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How I Curate My Space: Miriam Frowein’s Art-Filled London Townhouse

Miriam Frowein

London-based interior designer MIRIAM FROWEIN takes us on a tour of her eclectic, colorful, art-filled Belgravia home. By NATASHA BIRD

Photography Mark O’Flaherty
Lifestyle
Miriam Frowein’s home in Belgravia is an intense reflection of her personality and discerning eye

There are homes you plan for, and then there are the ones that find you when you aren’t really looking. “It was all rather serendipitous,” says London-based interior designer Miriam Frowein. “A boiler explosion in our previous place meant we needed to find a new house for ourselves and our two daughters in a hurry. As luck would have it, our friends had just decided to downsize to a lateral apartment, so we were able to get our hands on this house from them and move straight in.”

The first impression was immediate, as the architectural vastness seemed almost unreasonable for a capital-city property. “I was blown away by the ceiling heights,” says Frowein, “the amount of natural light and the grand original staircase which sits in the center of the space.” The building is Grade II listed, which means a restraint needs to be exercised when considering renovation. Fireplaces remain. Cornicing is preserved. The bones are respected. The transformation is mostly aesthetic. Oak herringbone flooring now runs underfoot. Bespoke joinery adds artisanal quality to each room and light-blue textured wallpaper brings some fresh dimension in a few of the rooms.

Nothing is every truly finished though. “I’m constantly thinking about what I could change,” Frowein admits. “It’s very hard to switch that off.” There is talk of removing a 1970s-era secondary staircase, a relic from the building’s time as an office, to make way for some more guest bedrooms. She would also quite like to use some of that space for a double-height kitchen. Elsewhere, ideas flicker on and off too: a yellow lacquered dining room, perhaps a traditional library.

A bronze dining table by Belgian artist Ado Chale is the pièce de résistance in Frowein’s dining room, encircled by a pink carpet and vivid works of art

This is not a home that’s been built around a particular scheme. It is a collection of decisions made in the moment, guided by feeling. “I follow my instinct and I buy things that I love. In particular: art, antiques and accessories like mirrors and light fixtures,” she says. These sit alongside inherited pieces from her husband’s aunt and her grandparents. It’s not a house designed to have everything match, only to have things that matter.

Like so many other designers we’ve profiled for this series, the dining room is Frowein’s favorite space and where everything comes together. Technically a place to eat, yes, but also for parties, meetings. It’s the gravitational center of the house and at its heart sits a 1968 bronze dining table by Belgian artist Ado Chale. It weighs 450kg and is completely impossible to ignore. Around it, an eclectic array of artwork creates a sense of movement and personality.

In this Grade II-listed townhouse, every corner acts as a gallery wall to showcase the designer’s love of art and antiques
Soft neutrals and bright colors collide to create a visual feast for the family and their guests

Color and texture are non-negotiable. “Strong colors make me happy. They make me feel alive,” Frowein says. There is also a thoughtful tactility to everything, including textured wallpapers, natural materials, surfaces that invite you to slide your finger along them.

Even the most carefully put-together homes have their inflictions, though. Here, it’s a small mahogany desk in the bedroom. The wrong shade. Too small for the space. Entirely impractical. And completely irreplaceable. Bought for £100 on a trip to the Cotswolds nearly two decades ago, it has followed the family from house to house. It’s the tiny desk that could.

As an art obsessive, it’s hard for Frowein to settle on a favorite. But one work does stand out: The Forest by Eva Jospin. Constructed from meticulously carved and layered cardboard, it transforms a humble material into a seriously immersive forest. A treat for guests to get lost in when they visit.

Art fills the living room, including The Forest by Eva Jospin, which is displayed on the right-hand side of the fireplace

For Frowein, a host-worthy house is a must. “I love to host,” says the designer. “The house lends itself well to entertaining, with the entrance hall providing a great space for drinks before we move into the dining room for dinner.” And every detail is considered for the guests’ arrival: “A Joséphine scented candle by Trudon is always burning; handwritten place cards; big satin bows as napkin rings.”

There are still pieces out there, waiting. A 1960s bookshelf by Osvaldo Borsani, with the right balance of open and closed storage. A chandelier by Max Ingrand for the landing. The search continues for those pièces de résistance.

Emerging across all of it, is a home that is an intense reflection of personality. You’ll find nowhere else like it. It is positive, expressive, a little unconventional, color-led, but not chaotic. It’s also still all subject to change. Frowein says finally, “I’m excited to see how my tastes evolve over the next 10 years!”

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