London’s finest new show apartment which features an ‘invisible kitchen’ and secret bedroom inspired by hit film series Kingsman has been unveiled by multi-award-winning design house Argent Design at The Stage, the £750m transformation of the site of William Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch.
Argent Design, led by internationally-renowned interior designer and Founding Director Nicola Fontanella, has worked in collaboration with joint venture partners Galliard Homes, Cain International, McCourt, Vanke and The Estate Office Shoreditch, to design the new show apartments which showcase ‘raw luxe’ interior design and secret service-inspired interiors, ideal for the young demographic who choose to live in Shoreditch.
The new show apartment and collection of homes for sale is being launched to coincide with a Shakespeare-inspired art exhibition curated by contemporary art gallery Imitate Modern, which features the colourful art work of renowned artists John Paul Fauves, Sara Pope and Dimitri Likissas, held within the new art gallery at the former Victorian Railway Viaduct in Shoreditch. The gallery is connected to the Galliard Homes marketing suite, and reflects the hip, curative surround of Shoreditch.
Argent Design’s Nicola Fontanella, who has designed the homes and yachts of A-List celebrities, international royalty and exclusive private clients, has focused on creating a vibrant, liveable space with an ambience of well-being throughout. 
The new show apartment collection showcases a dressed studio and a one-bedroom apartment, with the design style embracing industrial-inspired elements with high-end bespoke finishes, a style that Nicola Fontanella is calling ‘raw luxe’. 
Combining warehouse details with refined finishes and natural textiles, the design highlights include woven mesh, bronze edging and Crittal doors, with a colour palette of olive green, tan leather and mink grey.
The stand-out feature of the studio show apartment is a ‘secret’ kitchen inspired by hit film series Kingsman, the sexy secret service organisation with gadgets galore.
A selection of individual antique-style mirrored panels mounted on a running rail allows the resident to effortlessly disguise the kitchen, giving the studio the feel of a luxury hotel suite and creating a veritable Kingsman-style lair.
Both apartments feature wide plank oak flooring and gallery style spotlighting, with exposed brick walls bringing the edgy vibe of Shoreditch into the homes. The kitchens offer integrated Miele appliances with white composite stone worktops and natural grain oak units, and a breakfast bar with elegant bronze bar stools.
An open-plan living and dining area includes a bespoke media unit with mesh shelving, a statement wool rug with leather edging and woven rubber plant pots, all incorporating natural materials into the scheme’s raw design ambience.
The show homes also contain cleverly hidden bedroom suites, separated from the living areas by Crittal doors with ribbed glass. The Master bedroom provides a bespoke leather headboard bordered by a striking black shelf with antique mirror detailing. A pair of floating bedside units, in a mink-grey hued distressed wood, sit either side of a boucle-tweed bed frame, and the bed is furnished with leather cushions and a cosy oversized loose-knit throw in navy or olive green.
The ensuite bathroom offers flecked Italian terrazzo tiling, with black waxed Metro tile flooring in the style of parquet wood. The bathroom provides luxury Vado fittings, Crittal-style shower doors and an in-shower Tile-Vision TV, another stylish gadget in the homes. There is also ample storage in mirrored cabinets. Throughout the show apartments, Argent Design have used sliding pocket-doors in a distressed oak veneer with bronze edging creating an asymmetric design. Even the hallway has carefully placed mirrors and lighting so that residents have an ‘arrival experience’ and feel at home.
The launch of the new show apartment collection follows the sales success of the Phase One launch at The Stage, which has seen high demand from domestic buyers and from overseas. The new central square, one of the largest to be created in the capital, will be bordered by 400,000 sqft of mixed use space including cafes, restaurants and shops with four striking new buildings, a 37 storey landmark residential tower providing 412 private sale apartments and penthouses; two office buildings providing over 257,000 sqft of “blue chip” commercial space and retail premises at ground level and a leisure/performing arts pavilion.
Argent Design initially designed the first show apartment collection at The Stage which focused on ‘best of British’ and British heritage, an element that is carried through the new collection with the use of materials such as boucle tweed.
The new art exhibition, ‘Exhibition à la Shakespeare’ features the works of renowned artists John Paul Fauves, Sara Pope and Dimitri Likissas, filling the gallery space with colourful, bold interpretations of Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays as paintings, collages and prints. The exhibition follows previous highly successful exhibitions held in the gallery space by Imitate Modern, including a neon art show and a display of LA photographer Tyler Shields, which are helping to establish the gallery as a popular, edgy art venue in the trendy and tech-focused Shoreditch.
David Galman, Sales Director at Galliard Homes said, “Galliard Homes are delighted to unveil our new show apartment collection by the ever talented Nicola Fontanella of Argent Design, a collection which embodies the spirit of Shoreditch but in a refined, elegant way. The new show apartments appeal to young Londoners who want dynamic interior design. In addition, The Stage has unique heritage as the site of William Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre, with the latest art exhibition by Imitate Modern providing a vibrant, contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.”
Nicola Fontanella, Founding Director of Argent Design said, “The opportunity to bring new ideas to The Stage has been wonderful given the scheme is so interesting and offers so much by way of inspiration for the interior design. We have focused on a ‘raw luxe’ style that combines the more industrial elements typically associated with vibrant Shoreditch, with high-end refined finishes and natural textiles. The ‘Kingsman Lair’ elements of the invisible kitchen and hidden bedroom suites are designed to bring fun to the studio space, whilst also being a seamless and practical feature of the home.”
Caroline Argirakos, Creative Director & Gallery Manager at Imitate Modern said, “Imitate Modern are proud to present our latest contemporary art exhibition at The Stage which provides a bold, colourful interpretation of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Our partnership with Galliard Homes has been very strong given that luxury property and fine art are so complementary. To launch our new art exhibition with the unveiling of the new show apartment collection has been a fantastic opportunity.”
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