Renowned interior designer Noor Charchafchi discusses a recently completed five-bedroom Mayfair residence – and her exciting expansion plans for the new year
Words: Charlotte Pasha
Mayfair is a great place to live – and it can be a wonderful place to raise a family, so long as you have the right home. Of course, Noor Charchafchi, director of Celine Interior Design, knows exactly how to achieve this, having just finished work on a five-bedroom family residence in the area.
“It feels fantastic to have completed this,” she says. “Featuring art masters, oriental panels, bespoke luxury furniture and unique one-of-a-kind hand-crafted artisan designs, each room is a realised dream, delivered to the highest of standards.”
The brief was unusual, with the clients’ extensive art collection a real focal point. “The client invested in an art hanging system that means it will be seamless for art to be rotated as they desire. We also designed many spaces for their art, further allowing the art objects to be easily displayed.”
And while Charchafchi is known for her largely neutral colour schemes, this project saw her use colour extensively. “After reflecting upon the client’s extensive art collection, we felt colour was required to showcase these specific works,” she says.
Plus, she adds, lifestyle needs complicated the brief too: “The clients had very different ideas of what they each liked, and one challenge was making the entire space feel seamless and congruent, while delivering a design that each of them could individually fall in love with.”
Of course, children change everything, and “as a big family, the children’s bedrooms were a large emotional consideration too – each child needed to feel they had a space, which was uniquely about and for them”.
That said, Charchafchi’s personal favourite room turned out to be the main living room. “It’s a masterpiece – full of colours and an eclectic mix of the client’s own pieces mixed with our new designs,” she says. “We have a variety of suppliers and artisans we use from around the world. In the UK we make a huge attempt to utilise exceptional craftspeople – from the most high-level carpentry and upholsterers to smaller artisans, who are master makers such as potters and sculptors. The finish has to be exceptional.”
Charchafchi is used to spending time in Mayfair. “I love the international feel and how there is never a dull moment, no matter what time of day. It’s always vibrant and inspiring.” As for her favourite haunts: “Scott’s and 5 Hertford Street.”
This year will be a big one for Charchafchi, who is expanding the business on two fronts. The first is geographically – “we’re opening offices in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Dubai” – and she will soon have more extensive offerings, too. “We recently launched our private yacht and aviation service. Thanks to my aviation finance background, the yacht and aviation design world was a natural next step for our design clients – we can truly cater for all their lifestyle needs.”