Mylands paint worked with creative director Andrea Gelardin to create the perfect finishes for her family home in North London

Widely known within the fashion, music and entertainment industries for her highly attuned curatorial eye, Andrea has created content for brands including Gucci, Swarovski, Burberry and Apple music as well as artists such as Prince, Riz Ahmed and Lady Gaga.

When it came to her new home, Andrea had a clear vision of how she wanted to use colour to add warmth and vigour. Tapping into her Mediterranean roots, she chose nature-inspired paint colours for the light-filled home and added other touches such as Venini chandeliers, an abundance of natural materials, intriguing displays of art and layers of antique, vintage and modern furniture.

She says, “I wanted to retain the traditional features and spirit of the house whilst using vibrant colours and furniture to bring something new to the space. I like that it has the feel of a country house yet is situated in what feels like a multicultural very London neighbourhood. We get the best of both worlds in that way.”

Unable to find the exact shade she wanted for her kitchen, Andrea developed a bespoke yellow in collaboration with Mylands’ in-house colour experts. The cabinetry of the British Standard by Plain English kitchen is painted in Andrea’s Freegrove Mustard wood & metal eggshell, a richly pigmented shade which brings a sunshine warmth into the room.

The walls are painted in Honest John™ No.58, a traditional off-white with warm, stone undertones whilst the ceiling is in Mylands Paint Whitehall™ No.9, a pure white with a hint of ochre to complement the bold yellow paint on the cabinetry. The deep blackish-red of Rothschild Street™ No.296 on the doors creates a striking architectural focal point, leading the eye towards the garden beyond.

The kitchen is the brightest room in the house – the heart of the home – and a place for Andrea’s family to gather; it is a practical room with a bold but cocooning colour scheme, evocative of Mediterranean climes.

Andrea has used natural and luxurious materials throughout the house, including wood, leather, marble, stone and rattan to continue the decorative influence of the natural Mediterranean landscape. Moving through the house, there is a calm use of pastel shades and rich brown furniture and accessories, bringing a touch of the open air and countryside to this urban home. The hallway is painted in Clerkenwell™ No.21, a warm off-white base for the bold furniture and lighting.

For her tranquil sitting room, Andrea again chose Clerkenwell™ No.21 for the walls and Hoxton Grey™ No.72 for the doors and window frames, keeping the room light and bright and letting the pendant light by Arturo Alvarez and vintage marble table take centre stage.

Andrea selected Chester Square™ No.199 for the glamorous master bathroom cabinetry and woodwork, an olive-green shade which is fresh and uplifting against the off-white walls and sleek marble. Artworks from Gillian Wearing’s Homage to Diane Arbus and Mario Testino’s Koala hang above the fireplace.

For the serene master bedroom, Andrea chose a colour palette of off-white, navy and rich accents of brown. Clerkenwell™ No.21 has been used on the walls, ceiling, skirting and cornicing, creating a clean backdrop that emphasises the abundant natural light in the room. She chose Grouse™ No.75 with its quiet hints of red and umber for the woodwork for a subtle contrast. Andrea used dark wooden antique and vintage furniture, an upholstered headboard and valance in Nicky Haslam’s Balcony Stripe in Unearthly Brown and a rattan pendant light, all of which contribute to the minimal, earthy style of the bedroom.

The vibrant Cole & Son Orange Blossom wallpaper in the dramatic powder room is perfectly balanced by Andrea’s choice of Market Green™ No.38 for the panelling and radiator, creating a stylish space that harks back to her Mediterranean roots.

Andrea’s grandfather, the prolific Spanish architect Luis Gutierrez-Soto, is a big influence on her design choices and style. His drawings of some of Spain’s most famous pools, apartment blocks and airports adorn the walls of her bedroom, her love for art is clear throughout the house, including works by Mario Testino, Mark Maggiori, Slim Aarons, and David Dawson’s portrait of Lucien Freud.

Whats next? Andrea is currently working as creative director of the hotly anticipated Broadwick Soho, an independent luxury hotel opening in 2022, and the first London hotel to be designed by Martin Brudnizki.