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Banda Design Studio, a London-based development, design, and property search business founded by the British royal family’s newest father, Edoardo “Edo” Mapelli Mozzi, is more focused on exceptionality than prestige. That said, the company’s collection of properties, which are scattered throughout the world, exude an unrivaled refined elegance. Such is certainly the case for a $13.4 million town house in London’s highly coveted Leinster Square. On the cusp of Notting Hill’s famous pastel-hued homes, Banda’s recently completed property is an exceptional addition to the brand’s already impressive portfolio. Mapelli Mozzi notes, “We always want to take our clients on a design-led journey: Each and every piece tells a story bringing about a unique overall experience. Our mantra at Banda is ‘design for living,’ and we feel the town house reflects this vision beautifully.”
Though the three-bedroom 4,250 square-foot home is vibrant in essence, its palette is a gentle mixture of creamy earth tones with the occasional dramatic white-veined black marble fireplace surround. The decor, however, is the star of the space: The creatives over at Banda selected a uniquely eclectic collection of contemporary furniture, antique pieces, retro accents, and even some bespoke decor by Banda Design Studio. Plus, there’s no shortage of carefully curated pieces from emerging artists and designers alike. Each detail lends itself to the home’s utterly approachable yet polished look.
That said, there’s an undeniable element of glamour that’s most obvious in the living room, where the ceiling is a whopping 12 feet tall and is anchored with a Nicholas Haslam terra-cotta chandelier. “Even though we were working with enormous ceiling heights, we were keen for the lighting to be a central feature to this project. We aimed to feature both dramatic pieces, like the Nicholas Haslam piece, with more subtle lighting, such as the vintage brass lamp from 1stdibs that sits alongside it,” Mapelli Mozzi explains.
The British native wanted to infuse the space with an utterly contemporary feel without sacrificing the town house’s historic bones, which is why he and his team managed to keep and restore the circa-1850 Grade II–listed façade and offer the interiors some much-needed TLC. One of his proudest restorations? “The cornices are original, but we have restored it all to its former glory,” he beams. “It’s been an honor to breathe fresh life into it and bring it into the present day.”
He glides antique structures gently into the 21st century—he’s transformed former bakeries and breweries around town—but his signature is his clever use of material. He suggests, “Natural materials are at the very heart of all of our designs. We use marbles and woods that will stand the test of time and adore stepping away from the norm in terms of color choices.” And in this particular home, the attention to warmer woods, like walnut, is at the forefront now that working from home is an integral part of day-to-day life. Mapelli Mozzi considered an emphasis on calm a necessity in the library, which is wrapped in Italian fluted walnut panels. Of course, the Ward Bennett cane lounge chair that’s parked at the burr walnut veneer desk adds that classic Banda element of modernism.
Additional more contemporary spaces include a lower-level cinema whose walls are dressed in an amaretto-tone suede and accented with seductively curved brass Allied Maker sconces. There’s also a bar area that features striking artwork, including a piece by the Connor Brothers titled We Must Be Careful and a black-and-white David Yarrow photograph dubbed No Country For Old Men.
Mapelli Mozzi says, “The pivotal part of this project has been the quality of craftsmen and women involved. Over the past 15 years, Banda has built a little black book of the very best from around the globe,” and it shows. Mapelli Mozzi and his team of experts are headed across the pond to the U.S. to work on a classic Brooklyn brownstone and several dwellings in California, including a sprawling space on San Francisco's waterfront.
