The Sultanate of Style

I wasn't the first photographer to shoot Interior Designer, Francis Sultana's grand Mayfair apartment, and I'm sure I won't be the last. Arranged on 2 storeys, it's an impressive showcase for his exuberant style. On the main floor, two large Georgian reception rooms connected by double doors evoke an era of grand entertaining. It's no surprise therefore, that on the upper floor there is a discreet door that once lead to the butler's rooms. However, Francis's forebears would probably have been shocked by some of the large contemporary artworks adorning the walls. No matter, they looked wonderful across the pages of last Saturday's Times magazine.

Francis Sultana

Although the Times feature generously ran to 5 pages, there was sadly no space for my favourite bits of the flat; the bathroom and dressing room, so here they are.

Converts

A bowling hall, an underground public toilet and a garage, have all featured on this blog. Homes have been converted from the most unlikely of uses, but now finally I have shot a less unconventional conversion, namely a former Weslyan chapel in Lincolnshire. This simple Victorian space has been put to excellent use by artists, Nicola Streeten & her husband, John Plowman, and has just been published in the Times Saturday Magazine.

No Parking

A typical London street of restrained but elegant late Georgian terraced houses, that many of us might aspire to live in. Strange then, that it was the poky derelict garage at one end of the street that caught the eye of Adrian Wright, a former member of Human League, and his wife, Tracey Boyd, the fashion designer. It took some imagination to see that this sad structure had the potential to be home to two stylish individuals, rather than a car and assorted junk.

Commissioned late last year by the Saturday Times magazine, I was so captivated by the beautiful conversion, that I lost all track of time, and managed to incur a parking fine. If only there had been some off street parking.

In the can

Trying to organise shoots this summer has been almost impossible. The weather seems to have been more than usually unpredictable. It's not so bad when the shoot in question is down the road, but when it's in rural Wales, you need to be reasonably sure of the forecast. Vinny Lee from the Times, had arranged for us to head that way to shoot 2 locations for features in the Saturday Magazine. While gorgeous sunshine isn't necessary for interior shoots, the locations demanded some semblance of summer for the exterior shots. Our first attempt was back in April, but monsoon conditions put paid to that. We were more confident of sunshine in June, but as the date approached, this too was looking in doubt. In the end, having little faith in the hopelessly inaccurate forecasts, we headed off on the long journey with fingers firmly crossed. The risk was worth taking, and by the end of the day, we had this sweet little tin house in the can!

Later that evening, as Vinny and I were staying nearby, we noticed the tin house was bathed in the loveliest evening sunlight, and couldn't resist rushing out to capture it. Just as we got set up, the heavens opened. Not that you would know it from the pic.

Hollywood on Thames

Another story to recently feature in the Times, is this London home with filmstar looks. More 'West Coast' than West London, it was so 'easy on the lens' I shot much more than the magazine could feature. The home belongs to Jordana Yechiel, who owns a swimwear brand, Marcello Conti. Jordana put together much of the interior herself. Opening onto the garden is the very 'LA' contemporary kitchen and dining room, while upstairs owes a debt to The Great Gatsby with its Art Deco styling. Up again, and sticking with the movie theme, the chandelier in the dressing room reminded of one of Audrey Hepburn's hats in My Fair Lady. Given the nature of Jordana's business, it's a surprise that the classic Burt Lancaster movie, The Swimmer, is not referenced. Not a pool in sight!

Saturday Times article