The Refinery by Southern Home Ownership – Show Home Room by Room

On London’s Sugar Mile, in the heart of rapidly regenerating West Silvertown, The Refinery is a collection of 60 one-, two- and three- bedroom homes available through Southern’s Shared Ownership scheme.

Rebecca Kent, lead interior designer for Suna Interiors, explains the influences behind the design of the duplex show home.

Ground Floor Kitchen: The ground floor of the apartment is incredibly spacious and really lends itself to a relaxed open-plan design. The modern kitchen is even a generous enough size to comfortably fit an additional formal dining area. We aimed to create a design that would appeal to a wide range of first-time buyers, from professional couples to growing families. The area has an incredible industrial past that is still visible; the Tate and Lyle sugar refinery is only just down the road – so it was important to use that we subtly incorporated that history into the layout, highlighting the authentic connection between the development and the area’s roots. A burnt orange sofa warms up the industrialised, metal finish on the free-standing shelves, statement chair and marble-effect coffee table. Balancing the room’s contemporary finishes with historic accents, a large heritage map of East London hangs above the sofa, tying in with the history of the docklands.

Living Room: The first floor living room is an incredible bonus with the expansive kitchen and dining area on the ground floor. We wanted to create a modern but comfortable space for the formal lounge. The velvet sofa looks plush but smart against the gallery wall of oversized black and white photographs in sleek frames. To maximise use of the space, we set up a drinks bar in the nook behind the door. We chose burnt orange occasional chairs to match the sofa on the ground floor, integrating the colour palette – the leather finish is a nod to East London’s tanning history.

Master Bedroom: We wanted to create a feeling of luxury in the master bedroom with a warm and rich bronze palette. The walnut furniture incorporates metal finishes that we’ve been seeing throughout the design; the bronze wallpaper in a dramatic, pinstripe pattern and facing oversized rectangular mirror bring sophistication to the room, while the burnt orange cushions on the bed adds a pop of colour.

Second Bedroom: In contrast to the master bedroom, we created a more urban design in the second bedroom with industrial mounted lighting on either side of the large double bed and a sleek clothing rack in black metal finishes. Statement olive and black geometric wallpaper is the focal point for this room, gently softened by an upholstered stone headboard.

Study: We decided to utilise the third bedroom as a study to cater to the young professional freelancing or working from home for the day. Rather than a double bed, the room easily fits a double desk that matches the wood finish floating shelves. A burnt orange suede folding chair offers a mini breakout space and ties in the colour palette seen throughout the home.