Celebrated Milan gallery Nilufar comes to London for the first time this week, taking up residence in a £10 million apartment in Mayfair.
The 2,355 sq m space on South Audley Street, which goes on sale imminently, was curated by Nilufar’s founder Nina Yashar and renovated by London-based interior architect Shalini Misra.
The two women have known each other for years, so a collaboration in London made perfect sense. Misra has been creating high-end homes around the world for 18 years and is well versed in the requisites of the super rich. Acres of Armani marble, seamless technology and shiny tactile finishes make up the three bedroomed space. Nilufar staples – Italian midcentury classics, limited edition pieces from young designers and hand-knotted rugs, all of which can be purchased separately – make up the rest. Cabinetry is largely handmade in the UK, marbles and veneers come from Italy and artworks (among them a £1.5m Warhol) are supplied by Italian galleries Giò Marconi and Robilant + Voena.
‘I have always been keen on creating new and unexpected associations between furniture and space,’ says Yashar, who formed her furniture-in-situ concept, entitled Squat, in 2012. London is its fifth edition, after Milan, Paris and Beirut.
Misra also runs real estate company Genessia with her old Delhi friend Ekta Varma. Together, the pair purchased the apartment, that had been in a state of neglect for 30 years. It’s one of many they have renovated for potential overseas buyers. Judging by the string of well-heeled visitors swishing down its marble hallway, it won’t be theirs for long.
‘I have always been keen on creating new and unexpected associations between furniture and space,’ says Yashar of her work
Misra has been creating high-end homes around the world for 18 years and is well versed in the requisites of the super rich
Inspired by the apartment’s historic features, the interiors will challenge the boundaries between art, design and architecture
Squat will be presenting work by those showcased at Yashar’s Nilufar gallery; from design masters such as Gio Ponti and Ico Parisi to contemporary designers and young talents such as Patricia Urquiola, Martino Gamper and Bethan Laura Wood
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Nilufar website, or Shalini Misra’s website
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