Welcome to our new blog series entitled ‘Pick of the Pads‘ where we’ll feature homes that attract us, captivate us, bewitch us… sweep us off our feet!

This apartment in Manchester’s Beetham Tower does all of that in spades!

It’s a huge space, the penthouse duplex, taking up the whole of the 47th & 48th floors of the building. It’s the home of Ian Simpson, Beetham Tower’s architect.

As you’d expect from one of this country’s best architects, the apartment is absolutely stunning. There are scores of floor to ceiling windows allowing sunlight to stream through into double height rooms. And being so high up the views stretch right across to the Pennines!

It even boasts an indoor swimming pool, terrace and olive grove – the trees had to be installed before the roof went on!

And of course it’s furnished with beautiful mid century modern furniture, artworks and decorative objects.

For the full tour and more photos check out the September issue of Elle Decoration.

Update (3 April 2016): Here’s a new interview with the architect, Ian Simpson, in his penthouse apartment.