They Made Their Own Sofa—and Just About Everything Else in Their Family’s Quirky London Flat

Tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac just paces from London’s Kings Cross is a small, unassuming development set around a courtyard. The brick apartment building has two balconies overflowing with ferns and more jungle-like greenery, hinting at the urban oasis that is Mike and Jewlsy McMahon’s home, which they recently reimagined almost entirely themselves.

From the filled-in foliage to highly customized interiors, the apartment feels like a complete idea now, but came about in phases. "The first project began when our son, Milo, was six months old, and he’s now eight," says Jewlsy. "That was when life shifted from us being out in London all the time to being at home more." Adds Mike, "When we started, we never thought we’d get to the point where we were making our own sofa. It all happened incrementally."

Jewlsy bought the space in 2008 and the couple later met through her first flatmate. Mike moved in four years later, and they began the process of transforming the space. While Jewlsy doesn’t have formal design training, she has a keen eye, and bringing the apartment together was very much a joint effort between her and Mike, who’s an architect. (A year ago, they formed Mike McMahon Studios.)