The dining room has to “work very hard,” as Watson puts it, in no small part because of the view that defines it. In the living room, architectural chairs that were first made for Alexander McQueen in marble are now reimagined in gilded glass, while the DCS coffee table replaces the original shagreen top with an arrangement of ceramic pieces. Similarly, the gilding on the chairs has got a red backing, so there is a very warm, soft glow to it.” “All the leafing is done by hand,” adds Watson, “It’s not reflective like a mirror, because of course that kind of mirror would be cold and not welcoming. At the far end of the room, a screen with silver and gold leaf also delicately reflects the light from the Hyde Park-facing window. On the side tables are similarly architectural criss-cross lamps in British marble that first featured in the studio’s design for The Connaught cocktail bar in London. Incidentally, the white cotton bouclé sofa is an edition of the one that Princess Diana posed on for her 1997 Vanity Fair cover, shot by Mario Testino. “We thought, there are other materials we could use instead, and look at in a new way,” says Watson, “So we commissioned these beautiful ceramic shapes that allowed us to get this incredible colour.” The asymmetrical sofa arrangement-where the window-side sofa has a lower backrest-offsets the strict symmetry of the space, but also serves a more functional purpose.

At the centre of the tableau is the 1940s' inspired coffee table with bronze detailing that had originally been crafted with a shagreen top. “The building is this enormous beautiful curve, but we wanted to keep this symmetrical layout,” says Watson. In the living room, we see a geometrical arrangement of furniture and decor that is typical of the studio’s work.

Asteria by David Collins