March 19, 2020

Text: Jesse Dorris

Goddard Littlefair Layers Personality and Serenity into a London Apartment

Custom seating (along with a pouf and console) by Fabrili look out over the city. Photography by Philip Vile.

The curvilinear ribbon façade of the UNStudio-designed Canaletto tower in Islington became a landmark in East London when it opened in 2017. For the interior of one of its 2,000-square-foot apartments, Goddard Littlefair wanted to soften the exterior’s rigorous expanses of glass and metal.

“The views are breathtaking, and it was important to maximize sightlines to the paranormal of the skyline,” says director and co-founder Jo Littlefair. “However, glass can give off a slightly cold feel. We countered [its] hard materiality with curved furniture and used tactile materials to create a serene environment.”

In the study, an Alter London chair is paired with a desk by Handvärk. Photography by Philip Vile.

Throughout the three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath space, custom furnishings in tones of blush, light blue, and cream join what Littlefair calls “layers of personality, a mix of materials from light wood, marble, and ceramics to demure metallics, reflecting the design of the building’s façade.” And a custom table from Zanat offers a witty take on the exterior swoops and sways: Its maple base, she says, “is hand carved with unique scallop patterns. It’s one of my favorite details.”

An Aromas Del Campo chandelier illuminates dining chairs by Chapel Street; the table is by Fabrili, as are the living area’s sofa and club chairs, around a Julian Chichester table and a custom side table by Zanat. Photography by Philip Vile.
In the bedroom, Kelly Wearstler lamps rest on the Julian Chichester side tables bookending a Fabrili bed. Photography by Philip Vile.
On the patio, a Fabrili chair sits beside lamps by Aerin. Photography by Philip Vile
Balthaup cabinets line the kitchen, with Blanco Claron stainless-steel sink bowls and Gessi taps. Photography by Philip Vile.

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