Multidisciplinary designer and creative director Tola Ojuolape is behind the latest two-bedroom show home here at Bloom, Nine Elms – and we are truly obsessed! Bursting with bright colours and independently sourced furnishings, Tola’s show home is thoughtfully designed around two-character profiles: Olive and Anushka.

We sat down with Tola to chat all things Bloom, and to find out more about her creative choices behind the new show apartment.

Tola says: “The beauty of this project is that we created these two-character profiles to help guide a lot of the thinking for the show home: Olive and Anushka. They are two young women in their 30s who live and work in the capital. We really thought about their lifestyles, their likes and dislikes, their professions, what their hobbies would be…”.

“It felt more interesting to tie the home to these young women. We were able to indulge in the ways that we think these kinds of women would live. I think this has helped to really set the show home apartment from other ones in the capital. We had a strong concept, and it shows.”

Roommates Olive and Anushka’s bedrooms are worlds apart. Olive’s room is a deep shade of cyan, playful photography is her primary choice of art and a Sofia Coppola book sits on the bed, signalling her love of film. She works in creative tech and a loud pair of Kat Maconie heels are on the floor – perhaps a sign of a night out on the town?

“I love the artwork in Olive’s bedroom. We chose to work with photography, and we intentionally chose an emerging London-based studio, Open Doors Gallery, who  work with young, local artists. The art we chose for this room is simple, provocative and different. We think it speaks to the character of Olive,” Tola explains.

On the other side of the apartment, Anushka’s bedroom is brighter, with cream walls and a taupe ceiling. She’s a digital lifestyle editor for a travel magazine – she’s grounded, into sports, she runs around Battersea Park and she’s into skincare.

“I particularly love what we did with the headboard,” Tola reflects, pointing to the rug from East London company Floor Story, which has been mounted above Anushka’s double bed, creating a tactile headboard that forms the focal point of the room. “I also love that we see moments of what she does around the room - her pin board full of things that inspire her and her tennis racket for when she plays at Battersea Park.”

Alongside the character profiles of Olive and Anushka, Tola comments on how the local area inspired the design of the show home: “We were immediately inspired by the local surroundings – Nine Elms is a beautiful area, with a lot of changes being made to it. London in itself as a backdrop really added to the wider inspiration for the space.”

When asked about her favourite space in the home, Tola says: “Olive’s room – the darker room, where you feel like you’re transported to this other world. When you think of the backdrop of London, of how busy life in the capital can be, it’s nice to come back and feel like you’re in a totally different space – one that’s calm and beautiful. Olive’s room is my favourite room, and something I’d choose for myself!”

Arrange a viewing at Bloom, Nine Elms today to discover our current collection of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments to rent.

As featured in The Evening Standard, Floor Story & Interior Designer magazine - Print/Digital