All Is Calm

A year ago, Heather Kane had just finished renovating her period apartment. Now the upheaval is done, she can’t wait to celebrate in style – and with a few more home comforts

- Rachel Ward

This time last New Year’s Eve, I’d only just moved in,’ says Heather Kane of her beautiful apartment in London’s Marylebone. ‘It was pretty much empty. I had the dining table, but that was about it.’ Now fully settled in, she’s ready to mark this year’s celebrations in style. ‘I’m looking forward to kitting the place out with fairy lights, getting together with friends and setting some intentions. I’m not much of a cook – and that’s being generous – so I’ll keep things casual by serving cake and lots of fizz.’

In-between parties, Heather’s also hoping to find time to reflect – and not just on the past 12 months. She actually bought her two-bedroom home, part of an 18th-century Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse, back in August 2017. ‘I love the flat as it is now, but it’s been a challenge to get here,’ she says. Indeed, the very first time she viewed its high ceilings, elegant plasterwork and original panelling, it was through thick layers of dust and dirt – no one had lived here for many years. ‘It had been updated in the Fifties and Sixties, but hadn’t been touched since,’ she says. ‘It was non-habitable and needed a major facelift, which is what I was looking for. Some people might have been scared off, but I was excited.’