Piercy & Company's curved design masterpiece: Apartment 21
This London apartment merges art and architecture in a unique space.
1Where art meets architecture
Piercy & Company transformed a north London apartment into Apartment 21, a 103-square-meter space designed for private events, exhibitions, and guest accommodation. The redesign introduced complex spatial arrangements to what was previously an extremely minimal open-plan home. The new design plays with contrasts of dark and light tones, revealing spaces gradually rather than all at once, creating a dynamic experience as one moves through the apartment.
2A laboratory for design experiments
The studio uses this project as a testing ground for its newly established interior design division. Following principles of neuroaesthetics, the team experimented with techniques like compression and expansion of volumes. Project director Fiona Neil explains, 'The psychological and physiological effects of spaces form the core of our interior studio.' The apartment will also serve as a lab for testing new furniture and lighting designs before they go into production.
3Masterful woodwork craftsmanship
The project involved collaboration with British furniture maker Benchmark. A custom-designed 14-seat dining table was crafted from British ash wood, with all custom woodwork done by hand. The hallway features integrated shelving made from British elm, displaying tableware and cookbooks. Notable art pieces include a doughnut-shaped mirror sculpture by Poland's Zieta Studio, adding artistic flair to the functional design elements throughout the space.
4Playing with spatial perception
One of the most striking design elements is the curved wall that conceals the bedroom, redirecting focus toward artwork instead. Similarly, a specially designed wooden element separates the study from the main living area, unified by a large circular window cutout. Fiona Neil describes their approach: 'We found a sense of play and joy in subverting expectations.' These design choices create moments of surprise and discovery throughout the apartment.
5Historic 1920s building
The apartment occupies a neo-Georgian style building from the 1920s that originally formed part of the North London Polytechnic before being converted to residential use in the late 1990s. The space previously served as home to a gallerist who occasionally hosted exhibitions there. Stuart Piercy, founding director of Piercy & Company, first discovered the space during one such exhibition, seeing its potential for creative adaptation.
6Living with rotating art
The apartment currently displays works by artists including Flora Yukhnovich, Jess Allen, John Virtue, and Antony Gormley, with plans to rotate the collection over time. The study features a curated library wall and a mezzanine loft, while the bedroom doubles as a drawing studio. The studio intends to host temporary art installations, maintaining the space's connection to London's creative community and providing ever-changing visual interest.
7Innovative material experiments
Unconventional material choices feature throughout the design. The bathroom incorporates dark gray tiles made from compressed basalt chips, which Fiona Neil describes as 'feeling like showering in a cave.' The apartment will also serve as a prototype testing space for a new lighting system being developed with Hand Eye, continuing its role as an experimental platform for design innovation.
8Philosophy of design connection
For Piercy & Company, this project holds equal importance to their architectural works. Stuart Piercy reflects, 'Scale doesn't change the intensity of the question. A tower meets the ground as a handle meets a hand - with the same sense of connection, the same care for how a hand rests, a body turns.' Apartment 21 embodies this philosophy alongside the studio's other London projects like the BBC Television Centre apartment and Mayfair office refurbishment.