A Private View: a gallery of goodness at home in Clapham Common

Glance out through the sash windows of this third-floor Victorian flat on the southern side of Clapham Common on a clear day and, across the lush green treetops, is a prime view of London’s skyline. It’s here that Zoë Allen frequently captures “the last hours of sunshine in the corner by the bookshelf”, she says, often while musing on her latest creative project for her company, Artistic Statements.

This tranquil flat – currently on the market – has not only inspired many of her ideas, but over the years has become the setting for her burgeoning art collection. “What I love so much about this place is not only the fact I can get into town see my clients – the tube station is just metres from my door – but at the end of the day I can retreat and watch the streets below buzzing with life.”

Zoë set up Artistic Statements when she became aware that artists were not being supported in a way that allowed them to engage with a more commercial client base. “I wanted to give them exposure and help them to develop,” she explains. The company now works with a range of corporate clients who commission large-scale installations for their public spaces.

Her curatorial eye has directly fed into the way that Zoë has occupied her flat, treating it as much an art gallery as a place to live. On first viewing it, she was struck by the open-plan living area, whose expansive clean white walls immediately reminded her of a commercial art space. She was particularly drawn to one on the left-hand side of the living area, with its original Victorian fireplace. It would later become Zoë’s point of departure when she began to hang her collection.

As a result of working with such a diverse group of artists, Zoë’s collection is broad and has grown organically. “If I see something inspiring or innovative, I don’t just want to have it, I need to love it. After all, I have to live with it,” she explains. There is, however, a quiet uniting factor between many of her pieces – as befits a lover of the London restaurant scene. There is no doubt of Zoë’s passion for food: currently on the walls are a number of still-life prints variously featuring a hog roast, apples and pears, and a steaming bowl of pasta.

To complement the pared-back walls, Zoë has chosen to hang works in a tone-down colour scheme so as not to overwhelm the period features, but rather accentuate them: monochrome with gold accents is the name of the game here. The high Victorian proportions of her flat mean she has also been able to go bold with certain pieces. On the rear wall, for instance, is an A1 black-and-white poster proudly advertising “Bottles for Oil and Milk”. With a twinkle in her eye, Zoë recounts how it came to be here. “One evening I was in a taxi, which stopped outside Margaret Howell. When I saw it in the window, I just thought: ‘I have to have it.’” Rushing inside, she was told by the shop assistant that it could be hers if she returned the next morning. And so, bright and early, there she was.

Now, the poster hangs as a reflection of Zoë’s creative instinct – and the way she has lived in this space. Coming to the end of our conversation – and her time in this flat – she pauses to ponder aloud: “The question is – how will the next owner use these walls?”

Further reading

Zoë Allen on Instagram

Artistic Statements