“I believe that good design is not just visually appealing but engages all of the human senses.”
Anca Enica
A fusion of Inspiration
August 18, 2023
Nestled in the heart of Chelsea, Atelier Chelsea Design - founded by Anca Enica - has transformed a 19th century artist build with unique Dutch architecture within the Chelsea Park Carlyle Conservation Area.
Neighbouring the region’s iconic King’s Road, 78 Elm Park Road is a 67 m² two bedroom bijou apartment that challenges modern design. Although the aesthetic vision of Atelier Chelsea Design has a contemporary flair, the studio’s founder desired to simultaneously honour the building’s history, maintaining an array of classic features such as the cornice and patinated Corston brass switches.
The eight month project was centred around maximising natural light and how it affects the mood of a space. Housing artwork from Singaporean designer Tay Bak Chiang and The Cube Gallery London, 78 Elm Park Road boasts natural materials and their textured surfaces, moulding light and shadow to form soft organic landscapes for the eyes to roam.
The studio activated key structural work, opening up the living and kitchen arenas which were previously two separate rooms. The new layout takes advantage of the southern light and alluring gardens, bringing the outside in.
Anca Enica was inspired by her extensive travels to China, Japan and South Korea, reflected in the red hues and soft beach shade of the kitchen. She worked in collaboration with Huma Kitchens in Italy to design this space, whereby the restored full length sash windows welcome copious light stretching through to the hallway. Striking pieces pepper the kitchen such as the DCW Editions pendant above the worktop, reflecting the new space age movement to integrate modernity, and designed to light up a room like a shooting star.
The living space boasts a Misura Emmer bookcase, Vincent van Duysen black coffee table dusted with items such as an Anissa Kermiche female torso, an Acquisitions fireplace, Soho Home sofa, Relic London artwork and wooden sculpture, and an understated rug by Nordic Knots. The adjacent and open dining area, showcasing a Tom Dixon table and chairs, is overlooked by a clean J Adams Luna pendant, again embracing the space age thread.
Honouring a neutral palette with paintwork by French label, Argile, the master bedroom boasts 3D wallpaper by new Swedish company BelarteSTUDIO, a Hope by Luceplan pendant, and Orluna downlighting. The second bedroom - with custom joinery by Neatsmith and a Neverending Glory La Scala L pendant by Lasvit - also acts as a study and library overlooking the road. Elsewhere, the master bathroom integrates a combination of Domus tiles, a Porcelanosa basin and microcement from Design Concrete.
A former corporate lawyer, Anca yearned to travel the world and pursue an entrepreneurial path. She attended business school and co-founded a boutique business focused on educational travel whereby she connected with figures from all corners of the world, from Silicon Valley, Brazil and South Africa, to the UAE, China and Japan, naturally accumulating a vast memory bank of cultural influences which now inform her work at Atelier Chelsea Design.
SHARE THIS
Subscribe
Keep up to date with the latest trends!
Contribute
G&G _ Magazine is always looking for the creative talents of stylists, designers, photographers and writers from around the globe.
Find us on
Home Projects
With a view of Boa Viagem Beach in Recife, Brazil, the interior design project, signed by Architects Office, invites the landscape to enter the apartment by capturing the vastness of the horizon.
In the heart of Józefów, opposite a picturesque forest, Florentyna Paszko-Karczewska from Tulumi Interiors pro j ected a home for a family of four that desired a bright, serene space—an oasis away from the bustle of everyday life.
André Luque Arquitetura renovated a 570 m² apartment for a family in São Paulo, focusing on the integration of social spaces.
Designer Alexey Aladashvili designed an apartment is located in a cottage village in the Moscow region from with coniferous forest and river view.
The international architecture and interior design firm Archventil oversaw the interior design of a bright apartment in Milan, combining a classical base with contemporary furnishings, vintage design pieces and the industrial finitures.
Popular Posts
In collaboration with O Apartamento , a multidisciplinary agency focused on hospitality, travel, art, and interior design, the Lisbon Design Week was more than just a showcase of beautiful objects. It was a declaration of intent: to place Lisbon’s own design voices on the global stage, and to create meaningful exchanges between local craftsmanship and international perspectives.
Nestled at the foot of Shuiguan Mountain, just an hour's drive from Beijing, Commune by the Great Wall stands as a testament to contemporary architectural innovation harmoniously blended with China's rich heritage.
The curtains have just closed on Milan Design Week 2025, the most anticipated and influential design event of the year, once again casting the spotlight on the Lombard capital from April 7 to 13. But as you walked through the city’s vibrant streets, it wasn’t just design enthusiasts and professionals you met...
