Open House: creative director Dominic Goldman on creating a calm and inspiring interior from scratch at his penthouse flat in Hampstead
Dominic: “Flats were selling quickly in London back in 2013. Demand was really high and when I found something that I liked, it would inevitably fall through because there was a cash buyer, or it would end up in a bidding war.
“Then this place came up. I hadn’t really been considering new-builds but I could see immediately that it ticked all the right boxes. The developers had kept the original façade but rebuilt everything else, so it benefits from modern building techniques that make it very energy-efficient.
“Crucially – after all the problems I had with noise in period properties – it is super quiet. There’s no one above you, as it’s a penthouse, and the solid concrete floors mean you can’t hear anything from the other apartments.
“There is also a terrace and access to communal gardens, and it is very close to Finchley Road station. I can be in Soho in 20 minutes while living in this leafy green bit of Hampstead, a short walk from Hampstead Village and the Heath.
“So as soon as I saw it, I moved quickly as I could and bought it.
“Like all the other residents here, I was the first owner. When I moved in, the flat was just an empty shell. I was completely free to bring my aesthetic to the interior, though the scale of the task felt quite daunting at first.
“I was really drawn to the massive 42-foot open-plan living, dining and kitchen space that leads out on to the terrace – it was important to me that I had space to entertain, but it is a particularly large room for a London flat. I found I had to break it up into zones so it could be both open and cosy, using lighting, plants and artwork to introduce a sense of calm and inspiration.
“The interior did take a little while to evolve. I had always wanted to start an art collection and as it grew and permeated through the flat, it transformed everything. My favourite piece is by a graffiti artist called Pose. It is huge and vibrant – it gives the room so much energy.
“There’s also a massive sofa that we brought back after spending a year living in LA. I wanted something that could seat a lot of people.
“I’ve always liked the Danish brand HAY – the dining table is from there, as are the bar stools – and the chairs are by another Scandinavian brand called Mutto. There’s a granite coffee table, also from Denmark, and a beautiful handmade chair by Hans Wegner.
“So, to create a contrast with all the Scandi design, I sourced a vintage rug from Morocco for the floor – I went there for the weekend specifically to find one that would be big enough to fill the space.
“For me, a good interior needs to fit around your life, whether that’s relaxing, hosting family and friends, or when you’re working from home. I’ve actually really enjoyed working here during the pandemic as there was nothing to distract me. A lot of my work has been in an open-plan office, where there’s always people talking and always something going on. It’s great when you want to see people and talk things through in person, but here there’s calm and space. I can put my own music on and really focus.
“Even in normal times, the flat is great for switching off on the weekends. I might have some people over on a Friday night, and Belsize and Hampstead Villages are great for brunches and independent food shops. I’ll often bring back some fresh quality produce to cook on Saturday night. And the open-plan kitchen is a great place to be when hosting family and friends.
“We’ve decided to move because our family is growing; I think our next chapter will be somewhere outside London. But there’s a lot that I will take from my experience here. I’ve loved how everything just works. There’s a lot of technology built into the house – you can control the lighting and audio from your phone, and there’s air cooling, which is fantastic in summer.
“When we move, I am keen to somehow maintain that sense of calm and focus; the work/life balance that I’ve found here.
“I’ll miss being close to Hampstead Heath and all the great independent shops. There’s a wonderful feeling of being in an English village while also being so close to the heart of London. And there’s a real sense of community here – we know all the dog walkers on the Heath, and all the neighbours look out for each other.
“I hope that whoever buys the flat will be able to enjoy being somewhere so safe and calm, and so well connected. We’ve made some great memories here.”
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