Royal Arsenal Riverside – A Home Where Comfort Becomes Design

adrianapilat4
Jun 8
4 min read

luxury bespoke living room design, open plan leather sofa bespoke media unit

This private residence forms part of the luxury Royal Arsenal Riverside development by Berkeley Homes in Woolwich, set along the Thames with expansive riverside views that subtly shape the atmosphere of the interior.

Designed for clients relocating between California and London, the project centred around creating a home that felt warm, layered, and deeply personal while carefully responding to the apartment’s proportions and flow. Early design stages focused on spatial planning, furniture layouts, and bespoke interventions that would maximise the footprint while ensuring every room felt balanced, functional, and effortless to live in.

The result is an interior defined by rich materiality, curated artwork, and quietly refined detailing, where bespoke joinery, tonal warmth, and considered lighting come together to create a home that feels both elevated and entirely lived in.

Layered in character

The hallway introduces the home’s wider design language with quiet intention.

A bespoke radiator cover was reimagined as a slim entry console, transforming a functional element into a refined architectural feature. Artwork plays an important role here, with a limited-edition piece by Jack Vettriano paired alongside a series of vintage Transport for London prints, grounding the apartment in both personality and place.

Art became one of the defining elements of the project as a whole. Each piece was selected for a personal reason, creating a collection that feels layered, eclectic, and entirely unique to the clients, bringing character and individuality into every space.

A Fluid Connection

The living and dining space forms the centre of the home, designed to feel both sociable and relaxed, with bespoke joinery transforming the open-plan layout into something far more grounded and intentional. A rich, smoky-toned oak media unit and shelving composition paired with gunmetal detailing introduced warmth, structure, and a stronger architectural identity to the room.

Material layering and contrast play a defining role throughout the space. A tan leather sofa softens the darker timber palette, chosen to embrace the natural material which will soften over time, while reeded glass cabinetry subtly plays reference to a Californian home bar the clients had previously shared. The cement terrazzo worktop became one of the bolder design gestures within the apartment, introducing texture and visual contrast that transformed the space from a blank canvas into something entirely bespoke.

Integrated lighting within the joinery allows the atmosphere to shift naturally throughout the day, while curated artwork, including an iconic and striking piece by The Connor Brothers, reinforces the layered and personal narrative of the home.

A Quiet Place to Retreat

The principal bedroom was designed to feel cocooning and calm, layered with rich, tactile materials.

The bespoke feature wall panel evolved as a piece of art in its own right, crafted from hand-stained timber finishes, introducing depth and texture, while dark paintwork wraps the skirting and doors, creating an all-encompassing feel encouraging a true sense of retreat.

A super king bed upholstered in a rich, deep chocolate velvet by LeLievre anchors the space, balanced with oatmeal-toned bedding and layered neutrals that create warmth and softness throughout.

Lighting introduces a subtle Art Deco influence inspired by the client’s early references to The Great Gatsby, atmospheric rather than overt.

Intimate Expressions

The guest bedroom explores a richer, more intimate interpretation of the apartment’s material palette.

Patterned deco-inspired wallpaper, bespoke dual-tone bedside tables, and warm caramel tones create a layered atmosphere that feels both calm and expressive.

luxury bespoke headboard velvet, patterned wallpaper, bedroom inspo, dual tone side tables

A Space That Adapts

Designed as a flexible hybrid room, the third bedroom balances guest accommodation with workspace functionality.

A bespoke curved desk with ribbed detailing and concealed lighting sits seamlessly within the architecture, while caramel limewash walls, a ginger-toned sofa-bed, and a matching ottoman create a softer secondary living space.

The Language of Detail

Across the entire apartment, all hardware was upgraded to a matte bronze finish, from handles and hinges to switches and sockets.

While subtle, the intervention plays an important role in unifying the apartment’s material palette, removing visual interruption and ensuring even the smallest details contribute to the overall sense of cohesion and refinement.

The Final Reveal

Throughout the project, the clients chose not to receive progress photographs, preferring instead to experience the apartment fully finished for the very first time at the final reveal. Whilst regular updates were shared throughout the process, the transformation itself remained entirely under wraps until they stepped through the door.

As designers, there is always an ability to visualise beyond drawings, samples, and technical plans, but nothing compares to presenting a completed home in person and seeing a client’s vision fully realised for the very first time.

Client's Reflection

"We were pleasantly surprised by how big the space feels. Vesta really hit it out of the ballpark with creating a design that fits the dimensions of the flat perfectly. The colours and textures in the overall space are breathtaking. It’s wonderful to sit down in any of the rooms and let your eyes glaze over the various features, including the bespoke furniture pieces, the paint colours, the wallpaper and fabrics. While each room has its own attitude and personality, they all fit together to form a colourful and cohesive space, full of texture and character."

Conor Brothers' artwork, bespoke interior design, dining table marble, upholstered dining chairs grey, luxury interiors

Designer's Reflection

"The living area was one of the most transformative parts of the project for me. The bespoke shelving and media unit completely changed how the space felt, bringing warmth, structure, and personality into the apartment while still keeping it relaxed and comfortable. Seeing the clients experience the finished home for the first time, after keeping the project completely under wraps throughout the process, was incredibly rewarding."

This home is ultimately defined by the accumulation of thoughtful decisions, from bespoke joinery and curated artwork to the quiet consistency of materials and detail. The result is a space that feels warm, personal, and quietly made for living.

A second chapter of the project will follow, featuring a more in-depth conversation with the clients about the process, the collaboration, and the experience of living within the finished home.