Bangkok-based eyewear designer Moo Piyasombatkul showed us around her elegant Hyde Park home where she stays every few months for work and to see her London friends.
When not in Hong Kong, Tokyo, the South of France or her family's annual trip to America, Moo spends a couple weeks at a time in her central London apartment where she relishes the endless opportunities of the bustling capital and of course the tax-free shopping.
Why did you choose the Hyde Park area for your London base?
My parents bought our place here and I have been living here since uni. I personally like East London as well but living in Knightsbridge has been great. I have my favourite deli, Ottolenghi, nearby, I shop around here and I love walking to the V&A and Sloane Avenue. Every Sunday I spend my whole day East, starting with the flower market on Columbia Road and then hanging out with friends who live there. They show me around and so many new places have popped up. It's amazing how East London changes so much every time I go.
As you split time between London and Thailand, have both places influenced the way you decorate?
I can't exactly decorate my apartment here in London much as my dad won't let us drill the walls! But I tend to decorate with flowers and buying new tea sets, that makes my day. Also I have so many things for my work, and my wardrobe is packed so I think it's better to just keep the blank canvas clean and then splash colours on with flowers... fresh flowers make me smile.
Every Sunday I spend my whole day East, starting with the flower market on Columbia Road and then hanging out with friends who live there.
How would you describe your interior style and does it reflect your sartorial style?
I love wearing accessories so again my clothes are a blank canvas and accessories are like flowers that I decorate with. Although I love wearing prints and colourful pieces too, so it's all about proportion and balancing the look from head to toe.
What's the first thing you do when you return to your London home?
First thing is to go to Whole Foods to stock up my fridge and make sure I bring some flowers back home with me. It's nice to wake up seeing freshness...
Which interior you've visited has impressed you the most?
Bob Bob Ricard is fantastic. They've decorated like an inside of a train ... Art Deco/Russian style. And the bar downstairs is cosy and cool!
Where would you like to live in 10 years?
It depends on what I do but I would say London for sure. I love the fact that London is a walking city unlike in Bangkok where the car is so essential and traffic really frustrates me. Every day here I always find things to do, to see, to walk around... I love it and the park is just across the road!
LOVE THIS WRITER? Follow her on Twitter @AlCaselyHayford.
MORE! Take a tour of the coolest apartments and get more decor inspiration here.
See more from Moo's apartment below...