Hayden's Place

This private house was originally designed by Pip Horne for Anish Kapoor. The current owner had the opportunity to acquire the building and chose to finish what had been started – staying true to the original specification and commissioning Horne once more, to guide the interior to its logical conclusion.

At first floor level, a dramatic corridor with red leather wall panels links the two principal living spaces that are awash with natural light. The choice of whole vegetable-tanned saddlebacks allows very large panels to be used; secured in place with vertical handstitched detailing.

In the master suite, the brief was to use techniques more commonly seen in the construction of traditional briefcases – such as pinched and handstitched details – to create architectural features of a headboard, cupboard and fireplace. The same saddleback leather in a different colour was selected.

For the bathroom, a traditional English tannage of oak bark, which ages to a rich fawn colour was chosen to offset the cooler tones of polished concrete and Roman stone.

The client’s desk; an original BAS design, was crafted from black American walnut, with stainless steel legs and a top cut from the same full-grain saddleback leather used in the corridor panelling.