Curators Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Mathilde Friis on life in their brutalist flat in Bethnal Green
One of the first things the couple fell in love with when they viewed their flat was its soaring view of the capital. “There’s something so special about looking over London and contemplating where we’re at in life,” says Mathilde, standing with Gonzalo on their balcony, where many of their best conversations take place. For these two, taking in the diverse architecture – which includes 1960s and 70s council housing, Victorian terraced homes and the City’s skyscrapers – is a reminder that they currently call “an amazing city” home.
Gonzalo and Mathilde, who were born in Murcia, Spain, and Oslo, Norway, have made the flat feel like home by decorating it with things from their loved ones. Above the dining-room table, for instance, is a pendant that once hung in Mathilde’s parents’ house. “I begged my father to bring it over,” she says. “In a way, I feel like it’s heard all our conversations. It’s a witness of my family’s life.” The couple’s artist and designer friends, meanwhile, often present the pair with pictures and ceramics as tokens of their gratitude when they come and stay. Mathilde describes these pieces as “time capsules” that remind her of precious periods of her life.
Mathilde and Gonzalo have had to compromise on their interiors. “I come from a very cold, dark country,” she says, which is why she loves lighting candles – something that took Gonzalo time to get used to. But they have plenty in common too, from a love of reading books from their exquisitely curated library wall to a fondness for brainstorming from their bed. “We really like working from here,” says Gonzalo, describing it as the perfect place for “sharing ideas and references and discussing concepts.” Watch our film now for the house tour – and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode.
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