David Mlinaric, England's foremost decorator of period interiors, sparingly decorated his own London two-bedroom rental, which faces the Thames. He chose pale blue for the sitting area to complement the silvery light from the river and used mirrors to "probably double or triple the sense of light," he said.

A seven-sided glass table by Grillo Demo, an Argentine artist, is at one end of the living area. The fish-scale pattern in the windows acknowledges the river.

The kitchen, in granite, steel and white laminate, is so tiny that Mr. Mlinaric built extra cabinets in the hall.

The Mlinarics eat at a card table set up in the hallway with linen and Wedgwood china. The glass light is by Vico Magistretti. The Parthenon was drawn by Mr. Mlinaric at age 17.

To maximize light, only the bedroom has curtains, a textile by the Art Deco-era designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. The near table is by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti.

Photo: Derry Moore for The New York Times