last weekend i attended the second function + form event, organised by my good friends annie (stylejuicer) and tiffany (curate & display), which took the form of an east london house tour visiting the homes of architect chris dyson and interior designer laura lakin.

as soon as i set foot in the former hackney schoolhouse where laura lives i was smitten; gloriously long corridors, big sweeping staircases (reminiscent of those in my old school) and large windows that let the light flood in… i knew i was going to love her flat even before i’d stepped in the front door!

laura wanted her home to feel contemporary with clean lines and an open plan layout, while still retaining some of the industrial feel of the original building which i loved. she has kept the colour palette predominantly monochrome to allow these architectural details to remain the main focus, while highlighting the feeling of space and openness, and i literally oohed and aahed my way around as i took in all the beautiful details.

the master bedroom, with adjoining bathroom, was probably my favourite space – all bright white light, soft pink accents and gorgeous gallery wall of family photos and statement artwork. the bare floorboards underfoot were broken up with the lush tactility of a sheepskin rug (seriously, i’m all over sheepskin just now!) and the geometric framework of the big white four poster bed was tempered with black oriental bedside tables, strewn with knick-knacks.

in the main living area, the space had been zoned using clever interior architecture that laura specially designed to suit her living requirements…

in terms of layout, i loved the idea of knocking all the walls down and having one big open space but knew i would be sharing the space with a friend and didn’t want to lose one bedroom. to solve this i had internal steel windows made and the large one opened onto the living room from the second bedroom – this allowed the light to flow throughout and also made the space feel more open plan. i also wanted us to have our own space but then meet in the middle – literally – when we want to socialise or watch a movie on the projector.  ~ laura lakin

i knew art would play an important role here and would be changing fairly regularly so the black and white palette worked well as a background. the dark entrance hall lends itself well to more traditional pieces of art with gilded frames while the rest of the flat is perfect for contemporary pieces. ~ laura lakin

what do you think guys? i’d certainly love to move right in!

with thanks to form+function and houzz for organising such a wonderful and inspiring tour. you can see more photographs from laura lakin’s beautiful home over on her houzz profile.