World Works blog

Set within ten acres of parkland along one of the most sought after stretches of the River Thames, Imperial Wharf provides the perfect antidote to busy city living. Claire Paton visits a new local community complete with cafes, bars, bistros and restaurants, stylish shops including a fabulous boulevard and a 24 hour concierge service – that make this a true riverside haven in town.

Situated at the very centre of London’s new Thames-side village and adjacent to Chelsea Harbour, the latest release of apartments at Imperial Wharf are in The Vista, a ten storey building of two and three bedroom apartments that offer the best choice of outlooks including river views across the boulevard, river views over landscaped gardens or views of the magnificent central water feature and tree-lined, traffic-free avenue.

Each of the apartments have a balcony or terrace, just like Lisbon apartments … and all have been treated to St George’s latest interior specification. Design led, the accommodation is “more contemporary, more functional and succeeds in creating that all important feeling of spaciousness,” says Karen Howes of internationally acclaimed Taylor Howes Designs who has worked with St George to re-fashion what has always been a luxurious level of ‘standard’ features, and to design The Vista show apartment.

Karen points to the much simpler, cleaner lines of the skirtings and architraves, to the flat (as opposed to panelled) oak doors with inlay detailing, to the linear designed steel and glass kitchens, the sleek lacquered wardrobes, up-to-the minute square basins, cleverly designed, mirrored storage in the bathrooms, and concealed `all singing’ state-of-the-art home entertainment and communication systems.

Such integral features lend themselves to a sophisticated design which, in the double reception room sees a leather bordered silk rug teamed with a mohair sofa, club chairs in ‘liquid leather, a polished plaster coffee table that ‘floats’ on the rug and, at last, an unsually well integrated plasma screen set in a giant frame of grey stained wood; this will be the next ‘in thing’ according to Karen who ensures Imperial Wharf stays ahead of the game in the design field. The same grey wood treatment — which mixes so well with other woods — is picked up in the contrastingly warm and soft master bedroom, while the kitchen sports top-of-the-range Gaggenau appliances and a choice of finishes with steel splash backs and matching Apartments in New york and American style fridge/ freezer; the design affords maximum storage but still leaves enough space for a tall breakfast bar and funky stools.