Irenie Studio

Home - a private sanctuary.

"A cohesive narrative framing and capturing moments of life..."

Irenie Studio 2023

It was important that Barnsbury maintained the same rational, cohesive design principles that the client instilled in his everyday life inhabited the space, prioritising order, function, and maintaining a sense of calm. The client had a strong eye for design, so breaking and bending the expectation was something that remained integral to the space.

Framed vistas and curated visual moments guide the eye outward to the square and inward to intimate, tactile details. A restrained yet layered material palette adds richness and comfort, while the pops of colour and lighting subtly shifts the mood between day and night. Art collections and objects displayed with intention- offering personal expression without overwhelming the space, vitrines measured to the exact dimensions of the clients height, as though to offer secret viewing platforms, tailored experiences.

Flexibility is key: the home effortlessly adapts to changing lifestyles and daily rhythms. During the day, it supports productivity and calm, framing views, allowing light to guide the atmosphere, and enabling focus or rest. By night, it transforms into a welcoming environment for gathering with friends. Transparency and soft spatial separations- via screens, materials, or movable elements, offer moments of privacy while maintaining openness.

The design balances what exists with what can evolve. Architectural features are not hidden but celebrated, anchored and highlighted to enrich the present while allowing space for future change. The penthouse becomes a living environment with emotional depth, a refined expression of modern life.

"I loved working with Irenie, and her talents have turned a ‘place I lived in’ into a proper home. I am one of those people who (thinks he) knows what he likes, design-wise, so it was very interesting to see how it is *really* done by someone with Irenie’s talents and skills. She understood immediately what I didn’t like about my previous set-up and quickly made me see how a better world was possible! She is excellent on colour, materiality, mood and flow. As well as having great taste generally. And it was very reassuring to have a designer who added to those creative strengths with a keen focus on practical details throughout the process of turning the early design conversations into a finished set of drawings and specifications. Two other vital things: Irenie has a positive/can-do outlook which really helps, and she got stuck in to make sure builders and tradesmen etc were executing perfectly the vision she had. I could not be happier with the result, and would recommend her without hesitation."

Client 2023