Step Inside Interior Designer Carly Madhvani’s London Home

London-based interior designer Carly Madhvani has created a sanctuary in the city, with an exceptional family home that’s made for business and pleasure.

For her clients, the director and founder of NW3 Interiors is committed to creating beautiful homes in the most elegant of spaces – and it’s certainly true of her own property, too.

Built in 1901, the Grade II listed home is in a conservation area of Belsize Village, Hampstead.

After several unsuccessful planning applications to extend the family residence, an offer arose to purchase the flat above – giving Carly a unique opportunity to form her dream home in a new and exciting way.

The result is a beautifully entwined extension of a family home and design studio. It’s a blend of interiors from a variety of cultures with rich textures, wooden accents and stunning original features.

“Your home should be all about you,” Carly says. “The goal is to curate a warm and inviting look and feel and a distinct ambience, with the feeling of excitement that greets you each and every time.”

And Carly’s design intentions are clear from the very first room we visit. The airy lounge-come-office is a bright and calming space for both work and leisure.

Meticulous attention to detail ensures the interior architecture has been brought back to its Victorian glamour era.

With soothing tonal colours and beautiful, ornate detailing across the walls, ceiling and architraves, it strikes the ideal balance between old and new.

“Our highest priority was to work with the original features. The lounge has unusual proportions as the ceiling is almost four metres tall, so the furniture had to be on the large side to make an impact on the volume of space,” Carly says.

The room is filled with light from the huge bay window, which frames the garden, giving a picturesque view through to the treetops.

A large meeting table at the window provides ample space for welcoming clients, creative thinking and exploring design ideas.

When it comes to the furniture, the mix of mid-century, modern and clean silhouettes, along with real wood elements, complement the energy of this family home.

Across the other side of the space is an elegant navy sofa and comfortable velvet accent chairs, offering a stylish place to unwind, day or night.

While areas to meet and work are an important part of the family home, just as vital is the need for spaces to relax, rest and restore.

The wellness spa was created by knocking two bathrooms into one large room, ensuring relaxation for the family and guests alike.

It features a sauna, a gorgeous freestanding bath and beautiful wooden shelving, creating a warm and soothing ambience.

Carly adds: “To create more flow in this space, we cut the corner off the step to make it nice and smooth. This simple touch ensures the room has a beautiful flow, which is the essence of what we wanted to achieve in the room.”

The guest bedroom enjoys yet another bright and beautiful position in the home, with a large bay window offering plenty of natural light.

“All of my family and friends want to stay in our guest room – it’s booked up for a year,” Carly smiles – and it’s easy to see why.

With a soft, neutral colour palette and natural materials, it’s a welcoming space that’ll have you believing you’re miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The colours are super calming until you see the wallpapered feature wall, which adds an element of drama. Meanwhile, the artwork is soft-thread to enhance the inviting feel.

A half-wall of contemporary wooden panelling on the headboard wall offers more texture and visual interest.

Elsewhere, the party kitchen offers a convenient space to create and cater for parties with family and friends. With plenty of space for food and refreshments, it’s the perfect addition to a busy family home.

“We’re fortunate this isn’t our main kitchen, but an added-on extra to maximise those fun weekends and celebrations,” Carly explains.

It’s a sleek and stylish space with marble splashbacks, flat-panel dark wood cabinetry and paler wood herringbone flooring. With a handy sink, hob, double oven and fridge-freezer packed with ice, it’s ideal for family gatherings.

The gym is a recent addition to the property, providing a place to get the heart racing and release those endorphins at home during the pandemic.

“As lots of us were during lockdown, we were frustrated we couldn’t enjoy the gyms locally, so we converted a bedroom into an at-home gym,” Carly says.

But to avoid a commercial gym look, Carly included residential features, wooden tones and elegant pendant lighting. As a result, the palette flows seamlessly with the rest of the home, offering a contemporary and stylish space to work out at any time of day.

The relaxed family living space effortlessly blends the outside with the inside. With extensive glazing on two sides, the room can be opened up to meet the patio and garden beyond.

But when privacy is needed, sheer floaty curtains provide an intimate escape from the world outside.

Carly says: “This is our lounge to relax with our feet up, watching a film and all the sports. I have always loved the super-soft Knowle sofa.”

The handmade wallpaper is an embroidered bespoke design featuring trees and birds and pulling the garden into the room. The large, comfortable white sofa offers a dreamy place to curl up and relax.

Stepping out into the garden, the patio features elegant Edwardian-style tiles to complement the home's history and create an eye-catching feature. The rug formation of the tiles and cosy string lights make this a true indoor, outdoor space.

The patio area is perfect for socialising on warm summer nights – and beyond. With a huge hot tub spa-swim pool, the family and guests can enjoy the heat all year round.

The space also features a BBQ, a comfortable outdoor sofa, a portable cinema screen and access through to a convenient shower room.

The garden enjoys access to a stunning double-shower bathroom and WC, purpose-built for the outside space for family and guests to use.

The Edwardian-style floor tiles also flow into this space, linking the outdoors with the home and creating a cohesive space.

With uplifting pops of yellow, it’s a bolder colour than elsewhere in the home, but the bright tones complement the garden beyond. The walls are also heated – a dream for drying towels and keeping things nice and cosy.

As well as the patio door, the shower room is also accessed by a sleek, secret doorway from the dining room next door.

In the next room, an enchanting family dining space invites the outside in. The wallpaper steals the show with beautiful green tones, dragonflies and huge white cranes.

In front is a large rounded table, big enough to seat eight, with stylish white, mid-century chairs. It’s the perfect space for socialising with family and friends.

“The family and I have lots of big meals here in front of the stunning feature wallpaper. I am totally obsessed with birds – I love to put them everywhere and invite the outside in,” Carly adds.

Alongside the feature wallpaper is an exposed brick wall which brings texture and nods to the history of the home. Meanwhile, a tall planter provides a home for houseplants and another vibrant pop of green.