Elite Interior April 2017
Elite Interior: Translation April 2017 A diamond in a precious frame Ashberg House - a five-story mansion in the central London district of Chelsea. The interiors were designed by the design house Morpheus London, and a source of inspiration for designers. Served as a diamond "Ashberg", adorned the Russian Crown Jewels. The forms of the precious stone are reflected in the pieces of furniture, accessories, fixtures and even the glass ceilings. Morpheus London specializes in quarters and cities around the world - from London to Monte Carlo. Usually, as a starting point within their projects, the design team under the management of Alex Isaac takes the architectural context of the surroundings as inspiration. However, this mansion, placed in the heart of Chelsea - on the street Cathcart Road has become an exception to the rules. Despite the fact that it is located inside a specially protected zone, where the new buildings are minimized and new buildings near The Bolton s (famous for its sky-high real estate, as rare as clear sunny days in the British capital) - Ashberg House was erected recently. It stands out against the background of the neighbourhood villas from traditional red brick to a modernist façade. The dimensions: a five-story house which occupies an area of 800 m2. When Alex Isaac reflected on the project of the interior, he saw a photo of an amazing diamond that struck him with its unusual Amber color and mysterious history. A precious 102-carat stone once belonged to The Romanov family and decorated the crown of Russian tsars. In 1934, the Soviet government sold the diamond to the head of the Stockholm bank Vya Nanken to Olof Aschberg. Aschberg was friends with him and received the permission without hindrance for the export of the diamond. He gave his name to the stone and, managed to cut facets of the Swedish company's jewellers W.A. Bolin - ironically, the former court firm of the royal family. In the late 1950's, the Ashberg diamond was sold at an auction in Stockholm to an anonymous collector, and since then, all traces are lost. Alex Isaac was so impressed with the beauty of the diamond that he decided to use it as the main source of inspiration for the interior design of the house, giving it the name Ashberg House. The mansion is surrounded by a high wall, which, like a treasure, hides from prying eyes. From the side of the inner courtyard of the building, the wall has been completely replaced by panoramic windows, through which the sun's rays, refracted, penetrate into the rooms. In the design, the preference was given to materials like glass, basalt and bronze. The house has five bedrooms, and a living room, dining room and kitchen all united in a single open space, in addition to a home cinema, a staff bedroom, wine cellar, luxury spa complex with swimming pool, sauna and gym. A cozy patio with a fireplace is ideal place for gathering with friends in the fresh air.
Within a small garden, reminiscent of a quiet and lazy oasis is a sculpture created by David Harber - five-time winner of the Chelsea Flower Show. A special mention is the swimming pool, designed with the inspiration behind the installation "20:50" by British sculptor Richard Wilson, which can be visited at London's Saatchi Gallery. 90% of all the furnishings were custom-built by the Morpheus London design team. Other objects within the design, for example, the chandelier Falling Leaf handcrafted by Lasvit, consists of 140 glass "leaves" and echoes the crowns of garden trees. Ashberg House has not yet found its owner, buy it (in the region of 32.5m) and become a neighbour to Madonna, Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson and other British celebrities, for anyone who has 32.5m. Image captions: During the interior design of the mansion, the designers met with a master of feng shui. He advised the influences of the five elements on man and the important area in the house to draw fire: which includes the installation of several fireplaces and candles within the home. The furnishings in the study all feature a dark colour scheme which encourages greater focus when using the room. The pool design is inspired by the installation of "20:50" of British Sculptor Richard Wilson, which appears in the Saatchi Gallery. The source of inspiration for Wilson was the spilled engine oil "20:50" - he was fascinated by a substance that looked like a black mirror. In this London mansion, there are five bedrooms, each designed in a way to please the eye and promote a comfortable rest, with the light colour scheme, unobtrusive floral ornament on the walls, to promote a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. The contrast of dark and light shades, and shiny and matt surfaces are repeated throughout the home interiors.