Meet the interior designer transforming listed property
Design firm Intarya’s managing director Daniel Kostiuc is restoring grand old buildings “back to their former glory”
AN INCREASED demand for housing in the capital means more and more people are finding themselves living in renovated buildings.
But it can be difficult finding the right design to straddle the centuries. How does an interior designer provide all the mod-cons a contemporary gentleman needs in a building that’s positively dripping with historical significance?
Daniel Kostiuc thinks he has found a knack for it and he’s had plenty of practice.
The Brazilian designer has over 13 years experience and took over as managing director of interiors company Intarya in January last year following five years as creative director.
Kostiuc currently leads a team of 14 people and he has worked on some of the grandest old buildings in London.
These include a luxury duplex apartment residing in a mansion in Belgravia which previously remained untouched for years; the similarly forlorn Kensington Mews in a leafy, secluded square; and an apartment in Mayfair to make it suitable for high-end renting.
“Private clients come to us to own property that is interesting,” says Kostiuc, “and we often work with buildings that are listed or have some sort of historical background.
“The way to approach these is to be respectful of the architecture. We do take cues from the architecture of the building.
“I really enjoy creating interiors that takes into account the history but still provides all the modern amenities that clients need today.”
Intarya specialises in “bringing buildings back to their former glory”, according to Kostiuc, but this includes designing slick bathrooms and fully-fitted kitchens to bring the buildings into the 21st century.
Many of Kostiuc’s clients have also been digging down into the basement of such properties which “is really fun because it means that the property is going to have items like a cinema or a spa and pool area and that really is the height of luxury.”
This year, Kostiuc says his team worked on one of their most exciting projects to date – The Lancasters, a series of show apartments in Hyde Park.
He said the team was inspired by La Belle Epoque – a glamorous age of elegance and luxury – to transform the 124-metre, Grade II listed building with a stucco façade.
Kostiuc adds: “It was a challenging development and I was with the team for the whole project.
“I saw the research and the planning that went into the design and it was really interesting.
“For every show apartment, you create a back story. With that property we wanted to show people that we had really thought about it and showed off its eclecticism.”
To Kostiuc, transforming old buildings into luxury ones is nothing short of an art and a privilege.
To learn more about Intarya’s work, visit www.Intarya.com.