Over the years, interior designer Cigal Kaplan has had so many different clients from all over London, but her aim is always to fulfil and exceed their expectations.
In an interview with Cigal at Roni’s in Belsize Village she said, “It’s important to design homes that work for the people living in them but also the process has to be enjoyable because it’s that vibe that’s going to stay in a home.”
It’s more than ten years since Cigal Kaplan’s early career days when she lived in Belsize Park and found herself being asked to design bachelor pads and penthouse flats. Nowadays, she mostly designs entire houses, believing, “space planning is key because once I’ve got the space right, the furnishing can then bring the magic.”
Cigal is guided by her awareness and experience of a family’s practical needs and always considers how to maximise space and create clever storage.
Recently Cigal completed a central London townhouse for a young American couple with a child. “Time was of the essence,” Cigal smiled, “because the house needed to be ready before the arrival of the second baby!” The couple were both aligned on the style which they wanted for their three floors and basement area. It turned out that the homeowners love the contrast of light and dark, black and white, and that their favourite colour is green.
For the hallway floor, Cigal designed a unique pattern. She used three different patinas of colour and inlaid the floor with metal brass. The hallway drawers also contain steps so that the children can hang their coats in the colourful alcove.
Cigal felt that it was important to have plenty of curves in the house. The kitchen island, with its’ impressive and earthy Brazilian stone surface, softens the minimal clean space by being rounded. And the pearl necklace lighting above the kitchen island adds a touch of stylish fun. The bubble cupboard handles complement the brass plinth at the bottom of the kitchen island and the brass sink is as durable as chrome.
The curves and quiet luxury continue in the main bedroom where Cigal hid the silk wallpaper seams with strips of brass. Drop light pendants add a whimsical yet sophisticated mood and Cigal sourced a statement mirror with a curved frame.
According to Cigal, it’s important “to create wonder and wow, especially when transforming a narrow and tall townhouse.” The porcelain light chandeliers in the living room achieve this, and Cigal is grateful to the Ukrainian designers who made the super cool chairs (she commissioned the company when they arrived in the UK at the start of the war.)
Cigal Kaplan’s clients are over the moon with their new home. They describe it as out of the ordinary but classic and fun. It’s stylish alright, and it’s a comfortable and practical home too.
All Photography by Philip Vile
www.cigalkaplaninteriors.com
Cover Photo: Cigal Kaplan by Philip Vile
