandhi Where Light And Luxury Flow Like Water
In the heart of London, this luxury penthouse designed by Elycion unfolds like living artwork with chic neutral hues, sculptural forms and poetic lighting.
As you pass through the front door of this sculptural, light-filled penthouse in central London, a sense of lucid serenity takes hold. The vision was clear for the inhabitants of this 5,457 sq. ft. residence at The Broadway, just off St. James’s Park: a refuge from the city’s mayhem without sacrificing its vibrancy. Without hesitation, principal designer Charu Gandhi instinctively wove the fluidity of water—pebbles beneath the surface, the supple contours of a riverbank—into her mood board. At the same time, a rivulet of understated glamour began to trickle in. “To create this, we used a soft and inviting tonal palette, made up of warm neutrals, layered with a harmony of soft blues and greens,” she explains.
Founded by Charu Gandhi, Elicyon is synonymous with refined luxury and meticulous craftsmanship, making it the natural choice to transform this penthouse into a sanctuary for those with exacting standards of elegance. With a design ethos that seamlessly blends storied opulence with contemporary sophistication, the studio’s expertise is ostensible in every detail, from materiality to the final, flawless execution.
Mirroring Nature’s Innate Rhythms
Bathed in soft, dappled light from Murano-inspired pendants by Bella Figura, the living room unravels as a masterful composition of texture and tone. Here, we are still treading the shoreline of a sun-kissed beach with the colour palette—sandy beige, pale sage greens and sky blues accented with sunshine yellow—quietly building a facsimile of nature’s intrinsic rhythms. Structural columns, wrapped in textured wallpaper, dissolve into their surroundings, while the cornicing that embraces them lends a quiet touch of classicism. Even the furniture and finishes straddle the delicate line between raw imperfections and meticulous craftsmanship. The centrepiece, a two-piece coffee table inspired by water flowing over pebbles, pairs a bronze base with a specialist crackled eggshell finish by Anka, its organic form mirrored by a rug that evokes a school of fish swimming upstream through shimmery foam. Marcin Rusak’s flower disk art adds a striking focal point, seamlessly tying the elements of the space together.
A Penchant For Neo-Classicism
Seguing from the living room, the family dining area takes shape within a breathtaking double-height volume, where a sinuously spiral staircase ascends in classical grandeur. Suspended in the void above, an ethereal porcelain art installation catches the light, its dramatic presence accentuating the room’s soaring proportions. Beneath, European oak parquet flooring by Barc sets a warm foundation, leading the eye toward the Taj Mahal quartzite and white oak dining table—a striking focal point adorned with elegantly upholstered Colefax & Fowler and Casal dining chairs. A curving banquette, swathed in Kirkby fabric, nestles into the architecture, offering a secluded spot for quiet morning moments. Together, the living and dining spaces compose a harmonious dialogue—where architectural inventiveness imbibes the poetry of material and light.
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An Intrepid Statement Of Opulence
The kitchen emerges as a fluid extension of the home’s design language—where lush, curated neutrals underpin the quiet opulence of natural stone. At its heart, a countrified kitchen by Sola Kitchens is anchored by Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and splashbacks, their veined surfaces echoing the timeless susurrations of water over smooth rock. In contrast, an emerald-green quartzite breakfast bar adds a bold, jewel-toned depth, like a treasure-laden riverbed.
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In the bedroom, walls sheathed in Phillip Jeffries’ Lily of the Valley wallpaper cast a romantic glow, their swirling motifs reminiscent of ripples caught on the surface of a Shakespearean lake. A headboard of smoked eucalyptus veneer, Watson & Gabb Liquid Metal and layered textiles by Metaphores and Zac & Fox lend a sense of depth and startling limpidity, its surface catching the light like waves at dusk. Beyond, the master bathroom channels the elegance of a spectacularly carved riverbed. An Arabescato marble vanity, clad in whitewashed oak and figured eucalyptus veneer, anchors the space, while tiles by Waterworks Paramore Mosaic lend an unforgettable, aquatic nuance to the shower. In this oasis of stone and softness, the rhythm of the home slows down to a whisper, settling down like morning mist upon blades of grass.
A World Of Whimsy
“It was important to the client that his two youngest children had a special room in which they could play and host sleepovers,” Gandhi recalls. Bespoke bunk beds, hand-painted in Benjamin Moore’s Raindance 1572 and complete with a climbing wall and rope ladder, rise like gentle ocean swells while embroidered fish motifs by Casamance dart playfully across the surface. Below, a plush Jacaranda Arani carpet in teal blue elicits the shadowy reaches of an underwater lagoon. A tailor-made desk in whitewashed oak offers plenty of room for creativity, with antique brass and leather pull handles by Corston Architectural adding a refined touch. Adjustable lacquered shelves, cleverly designed without visible pins, ensure the space can adapt as the children grow. Soft sheers by Luciano Marcato gently filter the daylight, while cushions fringed with Samuel & Sons tassels invite moments of comfort.
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A Luminous Dialogue Across Spaces
At the heart of this penthouse beats a pulsating crossover of materiality, light and craftsmanship. Throughout the home, lighting plays a poetic role—Sans Souci’s bespoke installation in the living room flickers like sunlight through feathers, while 1stDibs Kalmar-style flush mounts and Eichholtz Juno wall lights lend the cloakroom a jewel-box glow. At the entrance, a 1950s Art Deco fixture recalls glistening stalactites, and in the master bathroom, a Kalmar crystal ice chandelier casts shimmering reflections across Arabescato marble. Meanwhile, the son’s bedroom takes on a celestial wonderment with Volker Haug’s Oddments Dual Ring, which emulates planetary orbits. The palette of soft blues, greens and warm neutrals laps like a tenuous young wave, while the tactile elements—from the rippled grain of oak to the liquid shimmer of specialist metals—add character and dimension. Every space here, from the magnificent living area to the intimate bedrooms, feels like an extrapolation of the next, bound together by a shared language of light, textures and timeless elegance.
In this penthouse, every space is a tributary of the next—trickling serendipitously from grandeur to intimacy. Just as water carves its path, this home’s design meanders through materiality and light in harmony with the rhythms of life.
