Peter Mikic Brings Victorian House Into The XXI Century

Peter Mikic has an open approach to all his disparate projects, which range from residential homes to restaurants, a fitness center, yachts, and — currently and fascinatingly — a private train owned by an English couple who plan to use it in Europe. However diverse his portfolio is, the designer’s approach remains consistent. 

One recent undertaking was most decidedly not about him: a Victorian townhouse in Notting Hill. His client, whom he describes as “sophisticated and understated,” wanted an extremely simple, pared-down aesthetic. “It pushed me to design something different,” he says.

The building is a double-fronted Victorian house, but there was almost nothing original left inside, which gave Mikic the chance to completely rebuild the interior. Mikic worked with a fantastic firm, 23 Architecture, who designed the central spine: a contemporary staircase with internal glass walls to let the light in.

What Mikic did was to focus on texture — of wood, metal, plasterwork, detailing — and to use color blocking, with three or four different tones of a single color in each room. 

When you come through the front door there is a gallery-like feel. You see a glass wall in front of you and a spare environment containing amazing art. On the other side of the glass wall, a staircase is a sculptural object itself, solid travertine and completely cantilevered. It’s an extraordinary piece of engineering.

Then, you enter the main living room. It’s very contemporary in feel, but Peter Mikic kept the Victorian windows. Thin bronze lines around the room were a way of adding detail without having cornices and moldings. Also on the first floor, the main bedroom is in soft shades of beige and pink. 

The main bathroom was done in a beautiful off-white onyx. There is no real color there, just pattern and texture and simple, clean lines. It’s very elegant, calm, and understated, which reflects the client’s presence.

The family room, next to the kitchen, leads right outside. This area is more relaxed, with more durable fabrics. 

In the kitchen, Mikic used teak for the cabinets, with beautiful bronze panels to hide the appliances. 

Another floor down is a cinema room, which reflects Mikic color-blocking approach. 

The drop-down screen is in front of a glass wall, with a lap pool and gym behind that. It all looks very clean and simple, but it’s very complicated to create a house like this. Sometimes detailing can hide flaws, but here everything has to be done perfectly and positioned just so. Mikic says it’s very zen, and it was fascinating to work this way. The designer feels like his initiatives and instincts develop with every project. "It’s kind of extraordinary."

Source: Introspective Magazine
Photography by James McDonald