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
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 showsThe Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to knowDesigning the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spotHeritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
What to see at Milan Design Week 2025A guide to some of the events the Wallpaper* team is checking out at Milan Design Week (7–13 April) – from public installations and major launches to standout venues and must-see exhibitions
-
‘R for Repair’ at London Design Festival displays broken objects, re-formedIn the second half of a two-part exhibition and as part of London Design Festival 2022, ‘R for Repair’ at the V&A displays broken objects, re-formed
-
‘Finding quality through the act of making’: Pearson Lloyd celebrates 25 years of designPearson Lloyd’s show ‘Change Making’ reflects on past designs from its archives, showcasing the influences on and evolution of the studio, from furniture design to the NHS
-
Tom Dixon marks his studio's 20 years with a show of design experimentsMushroom, cork, steel coral and more: Tom Dixon showcases an overview of his design experiments as he celebrates his practice's 20 years
-
Porro unveils new London showroom at Coal OfficeLondon Design Festival 2022: industrial architecture meets pure geometries in the new Porro showroom, taking over a space within Tom Dixon’s Coal Office to showcase the brand’s systems and furniture
-
Vitra unveils new London home in the Tramshed, ShoreditchLondon Design Festival 2022: after a year-long renovation, Vitra opens the door to its new showroom in the heart of Shoreditch
-
Mudlarking beside the River Thames inspires The New Craftsmen’s makersLondon Design Festival 2022: The New Craftsmen’s new collection, ‘Claylarks’, features work from a group of creatives inspired by a River Thames mudlarking expedition
-
One tree, ten designers: SCP presents The One Tree Project at London Design FestivalLondon Design Festival 2022: SCP enlisted ten British designers to create furniture and objects from a felled ash tree from founder Sheridan Coakley's Hampshire garden
