It’s hardly controversial to argue that the world today is as connected as it’s ever been. Increasingly common is the visual form, first with the rise of the Pinterest board and Instagram, and more recently with the boom of TikTok and video-heavy apps. For people looking for inspiration in creating a unique London home, these platforms offer endless ideas.
What’s happened isn’t just the mass amalgamation of information, as the harbingers of the Internet age promised. Interior design styles, too, have undergone a worldwide convergence. Cottagecore, industrial chic, minimalism/maximalism. Niche or even regional trends have gone supranational. Stroll into a modern coffee shop today and expect to find hanging bulbs and grey distressed metal stools. You’d be at a push to tell if you’re in London or Lisbon.
The eclectic world of Sera Hersham Loftus
In the offline world, however, there are designers taking a stand. Take Sera Hersham Loftus, for example. Her stunning bohemian London home is unique as a fingerprint, where one-of-a-kind reclaimed finds brush shoulders with hand-selected vintage pieces from bygone eras. Anyone would be hard pressed to find somewhere just like it; indeed, the place undergoes such a constant metamorphosis that it’s almost unrecognisable from one month to the next.
This seemingly-fleeting transience belies Sera’s human touch, the evident thought and appreciation that is poured into every single nook of the home. Take her “house gowns“, for example – handmade, multifunctional billowing drapes which act as curtains, divide rooms, festoon walls. She creates intimacy and depth in an otherwise cavernous space, toying with its towering Regency ceilings and full-height windows to create an unmistakable, unplaceable ambience in this unique London home.
Long Division
Sera breaks down the traditional division of rooms in the home, inherited from its 1820s heritage. Shutters and casual dividers feature instead of doors. Bedrooms bleed into communal spaces. You feel so at-home that you could sleep almost anywhere. Although, if objects could talk, the space would be filled with incessant chatter. Each item has lived past lives, with a plethora of stories attached. Quaint canals and a bygone era of pre-containerisation shipping – tells the reclaimed flooring from a Dutch barge. Hedonism at the height of Disco – an authentic disco ball from legendary New York nightclub Studio 54 watches knowingly from above.
A key component in Sera’s vision is lighting; there is nary an overhead lamp to be found here. Warm lamp-glows exude from places you’d never expect – inside a vase, behind the bathtub – adding to the multidimensionality of the space. Even in broad daylight, Sera’s creative playfulness with light and shadow guides the eye fleetingly from corner to crevice in delightfully unexpected ways. This contributes significantly to the unique London ambiance she has cultivated.
Book Today
This counter-stance has not gone unnoticed. Sera’s star-studded clientele has included Yoko Ono, Courtney Love and Kate Moss. Her impressive Instagram following proves the existence of fellow rebels – against the bland, corporate-image-driven convergence of spaces.
For the first time, Sera is allowing guests to experience this incredibly unique London home first-hand. Longtime fans or casual appreciators will delight at the opportunity to immerse themselves in this truly one-of-a-kind space. Stay & Escape are delighted to exclusively offer bookings for up to four people; get in touch with us today.
For more information, please visit www.stayandescape.com/for-guests/boho-designer-home-littlevenice
