A ‘design for living’, through exquisite craftsmanship and a blend of old and new conjures the very essence of Banda’s thoughtful interiors at a 10,000 sq. ft five-bedroom townhouse at 4 Mulberry Square, in the heart of London’s Belgravia. As a milestone project for Banda, the Studio has worked with a collective of highly skilled craftspeople across the world to story tell through their designs whilst taking each and every visitor on a provenance filled journey.
At the five-bedroom townhouse on Mulberry Square, Banda took cues from the rich history of the development’s location at Chelsea Barracks as one of London’s most important sites for the British Army, whilst calling on inspiration from nature and the craftspeople involved in the site to date. Expert craftsmanship in metalwork, woodwork and textiles have created a rich tapestry of unique and thoughtfully designed homes throughout this new London enclave. Banda has conceived a design that seamlessly blends historical and modern, nature and urban and elegance with practicality.
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, founder and CEO of Banda, says: “The inspiration at Chelsea Barracks is abundant. From the craftspeople involved in the wider planning to the attention to detail within the build and sense of light and access to nature, Banda's townhouse is testament to the strength of the artisanal ecosystem and the power of bringing pieces together within a home. Our townhouse at Mulberry Square is home to a 'collection of a lifetime' in both a sophisticated and surprising way. It honours the 'perfectly imperfect' wabi sabi theory behind human rather than machine-made craft. There's a feeling of the unexpected - an energy around the blend of the traditional and the contemporary with an emphasis on the 'hand-made' which gives us a window into each, and every person involved in the journey of this design."
Walking in to 4 Mulberry Square the sense of space and light is immediate. Banda have placed a Pierre Augustin Rose ‘Subsellium’ mahogany bench with a braided leather seat at the entrance to set the tone and create a feeling of simplicity. Set opposite the bench, the bronze arched mirror by British studio Novocastrian handmade in the North of England celebrates the strength of geometry and floods the space with light. To further bring about a sense of arrival the artwork by Anton Byrne Carter, a British artist who takes his inspiration from the 16th and 17th centuries, pays homage to the overall design direction celebrating the historical by bringing it into the modern day – a theme throughout the development at Chelsea Barracks. Off the hallway is the study which overlooks Mulberry Square and is filled with light and nature, fuelled by the varied planting and trees.
The focal point is the customed designed desk by Banda made in Bruton, Somerset with strong lines and butterfly joints, is an ode to British craft and the strength of oak as a traditional, lasting material designed with a modern sensibility. The ‘breche violette’ sculpted marble mirror with its scalpel cut angles by Pierre Augustin Rose honours the organic and Mulberry Square beyond. This contemporary feel is complimented by the desk chair and beautifully curved armchair by Studio 27 covered in a Pierre Frey mohair fabric. The eye is also drawn to the Kamana hand knotted wool rug made in India by Stark (well known for their rug designs at The White House since the Kennedy administration).
When walking into the family living room on the ground floor the eye is immediately drawn to the L shaped sofa custom designed by Banda, covered in a covered in a Mark Alexander linen fabric. The vintage oak console table harnesses a traditional, farmhouse feel, whilst the armchair and ottoman hand covered in an alpaca fabric from Dedar further brings about a sense of nature and the power of texture in design. The rug by Coral and Hive celebrates the ‘hand woven’ – using skills passed down from generation to generation preserving a ‘heir loom’ craft. Created on one of the largest looms in Africa this bespoke rug is made from karakul wool and mohair.
The lower ground floor is home to the expansive kitchen that is flooded with light from the large private, landscaped garden beyond. Banda has collaborated with Studio 27 on a few key pieces throughout the home – the kitchen pays homage to the Studio’s ‘gallery’ ethos. Each item of furniture is a piece of art in itself, made by an interesting array of artisans. The kitchen table ‘Pearl’ by the French Arthur Vallin is in a honed travertine blending art and function, sits perfectly with the custom banquette by Banda. The ‘Mawu’ chairs designed by Laura Gonzalez create an ‘alpine chalet’ look witha contemporary twist. The pendant also from Studio 27’s hand chosen ‘little black book’ of makers is a delicate hand-blown frosted glass made in India by Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth. The blend of natural materials and the essence of high-level craft brings a sense of practicality as well as artistic provenance.
Edo Mapelli Mozzi Founder and CEO of Banda continues; “The therapeutic undertones behind the crafted furniture in the townhouse, together with the use of natural materials, bring about a huge sense of wellbeing. We often hear from our craftspeople how important their skills are to their mental health – it’s this sense of being ‘grounded’ and ‘calm’ that’s prevalent throughout the home particularly in the spa space on the basement level. Within this quiet sanctuary we’ve carefully designed four daybeds for ultimate relaxation, which compliment vintage Willy Guhl sculptures to celebrate both form and long-lasting function. A private spa with a 11 metre swimming pool is a true luxury in a London townhouse – so too is a dedicated gym and meditation space. A blend of mental and physical wellbeing is a vital cog in our overall design direction.”
The volume of Banda’s townhouse lends itself to family life – the large cinema room designed with nature inspired, rather than traditional, darker tones has been curated with a custom biscuit toned sofa at the heart. The Pierre Fray fabric covered ottoman adds a deeper dimension whilst the British artist Kit Lintin’s oil painting, ‘amuse-bouche’, features an oyster on a deep green velvet sofa combining the mundane with surreal scenes of nature. Moving up to the first floor, the dining and formal living spaces are a good example of how the width and depth of the Mulberry Square homes have been designed with impressive ‘space’ for hosting as well as family life. Banda sought design direction from the Toord Boontje hand crafted metalwork on the balcony railings outside the formal living room – Toord created a unique design for every townhouse at Chelsea Barracks inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show, the Arts and Crafts movement and the power of the geometric. The Banda designed bronze and glass chandelier, crafted by Novocastrain, is the hand-crafted centrepiece of the design that highlights the impact and ‘movement’ within a metal curve, reminiscent of the balcony design.
The double-sided curved sofa is a collaboration between Banda and Pierre Augustin Rose, famed for their Scandinavian simplicity, in which they sought to create a unique piece especially for this room that encourages conversation and circulation, perfect for entertaining. Banda have created the unexpected by blending bespoke 18th century French Tapissiere Aubusson cushions (the tapestry was personally sourced in France by Augustin at Pierre Augustin Rose) paying homage to the enduring connection between the past and present. The sofa sits proudly at the centre offset by the darker timber stools by Purdey d Design. The vintage candelabra creates a sense of wonder and the traditional reminiscent of how the Victorians would have lived in the more historic homes in Belgravia.
The artwork by is by Megan Wheatley. The formal dining room has views over the private garden at the back of the house – it has easy access from the lift and offers an expansive space to entertain. The simplicity of Studio 27 Galet dining table by Emma Donnersberg beautifully hand made with an oak top and monolithic pited Lava stone legs highlights the impact of ‘shape’ and ‘curves’ in craft. The Jess Wheeler Hipsi cabbage wall lights in plaster with their intricate veins create a subtle nod to bringing the outside in and the very best of nature.
When moving up the stairs to the master bedroom suite and guest bedrooms light floods through the retractable window from the roof terrace. The 1169 sq ft master suite offers a private sanctuary separate from the rest of the house – with its own dressing area that leads on to an en suite bathroom - is home to large freestanding pebble bath with views across the garden. Banda has brought about a feeling of serenity through design. The figurative artwork by Anton Byrne Carter in the main bedroom together with the bespoke designed bed & headboard by Banda and Abbotsford Alabaster pendant by Vaughan create an overall sense of peace. The guest bedroom with well-known British mural artist Tess Newall’s ‘herbanium’ wallpaper conjures a whimsical and floral tone together with a celebration of the ‘hand drawn’. The top level of the home leads directly on to the terrace that brings about a feeling of being ‘above the rooftops’ with views across into the City of London, The Shard and beyond. Banda have designed the space for relaxation with Officina Ciana seating and a Disquarded coffee table.
The townhouse is situated at the heart of Chelsea Barracks, which has become one of London’s most sought-after addresses. Inspired by the evolution of London’s ‘Great Estates’ these homes were designed by PDP Architecture in a Portland stone and blend beautifully into the five acres of landscaped green spaces. Gustafson Porter + Bowerman created a modern interpretation of London’s traditional garden squares at Chelsea Barracks to celebrate the very best of nature within a cityscape.
To further build on the sense of light and space each townhouse has been designed between eight and ten metres wide – these homes create a volume not found in traditional Belgravia properties. Nestled within a thriving community, Banda’s townhouse has views into the wide-open space of the Mulberry Square Garden, filled with native species, culinary and medicinal plants and benefits from the creativity and energy which overflows from the design hub of Pimlico Road just metres away.
Chelsea Barracks has established itself as London’s premier destination, with iconic British jeweller Theo Fennell establishing his headquarters in 2022, joining the Prince’s Foundation which occupies the Grade II listed Garrison Chapel. Residents and the greater Belgravia community also welcome the addition of The Campaner, a new restaurant from Barcelona operators of the much-revered Martinez restaurant.
The price of the five bedroom Banda designed townhouse at Mulberry Square, Chelsea Barracks is £42million via Savills and Knight Frank.
4 Mulberry Square overview;
Five Bedrooms
Up To 3.4m High Ceilings
Passenger & Service Lifts
Wine Room
Sauna and Steam Room
Spa With 11.3m Pool
Cinema
Garden
Outdoor Kitchen
Roof Terrace
Private Garage