“We’ve lived in this apartment for just over two years. It was by chance that we came across it; my fiancée Joel was refurbishing a property in the same building and it became available. We instantly fell in love with the 1930s Art Deco features and large Crittall windows. It’s a really charming space and the building has a lot of character.

“We were living with friends in an ex-council flat in Hackney before we found this place. Joel and I had been together for many years, but this is our first home together. We’ve loved the process of configuring the space, and it’s made us really appreciate having an environment that is ours.

“Joel is the founder of Studio Hako, a London-based design and build company, and I’m an artist working with film, photography and installation, so there are natural overlaps between our practices. We often collaborate on projects; I might help him with some aspects of interior design or photography, and similarly he assists me with constructing installations for my artwork.

“When we moved in, the kitchen was in desperate need of attention, so that became our initial focus. Joel was keen to cast a concrete worktop himself, so we decided to keep the whole space quite sparse to showcase its materiality and texture. He pre-cast the worktop in three sections offsite, then there was an interesting moment fitting it in the tiny lift to reach the apartment. It’s come out really warm in colour and looks more like stone; we really love it. I chose the Japanese-inspired horizontal tiles to echo the repeated rectangles in the window framing, too. The floorboards are reclaimed then painted.

“The general inspiration for the apartment draws on the history of the building. I have always loved Art Deco as a movement, as it feels simultaneously modern and historical. Joel and I are also fans of Modernist and traditional Shoin-zukuri interiors. I couldn’t help but notice how the Crittall window designs imitated Japanese Shoji screens, so I see the apartment as an amalgamation of all these references.

“Some of our favourite designers include Tadao Ando and Alvar Aalto. On a recent trip to Helsinki we visited the Aalto House, which has been hugely influential to us, especially when it comes to how we approach our space.

“We love to entertain and have friends over. We’ll pull the dining table out and gather everyone around for food. Otherwise, we generally use the space to unwind and relax – Sunday mornings in bed looking out to Epping Forest in the distance is always lovely. We both have studios, so we like to keep our work there.

“I’ve not always been such a minimalist! Joel and I are both magpies at heart, with a history of hoarding. I suppose with increasingly busy lives, it’s more and more important that we have a sanctuary waiting at home. Over time we’ve evolved our aesthetic together and begun to appreciate more minimalist principles – we like to allow each object or piece of furniture the space to breathe so you can appreciate its form and qualities. Even though our space is minimal, there’s a definite Wabi Sabi softness to it; there are lots of old and aged objects, natural materials, textures and plants.

I really treasure gifts from artist friends. Ive got a number of pieces from the sculptor Malgorzata Bany, paintings by Tycjan Knut and a porcelain bowl by Steven Geddes, who is a ceramicist I share my studio with. There are lots of sentimental pieces too, like the Japanese zen-garden stone Joel brought back from Japan, and a piece of slate from a river in Wales where we got engaged.

“Joel jokingly calls me ‘The Bowerbird’ as I’m forever arranging and moving things about! I think it helps to reactivate the space and bring a new atmosphere to it.

“Plants are a big part of our interior, too. Living on the third floor without a balcony means we have to bring nature indoors. I’ve collected plants over the years, and they come from all over. Recently a moss caught my eye when I saw it growing in a neighbour’s front garden. I asked if I could take some, and although she thought I was mad, she did agree! We’ve gathered a lot of the reeds and grasses on walks in the nearby marshes, too.

“In this part of Clapton we’re really spoilt for the amount of open green space. We love to walk around Walthamstow Marshes and see the Belted Galloway cows that graze there in the summer. Then there’s Hackney Marshes and the canal, so wilderness feels very close by and helps keep us grounded.”

Probably the marble table, which we designed and built together. There have been many conversations, meals and memories shared around it, so it’s really special to us.

For us it’s around responding to the stresses of modern life, so being able to carve out an environment that’s peaceful and calming that you can escape to.

The apartment on St John Street is stunning – the use of raw materials, space and lighting is perfect. We’re also big fans of Lubetkin, and his Highpoint penthouse is quite something!

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