After lying derelict for thirty years, the landmark 42 acre site of Battersea Power Station is being brought back to life with architecture from Gehry Partners and Foster + Partners, and landscape architecture from James Corner. Furniture and accessories company OKA were given the opportunity to create a design scheme for the first apartment at the brand new development. Director Sue Jones rose to the challenge and in just three days created an inviting scheme which combines different periods and influences and which she felt would be more soothing (and immune to the passage of time) than a top-to-toe modern look. Open-plan homes often pose the design challenge of how to create distinct living, dining and sleeping areas, but the chosen decor demarcates the space perfectly.

For the living room of this Battersea Power Station apartment, a utilitarian colour palette of smoky charcoal – a nod to the building’s industrial heritage – combined with polished chrome accents, cleverly blends old and new. L-shaped sofas work particularly well in an open-plan living room to create a sociable and extremely comfortable seating area.

A large entrance hall can also function as additional dining space with the right furniture. This combination of a square table and upholstered benches is ideal: when not in use, the benches can be pushed up against the wall for somewhere to sit or deposit shopping bags, and the table provides an ample surface on which to display a welcoming arrangement of flowers.

Living in a central London location, the inhabitants of this Battersea apartment are bound to have their fair share of guests who need a bed for the night. This south-facing guest bedroom boasts plenty of natural light, further enhanced by a carefully placed mirror (used here as a headboard) and metallic accessories.

Any outdoor space in the city is a blessing, especially one with amazing riverside views. By day, a double sunbed topped with a big pile of cushions is the ideal spot to soak up the sun. Come sundown, a large outdoor table and chairs on the terrace provides a secret rooftop haven for entertaining.

All the furniture and accessories in these images are from OKA. Shop the look and explore their interactive catalogue at: www.okadirect.com/inspirations/

For more information on the redevelopment of one of Central London’s most iconic buildings, go to: www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk 

And there are some striking images of Battersea Power Station in its crumbling state on the BBC’s website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/uk_battersea_power_station/html/1.stm