Batik stitched window panel with Chinese vintage wallpaper and 1970s palm tree lamp by Curtis Jere ***** Interior designer, Sera Hersham Loftus (52) bought this spacious lateral conversion flat on the first floor of two Victorian London houses two years ago.? She spent 18 months on the refurb, turning 3 bedrooms into 1, and returning the flat to its original proportions by ripping out stud walls and the false ceilings that hid the 12 foot height of the rooms.? Both reception rooms and the four balconies outside are filled with plants. ? "They look so beautiful and placed by the windows and outside means that no one can see in." ? Sera is not a fan of the minimal look, maintaining that she couldn't work for a client who wanted that style. ? She describes herself as a romantic. ?"I love warm & cosy interiors. Open fires, candles, lots of plants, soft lighting.? In fact lighting is the most important factor in any successful scheme." ?Sera has her own lighting atelier where her designs are individually made.? Fabrics and furnishings are sourced in auctions and antique shops here and abroad. ?"Most of the dealers know what I like so they give me a call when something interesting comes their way." The silky reflective bedroom wallpaper she found in China, the ornate 19th century panels lining the walls of the salon she saw on a trip to the Netherlands.? Tall antique mirrored doors frame the opening into the black painted kitchen - glossy black cabinets, brass worktops and black hand-made tiles for the splashback complete the look. Ikea it isn't. ? "Scarcely anything is sourced in regular shops. I like to work with creative artisans and craftsmen who make bespoke items." ?Whilst the proportions are grand, details such as the photographs, postcards, ?and tear sheets blu-tacked to surfaces provide a youthful sense of impulsive informality.