How I Curate My Space: Rosh Mahtani’s Charming London Living Space

When Rosh Mahtani discovered the Victorian terraced apartment in a small Clerkenwell square that she now calls home, she fell in love with how hidden away it felt, in a ‘secret’ part of London. “It’s super-green and quiet, full of charm, but incredibly central at the same time,” she says. Following a complete renovation – “We kept the old wooden doors and demolished the rest” – it is in the light and airy open-plan living and kitchen space that the jewelry designer now finds the most delight and inspiration.

“I spend most of my time in this space, from working on the dining table as the sun pours through in the morning to lazy weekends reading on the sofa,” she says. The materials and palette are clean and modern: naturally stained oak, striking red marble and whitewashed walls create a feeling of spaciousness, as does the large arch. “I’m very neutral when it comes to my aesthetic; I like muted colors and negative space. I get stressed out when there are too many colors around.”

This comes from a desire for her home “to feel like a gallery; a blank canvas in which to house all the fragments and objects I’ve gathered on my travels,” she continues. “My coffee table and shelves are overflowing with books and sculptures. It feels really special and tranquil.”

“As I’ve lived in the flat, I’ve accumulated more sculptures, images from favorite photographers, and rare books,” she says of constantly evolving the space with pieces to inspire. “I love the idea that this space is a canvas on which to paint all my life’s experiences.” She took design influences from Georgia O’Keefe’s New Mexico Ghost Ranch and Cambridge gallery Kettle’s Yard, and wanted the aesthetic to feel in line with Alighieri’s Modern Heirlooms collections: “A juxtaposition of modern lines with antique treasure.”

Having created a living area to act as a “safe haven”, somewhere to feel calm after a chaotic day, Mahtani believes the serenity of the space to be “a really good habitat for creativity. Being surrounded by fragments of my past always inspires me to create the next collection and to tell the next story,” she shares.

“I have a vintage Giovanni Banci floor lamp that I really love; it feels like such a special piece to own.”

“A few years ago, we created hand-blown glass vessels in the shape of teardrops. I have them dotted around the space, as sculptures and holders for my jewelry.”

“There’s an oil painting hanging in the living room of a man playing a saxophone to who I imagine to be his wife and daughter. I find myself staring at it and imagining the story of this family, half illuminated, half in shade. It inspires the notion of family, music and pure love. I fell for it as soon as I saw it, and wanted it to be a central feature in the space.”