Designer Athena McHale had a love for interiors well before she married Michael McHale of Kire Real Estate and together they renovated local properties. Throughout her childhood, her mother had a successful design shop in Cyprus and as an adult, settled in Belsize Park, Athena visited UK design exhibitions to buy items for her mother’s shop. Then, after her firstborn, she decided to get very serious and enrolled at the KLC School of Design.
Now, years later, her company Designed By Athena is helping people to bring their visions to life – “For me, design in the home is the art of creating spaces which feel alive, personal and deeply comforting. It’s about balancing ease and luxury…”
When asked to create a Moroccan inspired lounge, Athena painted the walls in Farrow and Ball red earth, knowing that with the room’s positioning and the right accessories it wouldn’t be too dark. The clients wanted a soft coffee table and the genius of the ottoman made by Alice Crawley is the useful lacquered tray which sits in the centre. For a long-lasting sofa which keeps clean, Athena chose velvet with a higher rub count.
Athena turned the space adjoining the lounge into a playroom, separated by doors which she designed with glass door specialist Joshua James. This way the parents can watch their young children at play and in years to come easily give this area a different function.
Magic, escapism and staycation luxury were some of the words used by Athena’s clients to describe their ideal bedroom. Athena knew Andrew Martin was the right wallpaper designer to find the mural she felt would transform a plain bedroom. Knowing her clients’ tastes and budget, Athena sourced a modern chandelier from Soho Home, the interior collection from Soho House. The room was also structurally reconfigured to accommodate a walk-in closet and very easy access to an elegant ensuite bathroom made up of floor to wall striped zellige tiles.
Photos courtesy of Matt Davis: www.mdsdavis.com
www.designedByAthena.com
