Home win: the interior designer taking over 5m Beckingham Palace revamp

Rose Uniacke, who is married to multi-millionaire David Heyman, has taken over the 5 million refurbishment of the couples five-storey west London villa.

The job is the highest profile commission yet for one of Londons best connected interior designers, whose style has been described as classic English cosiness meets minimalist rigour.

Ms Uniacke takes over from Dragons Den panellist Kelly Hoppen, who was hired to work on the earlier heavy lifting phase of the overhaul.

David and Victoria Beckham paid 31.5 million for their seven-bedroom London base dubbed Beckingham Palace II last September.

Big deal: interior designer Rose Uniacke (Picture: REX/Hannah Young) They have been living with their four children in rented accommodation in Kensington while work on their Grade II-listed home, a former boarding house for single ladies, is carried out.

Pimlico-based Ms Uniacke, the daughter of antiques dealer Hilary Batstone, is best known for her work on the refurbishment of the Gloucester Place headquarters of fragrance label Jo Malone.

Describing her approach, the 50-year-old designer has said: I dont like furnishing just for the sake of it. I like referencing the context.

It is thought she will likely give the home a more traditional English look than the international East meets West style of Ms Hoppen.

Ms Uniacke was previously married to Old Etonian adventurer and reformed heroin addict Robie Uniacke, who is now the partner of former Bond actress Rosamund Pike. In 2007 she married Heyman, who secured the film rights to JK Rowlings wizarding series in 1999 and is now said to be worth more than 70 million. He is currently working on a film version of the Paddington Bear stories starring Hugh Bonneville and Nicole Kidman.

The couple spent three years on a lavish refit of their own 11 million Victorian home in Pimlico described as the house that Harry Potter built.

See more here:
Home win: the interior designer taking over 5m Beckingham Palace revamp