John Lewis pop up luxury apartment in Oxford St

Have you seen ‘The Residence’ in John Lewis’s Oxford Street store?

Recently I went to a talk at the store between Elle Decoration’s Editor-at-Large, Michelle Ogundehin and the Head of Design at John Lewis, Philippa Prinsloo. They were discussing new trends (about more later) and introducing the new show apartment.

I’ve always been a great fan of John Lewis - I often go there to solve a problem, and leave having solved several. They not only sell beautiful products but also very practical useful stuff too.

Having said that, it’s not a place I would think to go to for inspiration, but this apartment has really raised the bar for JL. When you walk into The Residence, it has a special atmosphere about it. You feel welcome and cocooned, at the same time as madly jealous and impressed.

I kept telling myself – ‘this is just a show home in the middle of a shop!’ But I really wanted to relax on the sofa and read the magazines, and invite my friends over later for dinner.

John Lewis designers picked up on “The New Modern” trends (as forecast by Elle Decoration’s Michelle Ogundehin, last year) when they were designing ‘The Residence’, focussing on this new decorative movement, with a love of pattern, textiles and sumptuous, tactile materials, all combined with a fun attitude. JL also collaborated with the V&A interpreting historic wallpaper designs in a new way.

The Residence has just one bedroom, with windows looking onto a small terrace, luxury bedding and curvy fitted wardrobes that wave around a corner. The main living / dining area is a very clever use of space, with a beautiful kitchen tidied away behind big doors, and there’s even a quiet office space in the corner.

Its all very stylish, gorgeous and luxurious, in the New Modern style. There is a beautiful mix of rich colours and luxurious materials (I LOVE the forest green velvet sofa), and dashes of gold and brass, delightful light fittings, and lots of lovely decorative objects.

I highly recommend a visit. There is a competition for a sleepover with concierge service, or you can host a dinner party! The only problem with that might be - I would refuse to leave.

Links

The New Modern:

http://michelleogundehin.com/trends-newmodern

The Residence:

https://www.johnlewis.com/content/the-residence