Two Curators’ Rented Apartment In A Brutalist Block

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As you might expect from a couple of curators, Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Mathilde Friis have a rather beautiful home. Gonzalo, who is also an architect, and Mathilde, a writer, live in a one-bedroom flat on the fourth floor of Keeling House, a Grade II*-listed 1950s block in Bethnal Green, east London, designed by Denys Lasdun. “Although it was designed in the 1950s, it’s very contemporary - and there’s a strong sense of community here,” says Gonzalo. “It’s a special place to live,” adds Mathilde. In our latest film, we discover why and invite the pair to share their seven favourite things about it.
Filming and Editing: Edmund Cook
Production: Hannah Phillips
Graphic Design: Tom Young
00:25 - The View Over London
01:10 - Louise Poulsen Pendant Lamp
01:55 - Art Collection
02:47 - Hygge
03:43 - Book Collection
04:29 - Bed
05:15 - The Building - Keeling House
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[@themodernhouse_films]

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[@damienmorrison7226]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEUGH

[@freshforsale-di3qw]

And the flat is rented… this opens another conversation. Is it not great to be able to create a personal environment in a rented space? I wish TMH would show more of these. Very inspiring for renters and, I guess, also for landlords!

[@carmensanta-cruzgarcia4265]

Wow! I love them and their home. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm an architect and enjoyed a lot whatching the way they live their home, their furnitures, objets or books... everything in its right place. As he described, the building still seems contemporary. Very inspiring.

[@anttoronto3202]

Love your home! Absolutely everything about it. The Bialetti on the stove, of course! 🇮🇹 🇨🇦 ❤

[@freshforsale-di3qw]

Great one! So interesting to see a couple talking about their personal possessions and how they’re trying to put them together to create a balanced atmosphere where they feel connected to their roots and that respects the essence of the original architecture.

[@derhochwohlgeborene8548]

Great example of gentrification. What was once public housing is now inhabited by the creative upper class.

[@stephenmcilroy7840]

Yes. Disgusting

[@erinmcclarty3006]

The comment struck me too.

[@MTMF.london]

@@stephenmcilroy7840 The public housing stocks have been sold off under Maggie Thatcher's Right to Buy policy since 1979. It was hugely popular with former Labour-voting working classes. The policy was extended under subsequent governments, both Conservative and Labour, leading to a huge loss of council housing stock over the years. The housing market skyrocketed since then and the people who bought them originally (with hefty discounts) made profits from their homes selling off to the 'wealthier' classes.

[@stephenmcilroy7840]

@@MTMF.london still disgusting. 🤢

[@MTMF.london]

@@stephenmcilroy7840 The working classes betrayed their own. Yeah, disgusting.

[@OscarANM]

Please, never stop doing these!

[@sonnyvarioni1654]

One word. Dystopian.

[@ritarosalina]

When she said at the end that its a very diverse group of people living in the building because of "different age groups, couples and families"... i cringed. Since when did kids and families make a crowd diverse. The building used to be a council estate - the council sold the social housing of to the non working class people and now its full of upper class architects and writers = gentrification..

[@markjonz]

Having two people with jobs in that area is diversification. If gentrification means transforming a crime-ridden hell hole into somewhere desirable I’m all for it

[@marianacaffaro]

What a woke meaningless comment! Can't you just appreciate that other people choose what makes them feel good and not having to be politically correct?

[@ritarosalina]

@@markjonz sure, cause poor people dont work... Sounds like you've never meet a poor person, because most work two jobs or more to make ends meet.. And the middle class people don't transform anything. They just push the poor further out.. and your "crime-ridden hell" as you like to call it continues somewhere else. Gentrification doesnt fix ANYTHING

[@devin309]

For me, it was what he said before that that shows his lack of awareness. He only named his designers, writers, journalist neighbors. And what she said after was sort of her saving him from sounding off putting. Also, to the other person calling OP’s comment woke. It’s a video posted on the internet, people of different opinions/walks of lives will comment, you don’t have to agree with everything others say. Not everything is Woke.

[@clouise7626]

Diversity is more nuanced than just class ...

[@impactoespacios5942]

❤thanks for share. Greettings from México 🇲🇽 city CDMX

[@venuskaraitiana]

I love your house! Simple and elegant. This one is going in the inspo folder. Watching from New Zealand!!

[@meganconneely940]

Really interesting and enjoyed seeing inside this building. Lovely couple!

[@mamun_seo_specialist_pro]

so beautiful

[@tl1110]

I'm glad they think this apartment has warmth.

[@garyrobertson6778]

gorgeous interior

[@starveartist]

I like them as a couple, but the home decor has nothing memorable, except maybe the lamp above the table because she told a story about it.

[@tiffanycurtis4794]

Beautiful couple beautiful home congratulations to them 😃

[@alexandramoorshead4437]

Love this! A very interesting home.

[@serasmiles2]

a double bed, a wall of dust-covered lovingly sorted hardbacks, a brutalist building where neighbours look at each other's livingrooms ... so worthy of sharing....

[@Alansubocz]

FFS please stop using “curate”. They have created a living space not a museum.

[@LifeofWalk]

Pretty cool! I like your areca palm!

[@Jacks_here]

The overall look of the flat is not very imaginative and bordering cliché.

[@Mal1050E]

Agreeed at this point im more interested in someone who lives in a flashy gaudy gold covered Versace home like mansion.

[@mamikOmotto]

LOVE IT!

[@z1pline487]

such a beautiful home and building!!

[@glassbreakz22]

The comments here are disgusting. Why do you feel the need to explore your deepest hate towards two people sharing their home. (Do you need a hug) I doubt none of you know the couple and you make yourself look stupid when you comment on hypothetical versions of their lives. A home is personal, full of things you find along the way and yes maybe it’s not to your taste but to spout vile comments and attack people personally is just plain dumb.

[@lumil653]

I believe the first post war social housing estate to be listed was actually the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate- also brutalist and grade 2* listing (architect Neave Brown). According to Historic England it was listed in August 1993 and Keeling House in November of that year.

[@gonzaloherrerodelicado7065]

Nice spot ! This was the first post-war social housing tower block and as far as I know, Alexandra Road park was the first estate

[@lumil653]

It's confusing because Wikipedia says both of them are the first to be listed but Historic England ,who make the listings, says this: "Keeling House in London. © Historic England Archive DP138156. Three months after Alexandra Road was added to the List, Denys Lasdun’s East London ‘cluster’ became the second piece of post-war social housing to be granted listed status." I don't think they make the distinction between a tower block and an estate but I see your point.

[@slackalicefilms]

Pretty sure the first social housing in London, perhaps UK, was the Boundary Estate, in Shoreditch/Bethnal Green - built on what was the Old Nichol slum.

[@rz1974]

Candles alone don't make a space hygge, to me there are too many clean surfaces and tall open white walls to be considered cozy, I mean just look at that bedroom, overall definitely not enough texture and too predictably mcm/scandi, the design does suit the building but feels impersonal

[@OscarANM]

For me it looks cozy, and it does not look empty at all. Maybe we humans have different ideas of what a word means...

[@Norwayfoeshoe]

Too Scandi to be hygge? Now that's an absurd statement. And the bedroom doesn't impact the hygge of the livingroom....

[@leonore3349]

How was that impersonal? It was full of objects they chose.

[@swicheroo1]

The woman explained the concept: Hygge is not a set of convetionts--or appurtanences--but a state of mind that comes from the built environment. This is the physical manifestation of her concept of higgye.

[@lhpogue]

Too bad it was hard to hear over the musak

[@ok-warren]

what about this flat makes this brutalist?

[@DikWhite]

The building is brutalist style.

[@scablet]

Exactly....its the building not the flat that was brutalist...but the title of the video says 'brutalist flat'...

[@sandwichblt9111]

You guys on the comment section is being too harsh. Their furniture is Ikea, their decorative items are from H&M on sale. What are you guys talking about?

[@inteligenciaconversacional6754]

Nice apartment but it lacks a little bit of passion, color and contrast.

[@leonore3349]

I see color. Maybe you're right about the lack of contrast, I don't know.

[@keesmeeuwsen2616]

Hygge can be very wel translated also into Dutch by the term "gezelligheid".

[@damienmorrison7226]

PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE

[@saccharineserf7316]

how much are we betting both of them have parents whose names are blue on wikipedia ?

[@1bwash]

actually so grotesque.they seem like they're in competition with each other about who can produce or discuss the best contribution. each of them says "my home" instead of "our home". They buy books for decoration they never read. Just weird and sad.

[@OrendaDesignStudio]

Nice 😍😍😍😍.

[@metromodernism]

Keeling House; built as public-sector housing, now fenced off to the very people it was built for. The downfall of this city.

[@runningforasthma_]

Even the concierge is a gentrifying hipster.

[@macheifach]

"This amazing view" grey, urban depression, concrete labyrinths shrouded in fateful clouds, reminding of peoples suffering in the daily grind of the salary slavery, yes, much wow.

[@christianeduardo1]

You need love, a hug and a reminder that you count… Now, stop being a Karen and trolling this videos (thank you + hug & kisses)

[@TK-in7fn]

@@christianeduardo1 what do the indigenous people of east Myanmar have to do with this ?

[@christianeduardo1]

@@TK-in7fn 🙄

[@patriciaorgas694]

Absolute Karen. This is London...The City on the Thames...rivers...fog...hello. The Big Smoke. It is winter have a clue...clouds, fog, rain...weather. Please...self educate...read...learn. Get over yourself.

[@leonore3349]

Hmm that's London though.

[@agustincabrerarodriguez4977]

Hi!!! I have to do a presentation of the “Keeling House”… i need your help please!! Dont you have a sketch up model of the building?? Or the plans in auto cad?? thankss and love from Argentina!!

[@ernestinehemingway7799]

is this a joke/irony/satire?

[@Tresfres]

That was not pretentious at all.

[@7ofthem]

😂

[@joaofigueiredo6602]

What type of plant is it on the coffee table (from minute 2.49)? I'm obsessed with it

[@themodernhouse_films]

@joaofigueiredo6602 - the plant is a succulent commonly called ‘coral cactus’ :)

[@susanparsons9365]

Did they say they ask their friends for an art piece when they visit???

[@blueyomogi]

He is still not convinced about the candles…

[@luluandmeow]

I noticed your flat is at the end of the outside corridor so no neighbours need walk past your front door and windows. So much for neighbourly architecture. It would only take one inconsiderate neighbour to make your life a misery if they were able to walk past your front door and windows day and night. Unsafe too. These outside corridors are a naive, thoughtless design, bad for privacy and security, you know this which is why you chose the end-corridor flat. Their architects would not live there. Ask anyone who lives on a council estate if they like this design, it is only for extroverts, lucky people with very nice neighbours, sadly this is not always the case.

[@youtuba6711]

Pretentious.. cringe

[@sarahjones-jf4pr]

Yes Indeed.

[@davidiglesiasgomez7616]

Climate change area LOL

[@melmel1351]

🤣🤣new for me ! We had back in the days Section Nature

[@classlessbozo317]

Are there any Londoner’s left in London

[@DavidAnger-fq8wp]

Can I stop by?

[@jobbings1]

Least favourite object - 30 pound silver ikea floor lamp that refuses to stand up straight (know from experience)

[@kneiwoa]

Are they allow to nail on the wall even if it’s a rental?!!!

[@herblopez8657]

If she ever cheats break the dining light mate, peace.

[@Cellocurve]

I watched this on mute and it looks like IRL "Brave New World"

[@danielatiparu4460]

It looks basic for TMH standards!

[@Mal1050E]

They seem really annoying

[@adoyer04]

hygge-Geborgenheit... that easy

[@frawgy]

Buuuuuut where’s that couch from??!

[@themodernhouse_films]

@frawgy - thanks for watching! The sofa is called Hoxton from French Connection, and can be found here: www.dfs.co.uk/hoxton/hxt14ahxt

[@Xfhcgnjffhjmjvfg]

I do not get Brutalism in this flat.

[@sarahjones-jf4pr]

X council house building that is the "brutalist" part .............

[@russellrhodes1468]

The view of London was quite lackluster, dare I say ugly. It's gray, with lack of color. There space looked beautiful, again, but I think it's an idea for the future;

[@miriamrodriguez6892]

Climate change 😮😮😮😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@londonnow5054]

Why his girlfriend doesn't correct his pronunciation of confortable and few others?

[@sarahjones-jf4pr]

LondonNow O.K Smart arse why can't you spell comfortable.......

[@MGyHP]

que coño es esto oye john paraaaa

[@sposo]

And by "amazing view" she meant many day

[@evep5689]

Wait until they have children! i often think people who seem so controlling and precious about their home must find child rearing very hard

[@MrMediaLord]

This house is definitely not my cup of tea. First of all the building itself looks more like a council estate building than a ‘brutalism’ building. Furthermore the house itself is decorated as if it is for rental (basic and cheap). Though I must say the couple looks lovely together and in the end their happiness counts the most even in such house.

[@werewolfcountry]

A council house can still be brutalist. 'Council house' is not a design movement, they come in so many different styles.

[@metromodernism]

It was built as council housing before the entire block was unfortunately sold off in the 1990s

[@swicheroo1]

Give them a break. They're just starting out in life. And they probably live in a very hand-to-mouth way as early career academics.

[@james2450]

Thanks mummy and daddy for paying 💸

[@andrew4809]

Asbestos ridden