“Two to four years. That was the plan,” Lee Wheeler says with a laugh. When she moved to London as a newlywed in 1981, she couldn’t have imagined that more than 40 years later, she would still be there—“albeit,” she adds, “with a different husband.” There were several other not entirely predictable events along the way, including a change of career, the birth of three children, a two-year stint in the South of France, her second marriage, and a return to the city.
Wheeler had been working at Sotheby’s when she first arrived in London, but was eager to start her own business. With the support of Tom Parr, the renowned British decorator associated with Colefax & Fowler, she founded her own design firm. “He gave me the courage—and the letter of credit—that allowed me to go out on my own,” she says. “He told me, ‘You’re resourceful—go after the Americans who are living in London.’ So I plunged in, and those expats were my first clients.”
Originally, Wheeler and her family lived in a terraced house in Kensington. But the charm of raising three kids while climbing up and down five levels soon waned. And other life changes intervened: In 2003, she returned to London from France with the man who would become her second husband, and they moved into an spacious apartment in Belgravia. The early-19th-century building was built by Thomas Cubitt, who developed many of the historic streets and squares in the city. It offered a generous terrace overlooking Eaton Square as well as the distinct advantage of being on a single level. “I loved the New York feeling of the apartment,” she says.

A custom oak console divides the great room of designer Lee Wheeler’s recently revamped London apartment into separate living and dining areas. The stools are by Christian Liaigre, and the pedestal by the window holds a porcelain vessel by Sandra Davolio. The painting on the far wall is by Tom Lieber.
Francesco LagneseThe previous owners had lived there for 35 years after hiring Chester Jones of Colefax & Fowler to oversee a renovation. “He had designed the spaces exactly right,” Wheeler raves. “Architecturally, Jones had done what I would have done—kept the expansive hall, the enfilade, and he installed beautiful woodwork. The apartment already had great bones, but I knew I could make it better.” She kept the bones but updated the decor.
But two years ago, after living there for nearly 20 years, it was time for a change, especially since her grown children were no longer in residence. “All my children were born and educated in England, but they all went to university in the U.S., and they all live there now,” says Wheeler. “So they are real Americans.”

The breakfast room table matches the one in the great room; when Wheeler has large dinner parties, she pairs them together to seat up to 16. The chairs are by Philippe Starck for Kartell, the bench is by Christian Liaigre, the photographs are by Jacques-Henri Lartigue, and the plaster pendant light is by Rose Uniacke.
Francesco LagneseThe same could be said for their mother, who has brought a uniquely American sensibility to the refresh of the apartment, forgoing all the clichés of British style. She pared down, unifying the spaces with pale, wide-plank oak floors throughout the rooms, topped with rush matting with elegant hand-braided edging. “The floors give the apartment an underlying uniformity even though all the rooms are different,” Wheeler explains. There is not a scrap of chintz in sight, or fussy trimmings, or even curtains in the living room—only simple linen shades. Wheeler sought clarity, not clutter.
Perhaps the most notable absence is color, which so many designers use to mitigate the gray light of London. “I love color,” says Wheeler. “Our first home was layered with yellows and had a lime green hall. But with the scale and architecture of this apartment, I felt it didn’t need that.” The fabrics throughout are in shades of white and cream. “I wanted to put the focus on the art. And that launched me on a search for art, which has been a great pleasure, but it is not something you can do overnight. But then, that is the fun of it.”

In the primary bedroom, a collage by Kim Bartelt hangs over a custom bed inspired by one designed by Tom Scheerer. The bed is flanked by a Louis XVI mahogany commode and a French Empire gueridon, with lamps Wheeler had made from 18th-century perfume bottles. The secretary and chair are both 18th-century French, the Chinese table at the foot of the bed came from Colefax & Fowler, and the X-bench is by Nicky Haslam. Curtains are in Lismore Linen by Schumacher.
Francesco LagneseShe highlighted the original windows with new radiator covers beneath them, which allowed for narrow window seats. “I did use big curtains, which the British love so much, in the bedroom and library,” she admits. The most dramatic change was to the kitchen and breakfast room. “From the center hall you can see into the living room in one direction and into the kitchen in the other,” Wheeler says. “And the kitchen just wasn’t right.” Working with Plain English, she designed simple paneled cupboards that rise to the ceiling and installed the apartment’s only television. “We love hanging out in the breakfast room with friends,” she adds.
"What’s interesting is that the art is quite bold, yet the apartment overall is so subtle."
LEE WHEELER
If anything, Wheeler is now more firmly ensconced in the city than ever. “This place worked when all my children lived here, and it still works for just the two of us,” she explains. “What’s interesting is that the art is quite bold, yet the apartment overall is so subtle. Everyone who comes in remarks how the apartment seems so calm. People can feel it. It’s an easy place to live.”
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 15 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!