Interiors

Hubert Zandberg Transforms a Staid London Flat Into a Collector’s Haven

An unassuming new-build becomes a richly layered residence through the South African designer’s keen curatorial eye and fearless mix of vintage oddities

By Kathleen Hackett

July 7, 2025

Modern dining room with eclectic decor, art on walls, glass table, white chairs, wooden elements, and a textured chandelier. — Oddities and vintage finds abound in the eclectic London flat of South African interior designer Hubert Zandberg, who outfitted his dynamic dining room with a Tanya Ling painting, Pierre Cardin lamp, and Johannes Nagel ceramic vessel. Photo: Simon Upton

Interior designers possess many secret weapons—the best lampshade maker, the top gilder, the ace plasterer—but few can claim to have a picture hanger at his or her fingertips, an on-call MacGuyver who travels all over the world on a moment’s notice to hang, move, and remove art. But in Hubert Zandberg’s world, life without the fellow who is charged with making sure what goes on the walls stays on the walls, would be, well, unthinkable. Exhibit A: an apartment the South African born, London-based designer acquired several years ago in White City, home to the former BBC Television Centre, a landmark of modern architecture in west London.

Eclectic tabletop with books, unique ceramic pieces, and a colorful abstract painting in the background. — A sinuous ceramic by Sebastian Stohrer sits in front of a Billy Childish painting. Photo: Simon Upton

In a new-build crescent that follows the iconic building’s curve, the two-bedroom “developer’s special” as Zandberg not-so-affectionately calls it, is a dramatic departure from the five-story house at the end of Portobello Road that once rooted him to his adopted hometown. With far-flung clients who have him trotting around the globe and with homes in Paris and Berlin, amenities beckoned. “I wanted New York City–style living, with a concierge and management,” he admits, “for that moment mid-flight when I realize I’ve left my keys in the door.”

Bookshelf with art objects, books, and a yellow chair against a white wall with various decorative mirrors and masks hanging. — Mounted above the sitting room’s Carl Jacob chair is an African mask and a collection of vintage ceramic mirrors. Photo: Simon Upton

Stylish bedroom with a green bedspread, wicker floor lamp, art on walls, green rug, and large window with gray curtains. — A photography by Thomas Demand sits above the bed. Photo: Simon Upton

Anyone lucky enough to sneak a peek into Zandberg’s unlocked apartment is guaranteed a down-the-rabbit-hole experience. If the place was a soundtrack, it would play the restrained boisterousness of Bossa Nova meets Miriam Makeba, all modernism and ethnic cubism. A quick look around and one immediately understands why the designer’s life just might revolve around his art installer.

“Timing didn’t allow me to do any big renovations, so I had to turn all that blandness into something I could stomach,” Zandberg says. By which he means leaving no surface—vertical or horizontal—unconsidered. Not that there was a plan: “I made a trip to my storeroom and pulled pieces that I felt would work here.”

Cozy room with a wooden chair, lamp, wicker decor, and leafy plant, against a textured wood wall and striped rug. — Zandberg sourced the sitting room’s 1960s screen and vintage ceramic floor lamp from Parisian flea markets. Photo: Simon Upton

Hallway with eclectic art, a dark rug, and a distant view of a room featuring a large sculpture and green carpet. — Artworks by Francis Bacon and Mustafa Hulusi hang in a hallway. Photo: Simon Upton

Eclectic living room with a gallery wall of framed art, a modern floor lamp, a table with flowers, books, and decorative items. — Photographs by David LaChapelle, Katia Liebman, and George Dureau play off one another in the dressing room, which Zandberg outfitted with a Memphis-style desk. Photo: Simon Upton

An avid collector for as long as he can remember, Zandberg filled every corner of the 1,000-square-foot apartment with furniture, lighting, and accessories that pay homage to the BBC building’s midcentury provenance. Then comes the art. “I like art hanging to be a bit off the cuff,” he says. And on not only the walls, but the kitchen cabinets, under the counters, and outside, on the balcony.

Choosing it is intuitive, but there is a throughline. “Designing for clients forces me to think about these things up front, but doing it for myself is ultimately liberating,” he says. “I get to take chances.” Inspired by the lush green park the apartment overlooks, Zandberg decided he could pretend he’s in the South of France, in a modernist landmark. “The art followed. I wanted a cubist modernist vibrancy with graphic pieces in the mix.”