LONDON – It was the warm pink walls that drew us to this 1880s west London flat decorated by designer Virginia Howard. The designer was given free rein to change spaces around and do the architectural detailing, so the layout was completely transformed, most notably from three bedrooms to two and an enormous amount of storage added. Howard was also responsible for the complete project management, lighting design, decorative schemes, furnishings and antique sourcing for the large first floor lateral Knightsbridge apartment. The result is a bright and spacious space with silk velvet ottomans and crackling fires; gilded-framed gallery walls, juliet balconies and flurry of jute, linen, marble and chrome…