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lison Henry could be forgiven for never wanting to step outside the handsome brick walls of her plush London mansion. The Kiwi-born interior designer, who has an impressive list of creative achievements to her credit, has recently completed a renovation of her Chelsea Square townhouse that had more than a few similarities to open-heart surgery. She has certainly earned a stylish convalescence. The expanded townhouse has quickly become a true family home for Alison, her financier husband Tariq Dag Khan and daughters Anna Cristina, two, Olivia, 12 and 15-year-old twins Sophie and Rebecca. “I decided to add what was missing,” says Alison, “so we could all hang out – especially in winter.” On the list: a spacious cinema/playroom, a gym “large enough for reasonable equipment”, a study/library, a guest bedroom suite and an office. Her ambitious design for the home, which now extends over five floors (basement, ground, first, second and third floors), also called for a “parents’ suite” on the first floor and incorporated the attic to make room for a charming suite for each daughter on the top floor. The building project got under way only after winning planning approval from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea as well as the Cadogan Estates, owners of neighbouring Chelsea Gardens. “It was important to maintain the feel and look of Chelsea Square,” says Alison, whose celebrity neighbours have included socialite Jemima Khan and Formula One’s Bernie Ecclestone. LEFT: The drawing room is arranged in symmetrical fashion with a pair of carved console tables flanking the white marble fireplace and a sofa and armchairs around a large central ottoman TOP: A smiling Alison Henry in the living room of her Chelsea home Bridge for Design December 2015
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