M O RE I NSPI RAT I O NAL HO M E S THA N A N Y O THE R M A G A Z IN E

25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES WINTER
CELEBRATIONS
INSPIRED LOOKS PACKED WITH
FOR THE SEASON PERSONALITY
Colourful ways From a stylish
to add warmth new build to a
and bonhomie cosy country house

URBAN UPDATE
Vintage charm fills
a once-tired
Victorian f lat

CREATE IMPACT
IN EVERY SPACE
Living room, kitchen, bathroom & bedroom ideas
 JANUARY 2022

25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES
MORE IN S P IRAT I O NAL H O M ES T HA N A N Y OTHE R M A G A Z I N E
no. 1
This new build has a
beautiful lakeside
setting and is super
cosy at Christmas (p10)

no. 2 no. 3 no. 4

A cottage with stunning An interior designer was The mountain scenery
no.
A chic revamp has
5 no. 6
This listed country
views and a chequered called in to brighten is the star of the show turned a dated 1930s home comes into
past required lots of up and transform this in this chalet in snowy house into a welcoming its own over the
modernisation (p16) family home (p23) Aspen (p28) family home (p34) holidays (p40)

no. 7
A period home was
no. 8
It may have a pared-
no. 9
The owners of this new
no. 10
Once dark and dated,
no. 11
This renovated,
updated for modern back decor, but this build used a French this Victorian home is sophisticated house
life while retaining its Victorian terrace is also chateau as a reference now the epitome of picked up one of our
historic charm (p47) a party pad (p52) point (p58) elegance (p64) Reader Awards (p72)

4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 12
Magically dressed in
no. 13
Skye McAlpine’s
no. 14
An interior designer
no. 15
One couple decided
no. 16
A top-to-toe refurb
festive greenery, this beautiful and cosy helped add character to to swap city living for with a contemporary-
manor house is totally four-storey house at a modern farmhouse- a larger home in the traditional
enchanting (p78) Christmas time (p84) style home (p90) countryside (p96) aesthetic (p100)

no. 17
This barn-style
no. 18 no. 19
An architect was tasked Creating a sophisticated
no. 20
Vintage finds bring
no. 21
An inviting new kitchen
self-build is light, bright with bringing a sense of retreat was the brief for personality and charm suits the style and
and full of country tranquillity to this tired this townhouse’s to this flat in a Victorian Edwardian heritage of
charm (p106) Victorian terrace (p110) overhaul (p114) terrace (p118) this property (p126)
NEVER LEAVE BURNING CANDLES UNATTENDED

no. 22
With a growing family, a
no. 23
Striking a balance
no. 24
This bold wallpaper was
no. 25
An elegant scheme
Room Envy
Soak up the warm,
much-needed extension between a relaxing the inspiration for the fitted out with bespoke natural interiors at Pater
brings all the living space and a place home’s cohesive design features stands out in Noster, a remote hotel
areas together (p130) to entertain (p134) scheme (p138) this home (p140) in Sweden (p146)

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 5
 EDITOR’S LET TER | 25bh

25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sarah Spiteri
Homes Editor Fiona Mace

WELCOME
Group Creative Director Emma Williams
Group Chief Sub Editor/Production Editor Jennifer Spaeth
Content and Product Development Director Michael Holmes
Brand Development Director Laura Crombie
Homes Content Team Editorial Director Rhoda Parry

Group Art Director Alison Walter

Deputy Art Director Emma Jackson Back in the spring we announced our first Reader Awards and
Art Editors Melanie Brown and Paula Jardine
Group Production Editor Maxine Clarke
Hub Chief Sub Editor Carly Rigley
we’ve been so delighted with the wonderful entries sent to us. Going
Senior Sub Editors Marian McNamara and Karen Wiley
through all the different properties was a complete pleasure and this
MANAGEMENT
Senior Vice President, Womens, Homes & Country month we reveal the first winner – Lara Kott. Her amazing home is
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Managing Director of Homes Jason Orme a testament to all of the hard work she and her husband Lee put into
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it and the results really do speak for themselves (page 72).
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CIRCULATION
if you’re in search of some seasonal inspiration, take a look at cookery
Circulation Manager Katie Greenan
(katie.greenan@futurenet.com) writer Skye McAlpine’s cheerful family abode (page 84). She has
MARKETING skilfully combined a comfortable, lived-in style with elegance and her
Head of Marketing Sian Cupid (sian.cupid@futurenet.com)
Deputy Head of Marketing Laura Timms fabulous festive look relies on an abundance of greenery. And if you
(laura.timms@futurenet.com)

ADVERTISING like a holiday season with plenty of sparkle, Vanessa Clewett’s

Commercial Director Rob Biagioni (rob.biagioni@futurenet.com)
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(nicola.ponting@futurenet.com)
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2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 7
no. 1

SITTING ROOM
Vintage and antique-
look pieces give the
new-build home
character, while
the inset fire has
modern credentials.
Vintage French Louis
XV-style armchair,
price on request, The
Treasure Trove
Interiors. Try the Jules
Wood Marine Head
floor lamp, £195, John
Lewis & Partners. Sofa,
price on request, Van
Dam Wonen & Slapen.
Painting, Lydia van
Wolfswinkel
DINING AREA
At this time of year,
Lydia decorates
the table with
greenery gathered
from the garden.
‘I like to use pine
and eucalyptus
as they have a
wonderful scent.’
Try Rose & Grey for
similar tableware

IN WITH
THE NEW
Lydia and Ruth-Jan van Wolfswinkel’s new-build home magnificently
merges modern materials and more rustic classic features
FEATURE KAREN JENSEN-JONES | PHOTOGRAPHY CORINE HOGE BAVEL-JANSEN/COCO FEATURES

12 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 BEST BUY ‘The steel doors – they
have a strong presence and the large
panes of glass help to keep the
house feeling light and open’
HOME TRUTHS
T H E P R O P E R T Y New
build in the Kempen style
L O C AT I O N
Opheusden, Gelderland
Province, Netherlands
R O O M S Sitting room, kitchen/
dining area, laundry room, studio,
two bedrooms, bathroom, attic
and cellar
P U R C H A S E D The land was
bought in 2016
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We lived in a corner house in
Opheusden,’ says Lydia.
 KITCHEN
‘Even though this
is separate from
the sitting room,
the glass divide
creates a sociable
space,’ says Lydia.
Walls in a similar
colour to Mizzle
estate emulsion,
£49.50 for 2.5ltr,
Farrow & Ball. For a
polished concrete
floor, try Puur.
Artwork, Lydia van
Wolfswinkel

DINING AREA
The sliding wood doors
(left) not only save space
but contrast beautifully
with the steel-frame of
the glazed partition.
Dining table and chairs, price
on request, Van Dam Wonen
& Slapen. Try the Plafondlam
Thom ceiling light, £128, Leen
Bakker. Similar steel doors,
price on request, Anhui
Hotian Doors & Windows

I
t’s hard to imagine that the newly built home of
artist Lydia van Wolfswinkel (@lydiavwolfs) didn’t
exist five years ago but now with the decorations up,
the fire roaring and the candles lit, it is all ready to
celebrate the festive season. ‘It’s such a joy for me to use
lots of natural foliage from the garden and to light the
fire and the candles as it’s been quite a journey to get to
this point,’ explains Lydia.
The house is situated by a lake in the province of
Gelderland in the Netherlands. Lydia and her husband
Ruth-Jan were familiar with the area - it is known for its
meandering rivers, forests and nature reserves - and
bought the land because of the stunning views over the
lake. ‘We designed the house with the outside in mind
first because the views are so important to us,’ remembers
Lydia. ‘It’s an architectural style called Kempen, which
means the house looks old even though it’s new.’
The process took two years from start to finish - the
couple were sure that they wanted a modern base, to
include a concrete floor, and lots of wood for an
authentic, rural feel. ‘We used local craftspeople and the
whole build was very straightforward as we were quite
certain from the start what we wanted to achieve,’ says
Lydia. ‘Luckily Ruth-Jan and I have similar tastes so

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 13
 B AT H R O O M
The oval shape
of the basins and
bath (below) is
a lovely foil to
the more straight
lines in the room.
The Oval basin,
£99, Clickbasin, is
similar. Try the
Florence Black
bath, £649.95,
Wholesale
Domestic
Bathrooms

MAIN BEDROOM
A simple shelf over the bed
is ideal for decorative
accessories and lighting
and also creates a cosy
feeling in this lofty space.
Cormack Herringbone
wooden floor, £43.99sq m,
Wood Floor Warehouse, has
this look. Reclaimed wooden
floating shelf, £54, Ben
Simpson Furniture

there was never any difficulty deciding what we wanted

and we’re very happy with the outcome.’
The combination of rustic charm and concrete and
steel is the look favoured by Lydia, but she also wanted to
add warmth and chose a subtle palette of greens and
greys to soften the edges. ‘The atmosphere of my home is
important to me and despite the bare nature of the
concrete floor and steel door frames, the contrast with
the warm green walls and the odd hint of pink here and
there is really striking and successful,’ she says.
With Christmas almost here, Lydia has foraged
in the garden for beautiful foliage and she’s artfully
trimmed the tree with a mix of old and new baubles. ‘I
like to find antique baubles to add to our collection each
year and I enjoy making up garlands and wreaths for each
room,’ she says. With their new home decorated and
ready to welcome family and friends, Lydia and Ruth-Jan
know they have created the perfect backdrop for a relaxed
and cosy Christmas. ‘We absolutely love where we live
as it is rural and beautiful, but also very close to all the
amenities we need,’ says Lydia. ‘We agree that living in
this precious home almost feels like being on holiday and
this coming festive season will certainly be one of the
most special holidays we’ve ever had.’

14 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
DEEor ating TIP ‘I’ve kept to a simple palette of green
and white for a modern feel, but adding a few pink accents
was an easy way of adding another layer for more depth’
no. 2
Simply divine
1\_I[TW^MI\ÅZ[\[QOP\_PMV4I]ZI5MT^QTTM*ZW_V
TIQLMaM[WV\PQ[KWV^MZ\MLKPIXMT_PQKPQ[ÅTTML_Q\P
^QV\IOMXQMKM[IVLQ[IJMI]\QN]TXTIKM\WKMTMJZI\M
FEATURE MAGGIE COLVIN | PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SANDERSON

16 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
DINING ROOM
Putting a decorative dresser in one of
the alcoves adds even more character.
Camille set of six dining chairs and
matching table, £1,643, The Cotswold
Company. Pre-lit fir swag, £29.50,
Lights4fun. Chelak rug, £595, Oka

SITTING ROOM HOME TRUTHS

Cleverly, the TV is hidden in
THE PROPERTY
the antique larder cupboard.
A detached cottage dating
Button-back sofa in Green velvet, £2,590,
from the 1600s
Sofa.com. Pearle table, £110, La Redoute.
L O C AT I O N Devon
Grenadilla lamp base, £135, Oka
R O O M S Sitting room, dining
room, kitchen-breakfast room,
three bedrooms, three bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2015
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We moved from a modern
detached house in Sussex,’
says Laura.
 O
ut of the reach of most carol
singers, a private farm track
winds up a steep woodland
incline leading to the
prettiest converted chapel imaginable.
It has blue painted shutters and arched
Gothic windows and a high apex roof.
‘My husband Sam and I fell in love
with this characterful little gem at first
sight,’ Laura Melville-Brown admits. ‘And
we love Devon, so when a job came up for
Sam locally, we thought, why not?’
Laura and Sam are both teachers and
share an interest in history, and this
1 property certainly has plenty of that. ‘It
has a chequered past,’ says Laura. ‘There
are some bars at one or two windows – a
legacy of when one of the rooms was used
2 as a holding cell. Rumour has it the cottage
was also a cider store for the local apple
farm and we do know at one point it was a
garage as the large window in our sitting
room is big enough for a car to drive into.
And although it has all the hallmarks of a
chapel, we don’t have any hard evidence.’
Historical speculation associated with
the cottage, along with the attraction of its
original floorboards, quaint old doorways,
beams and Victorian fireplaces, more than
compensated for the huge amount of work
required to turn it into a comfortable
home. And the stunning views of Devon
fields dotted with sheep and ponies made
it an opportunity not to be missed.
‘When we moved in there was far more
to mend and modernise than we’d initially
thought,’ says Laura. The first job was to
turn two attic bedrooms into one large
main bedroom with a free-standing bath.
Then there was the cost of a new heating

3 4
1 KITCHEN roll, East Urban Home,
To make the space Wayfair, is similar
feel larger, the units
are confined to below 3 BREAKFAST
worktop height. ROOM
Allendale units in One of the alcoves
Dove Grey with brass was the perfect
handles and oak place for a wine rack,
work surface, price while bench seating
on request, Howdens. is a simple space-
Embossed Demelza saving choice.
tiles, £43.20sq m, Sizzling pink and red
Mandarin Stone vintage Scandinavian
table cloth, £52m,
2 HALLWAY Marimekko
Wallpaper was Vintage on Etsy
used to highlight
the beautiful
Gothic-style door.
Phoebe Botanical
wallpaper, £21.99 a
 5

system, new kitchen, wood-burning stoves,

plus the work to expose the old bricks, sand
the floorboards and for all the decoration.
‘Finally, we decided to put in a hot tub and
build an outdoor kitchen – it all added up.’
The final fun cosmetic creative jobs
they tackled themselves as their budget
ran low. ‘Fortunately, some cherished
pieces like the chest in the dining room
were given to us by family,’ says Laura. The
antique crystal chandeliers and elegant
vintage wall lights were sourced from local
auctions. Curtains, like the William
Morris design in the dining room and
brocade fabric in the main bedroom, were
bought inexpensively in local markets.
Happily, they echo the vintage theme.
‘The process of doing up the house
taught me so much,’ says Laura, and CHRISTMAS 6
explains this is how and why she started
D E C O R AT I N G T I P
her new decorating business sourcing
vintage accessories. ‘I can share what I »;QUXTMQLMI[UISM\PM
learnt and pass on the contacts to clients.’ UW[\QUXIK\[]KPI[
Christmas time for the family is all
about playing cosy fireside games together, ][QVO JI]JTM[ I[
watching festive movies and the children, \IJTM VIUM KIZL[¼
Sebastian, 11, and Posy, seven, like to play
hide and seek with friends – making the
most of the many nooks and crannies which
are part and parcel of a 400-year-old house.
Laura’s Christmas decorations are
kept to a stylish minimum. As the house
is surrounded by so many fir trees, one
growing conveniently near to the house,
Laura was inspired to decorate it with
strings of outdoor lights. ‘It makes a
sparkling welcome for our guests as they
walk up the garden path.’
Laura and Sam’s cottage, Novella, is available
to rent through uniquehomestays.com

4 BATHROOM the main bedroom is

The dramatic dark achieved with a gold
blue paint on the Japanese screen.
tongue-and-groove For a similar screen,
boarding makes a £425 to order, try
statement, while Melville-Brown
the curvaceous Interiors. Claw-
antique table is a footed bath, £1,380,
nice contrast to the Victoria + Albert at
room’s straight lines. Sanctuary Bathrooms
Panelling in Stiffkey
estate eggshell, £67 6 BEDROOM
for 2.5ltr, Farrow & The chandelier is a
Ball. Sannahed box beautiful contrast to
frame, £9, Ikea the more pared-
back elements of
5 MAIN this space.
BEDROOM Ikat bedspread,
A glitzy film-star £120, Blue Isle.
touch in the Lampshade, £180,
bathroom area of Rosanna Lonsdale

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 19
 no. 3
MODERN
TWIST
Lydia Draper called in interior designer
Georgie Wykeham to help give her
Victorian terrace a fabulously fresh look
FEATURE JANET MCMEEKIN | PHOTOGRAPHY TOM ST AUBYN

KITCHEN-DINER
‘The Mogul artwork is very special
to me since I bought it with an
inheritance from my grandmother,’
says Lydia. ‘It’s such a talking point.’
Mogul oil painting, £1,200, Studio
Hám. Camargue weathered oak
dining chairs, £225 each, Oka

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 2 3

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
A Victorian terraced house
L O C AT I O N South London
R O O M S Sitting room,
kitchen-diner, playroom,
utility room, cloakroom, four
bedrooms, two bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2019
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We used to live in a three-
bedroom, first-floor maisonette
in Clapham,’ says Lydia.
2 4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
DESIGN TIP ‘If you want to go bold with a kitchen colour,
W
hen an estate agent
handed Lydia Draper
a pair of shears to hack
her way through the
overgrown garden behind an unloved, dated
house, the experienced renovator realised
that she had just discovered her next home.
‘I adore breathing new life into period
properties to give them a modern twist, and
regularly hound estate agents to show me
homes that other house hunters would be
loathe to view, never mind buy,’ says Lydia.
‘This lacklustre house was crying out for
a major transformation and, when I could
eventually see the 40-foot garden properly,
I knew there was plenty of scope to create
something special for our growing family.’
Back in the spring of 2019, Lydia, who
is a personal assistant to several businesses,
including Georgie Wykeham Designs, and
her husband, Fergus, a yacht underwriter,
began to get itchy feet.
‘Although our first-floor flat in Clapham
was a good size, when our son Arlo came
along we got increasingly frustrated with
lugging a pushchair up the stairs, and also
felt we needed a garden,’ says Lydia. After
spotting details for the Balham house
 KITCHEN
Two-tone cabinets mean the
bold colour isn’t too dominant.
Try the Rattan effect bar stool,
£199.97 for two, Furniture123

KITCHEN SITTING ROOM

Lydia wanted two parts to the In here, it’s the statement rug
extension – one at the back for that adds the modern twist.
dining and one into the side Walls in Light Blue estate emulsion,
return. She felt it would give more £49.50 for 2.5ltr; woodwork in
character to the cook space. De Nimes estate eggshell, £67
Cabinetry, price on request, Naked for 2.5ltr, both Farrow & Ball
Kitchens. Opus concrete-effect
tiles, £28m, Walls and Floors

a two-tone option is a great idea’

online, Lydia, who has renovated three

period properties, was intrigued.
‘The property was even worse in reality,
with multi-coloured carpets, signs of damp,
single-glazed aluminium windows and an
unattractive pine kitchen that looked like
something out of a 1940s ski chalet,’ says
Lydia. ‘The original Victorian character
had been either ripped out or covered up.’
Totally unfazed, Lydia walked out of
the viewing feeling elated at the prospect of
restoring the property to its former grandeur.
Having clinched the deal, she then
turned to interior designer and project

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 2 5
BEDROOM
The eclectic look Lydia wanted
was achieved in here with
the antique wardrobe and
colourful modern throw.
Blind and cushion in Benaki
fabric in Rock Rose, £131m,
Lewis & Wood
last wor d ‘I love adding surprise touches of colour, including beautiful lampshades’
coordinator Georgie for advice about how
to rejig the layout.
‘I love Georgie’s projects and felt she
would understand my desire to do
something different, rather than the fairly
standard approach of knocking down a
wall to create a long room with bifold
windows at the end,’ says Lydia.
‘Her walk-through crystallised my
thoughts about retaining the front reception
room as a grown-up living room and creating
a handy playroom behind. Georgie suggested
that the planned extension for the kitchen-
dining area should be an L-shape, with two
sets of doors opening out to the garden.’
Embracing Georgie’s ideas, Lydia
enlisted consultant Joe Purcell of Revive
Renovations to draw up plans, and Kent-
based A Builders Team to bring her
vision to fruition.
‘With juggling my own business
and looking after Arlo, I decided to let
26 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
A Builders Team manage the build, and
they were brilliant,’ says Lydia.
With the entire house stripped back
to the bones, work began in July 2019 and
forged ahead, finishing 14 months later.
‘When it came to introducing colours,
although I wanted a green hallway and
kitchen, for some reason, I got rather locked
into a green palette and decided to ask
Georgie for her input,’ says Lydia. ‘She came
up with a raft of lovely suggestions for
complementary paints and fabrics, which
enhance our mix of antique, mid-century
and modern pieces, as well as our artwork.’
Both Lydia and Fergus are thrilled
with their new-look home and, with the BATHROOM
arrival of Arlo’s sister, Aurelia, the family The antique mirror,
make use of every inch of space. found at Kempton
Market, adds impact.
‘Everyone who visits comments on how
Metro tiles, £19m, Walls
welcoming the house feels,’ says Lydia. ‘I’m and Floors. For a similar
thrilled that an ugly, neglected property antique mirror, try Vinterior
has been given back its heart and soul.’
 OFF-PISTE
FEATURE EMMA J PAGE | PHOTOGRAPHY OTTO / WILLIAM WALDRON

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Chalet built in early 2000s
L O C AT I O N Aspen, Colorado
R O O M S Sitting room,
dining room, study, den, gym,
living room, four bedrooms,
three bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2011
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘The owners also have a home
on the East Coast,’ says Victoria.

SITTING ROOM
‘We didn’t want to compete with the scenery so
we eschewed window treatments and opted for a
colour palette of soft cream, with bronze and dark
wood elements for a hint of glamour,’ says Victoria.
Custom sofa and armchairs, CJ Peters. Try Swoon’s
Munich sofa in Ice Grey Easy Velvet, from £1,499

2 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 4
This Aspen chalet, revived by interior designer Victoria Hagan, is a celebration
of the majestic snow-covered mountains that completely surround it

H A L LWAY
Floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinetry
accommodates skis, boots and
outerwear for the family. ‘We needed
to consider all the practical design
elements,’ says Victoria.
Built-in storage, Victoria Hagan

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 2 9
 B E S T FE AT U R E ‘The vast window in the sitting room – it’s cut from one

T
he house has gotten a great workout,’ says
American interior designer Victoria Hagan
of the Aspen chalet that she and architect
Joeb Moore meticulously remodelled for
a family of outdoor-living enthusiasts comprising a
couple and their three children, ranging from teens to
grown-up. Built right into the side of a mountain, the
home has breathtaking views, instant access to the
slopes and a dynamic, multilevel layout.
The price to pay for such a premier position, however,
was a challenging redesign undertaken during the coldest
months of the year, when snow and ice were at their peak.
‘There wasn’t an elevation that wasn’t altered,’ says
Victoria of the project, which saw the building largely
refaced in sleek glass, warm wood and stone. ‘Having
materials and furniture winched up and down mountains
is not for the faint-hearted.’ Although the family retained
the footprint of this alpine retreat, every detail was

DINING AREA
An impressive double-sided fireplace separates
this space from the sitting room.
Chandelier by Jean de Merry – Kalmanovitz 9-light
Sputnik chandelier, £229.99, Wayfair, would work.
Try Kendall rug in Midnight Blue, £1,300, Soho Home

3 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
continuous piece of glass and it pulls the view into the room’

reappraised. ‘When they came across it, the building
was more house than home,’ reflects Victoria. ‘It was
as though it had been pencilled into existence but had
yet to have life breathed into it.’
A pivotal moment was unlocking the chalet’s
relationship to its dramatic setting. The four-storey
building is accessed from the top, with its living spaces
on the lower floors, an arrangement that Victoria deems
‘a little awkward’. Rebuilding the central staircase to
incorporate pause points that took in the view was a key
decision. ‘The original staircase was steep and narrow
and didn’t encourage lingering,’ she says. Instead, Joeb
conceived a cantilevered option in oak that became a
kind of sculpture in its own right. It now acts as a
backbone that unites every floor of the house.
The other game-changer was to partially remove
the wall between the main living and dining areas,
introducing an open-backed fireplace to unite the two

KITCHEN
Mellow oak cabinetry complements the ceiling,
its open grain adding texture and depth.
Underfloor heating keeps everyone cosy.
Kitchen designed by Victoria Hagan. The Oro drum
pendant, £35, Made, would suit this scheme

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 3 1
 B E S T FE AT U R E ‘Winter renovations are hard – jobs where buildings are exposed

areas. Doorways were heightened and a generous
swathe of seamless glass was introduced by way of a
vast window to harness the view. ‘The family collects
contemporary art, which gives the schemes punch and
verve,’ says Victoria. ‘The new window complements
that by framing the Aspen landscape, which is a kind
of real-time artwork in its own right.’
Once the architectural renovation was complete,
Victoria worked on schemes that could match its
attention to detail. Her emphasis was on introducing
warmth and texture via plenty of tactile elements such
as cashmere, alpaca and chenille, all providing a soft
counterpoint to the graphic shapes seen throughout. The
kitchen features wire-brushed oak with a visible grain;
natural limestone flooring is heated for cosy appeal;
timber-lined pitched roofs are complemented by warm
wood furniture or echoed in an oak-encased bath; and
furnishings alternate between graphic shapes and

MAIN BEDROOM
Two chairs by the fire are the perfect
place for a nightcap.
Find a similar textured faux-faux fur throw, from
£90, at The White Company. Anthony 3-light drum
pendant, £109.99, Wayfair, would work here

3 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
to the elements are better done during spring and summer’

velvet-touch finishes. ‘I never design a room around the
must-have coffee table,’ says the interior designer.
‘Instead I try to create schemes that facilitate easy living.’
Though there are plenty of practical elements,
including mud room storage for skis and boots, this is a
home designed as much for summer as winter. ‘Whatever
the season, it’s all about comfort,’ says Victoria. ‘There
are robust elements but they are underpinned by a
sense of being cocooned and still connected to nature.’
The homeowners embraced this home’s mountain
setting, opting for pared-back schemes that let the
views take centre stage. ‘They love a contemporary
style, but always warm, always a little unexpected,’ says
Victoria, who believes her work is done when a home
feels as though she was never there. ‘It’s not about the
furnishings per se, but about creating a space where a
whole family can express themselves and live spiritedly,’
she reflects. ‘That’s the secret sauce.’

GUEST BEDROOM
The warm tones of the exterior stonework
are reflected in the biscuit and caramel hues.
Recreate this look with a pair of check lined eyelet
curtains in Putty, £120, John Lewis & Partners

M A I N B AT H R O O M
The bath was enclosed with panelling to chime
with the oak wood in the rest of the house.
Bathroom design, Victoria Hagan. Dowsing
& Reynolds’ Large Bubble chandelier light,
£399.99, is similar in style

BEDROOM
Leather strap detailing on the beds is an unusual
element. ‘I like to introduce a few unexpected
touches if the owner is willing,’ says Victoria.
Commission a bespoke rug at The Rug Company

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 3 3
 LIGHT THE WAY
Interior designer Elie Jones has cleverly redesigned a time-warp
property to bring her vision for a bright, stylish family home to fruition
FEATURE JANET McMEEKIN | PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
 no. 5

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
A detached house,
built in the 1930s
L O C AT I O N Surrey
R O O M S Sitting room,
kitchen-diner/living area, snug,
utility room, cloakroom, four
bedrooms, two bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2009
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We lived in a Victorian terraced
house in Surbiton,’ says Elie.

W
hen Elie Jones viewed a dated
and oppressive 1930s property
in Surrey, her creative instincts
were twitching; she instantly
realised that by extending the house outwards
and upwards, she could create a light-drenched
and sophisticated yet family-friendly home.
‘The fact that the exterior needed some
attention, the hallway was dark and, at three
metres square, the kitchen was rather cramped,
actually made the property even more appealing,’
says interior designer Elie. ‘All I could see was the
potential to transform it into a wonderfully airy
home, bursting with surprise design elements.’
Back in 2009, Elie, of Elie Jones Interiors,
and her husband, Chris, director at Great With
Talent, began hunting for a more spacious house,
close to good schools. ‘At the time, our daughter
Eva, who is now 15, was about to start school, and
I was pregnant with our now 11-year-old son,
Artie,’ Elie explains. ‘This house is located in a
popular, quiet crescent in Esher, where highly
sought-after properties rarely change hands.’
Having visited the solidly built house with its
large garden – ideal for a rear extension – the
couple put in their offer, which was immediately

KITCHEN
The frames of the glazing are streamlined to
maximise the amount of light coming in.
GS Pendant 300 lights in brushed nickel, from £672
each, Tom Kirk Lighting. Bosco bar stools, from £364
each, The Chair People

DINING AREA
A wooden table and layered rugs bring
warmth and texture to this space.
Cross extending oak table by Matthew Hilton for Case
Furniture, from £2,645, SCP. Heal’s sells the Kartell
Masters chairs, £182 each. Try the Lohals rug, £99, Ikea

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 3 5
 accepted. After relocating, they began their
gradual modernisation externally by remodelling
the front and building a large contemporary
porch with windows and part-glazed front door,
to allow more natural light to stream in.
Shortly afterwards, the couple set about
revamping the sitting room at the front of the
house. The new-look space was stylishly updated,
brightened by Elie’s favoured pink and green
palette, and these fresh accent colours were later
pulled through the whole house to create a
harmonious, cohesive feel.
In 2014, having liaised closely with architect
Victoria Manser, planning permission was
granted for the couple’s long-awaited pièce de
résistance – a kitchen-diner extension with
three-metre-high glass doors, a two-metre square
roof light and a pair of glazed window seats, all
designed to let the light flood in.
‘Cooking in the small, gloomy kitchen, with
its burgundy units and laminate worktops, for
several years wasn’t ideal,’ explains Elie. ‘But I
knew in the end it would be worth the wait. It
gave me the chance to plan every detail of our
forthcoming extension meticulously.’
Determined that the extension would be so
much more than just a ‘box on the back’ of their
home, Elie went to great lengths to ensure that

LIVING AREA
Keen to incorporate plenty of storage and maximise
the height of the room, Elie designed a floor-to-
ceiling wall unit, complete with a handy ladder.
Bespoke storage unit designed by Elie Jones Interiors.
Alseda banana fibre stools, £25 each, Ikea. The Type 75
wall light, £115, Anglepoise, has this look. Try the Kartell
Invisible coffee table, £650, Amara. Morgan Wright’s
teak leather sling chair in Tan, £670, is a good alternative
to this one (top left). For a similar soft wool grey throw,
£80, try Cox & Cox

3 6 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
LESSON LEARNT ‘Throughout the
house, I chose a mix of higher-end
and more a‫ٺ‬ordable pieces so that
everathing came in within budget’
 every shelf and drawer was made to measure.
She sourced some beautiful artwork and
lighting, plus a timeless mix of classic and
contemporary furniture for this stunning space,
which has become the heart of the family home.
A hand-crafted concrete finish was applied
seamlessly to the kitchen floor, before bespoke
two-tone units were fitted during the five-
month project. Soon after, the dining room,
which had served as a temporary kitchen, was
transformed into a cosy snug.
In 2020, Elie was able to turn her attention
to converting the loft into a sumptuous main
bedroom and en-suite bathroom. ‘I wanted our
new space to be a calm sanctuary away from the
bustle of family life,’ she explains.
Having poured so much love and thought
into every design decision, Elie is thrilled with
the result. ‘Our home is now so bright and
uplifting,’ she says. ‘It really is everything I had
envisaged – and more.’

MAIN BEDROOM
A nook was the perfect place for
a dressing table and chair.
Loft conversion by The Loft Room. Walls in Gray
Timber Wolf aura matte, £85 for 3.79ltr, Benjamin
Moore. View Point weathered brass chandelier,
£437.99, Quoizel. Embrace by Christina Fedyk print,
£160, King & McGaw. Velvet and linen quilt in Dusky
Pink, £325, Cox & Cox. So’Home steel grey leather and
iron curved back chair, £249, La Redoute

MAIN EN SUITE
Painting the walls and ceiling in the same chalky
pink hue has given this space a cosseting feel.
Walls in Early Sunset aura bath & spa matte, £92 for
3.79ltr, Benjamin Moore. Butler & Rose Audrey stone
basin, £139.99; Charlotte Edwards Belgravia bath,
£1,239.99, both Drench. IP44 ribbed glass bathroom
pendant light with long shade, £272, The Light Yard

3 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 HOME COMFORTS
At Christmas, Kelly and Jonathan Clarke’s listed country
house turns on the charm with decorations that delight
FEATURE CLARE GOGERTY | PHOTOGRAPHY POLLY ELTES | STYLING SIAN WILLIAMS

4 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 6

DINING ROOM
Like the rustic
furnishings, the natural
Christmas decorations
are a beautiful foil to the
home’s grand architecture.
Dining chairs, price on
request, i gigi. For a similar
chandelier, from around
£1,895, try Agapanthus
Interiors. Solid oak parquet
flooring, price on request,
Eco Flooring

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 41
 KITCHEN
The extra-long island
has plenty of storage and
a practical oak top that
brings warmth and
texture to the scheme.
Bespoke island, Emma Milne
for Plain English. Wye Valley
pendant, £215, Holloways
of Ludlow, has this look
FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘The calming e‫ٺ‬ect
our home has on us – we live in a chaotic
way, but the house still feels peaceful’
4 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
A Grade II-listed Georgian house
with Victorian additions
L O C AT I O N West Yorkshire
R O O M S Sitting room, dining
room, kitchen/diner, playroom,
snug, cloakroom, five bedrooms
(three en suite), bathroom
P U R C H A S E D 2015
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We were living in a modern
converted barn,’ says Kelly.
K
elly Clarke and her husband Jonathan
were living in a barn conversion in
Yorkshire when they decided it was
time to move house. ‘The barn was
very contemporary in style and we wanted a home
with more history and character,’ says Kelly. As
they have four young children – Ryder, 12, Casper,
eight, Tabitha, five and Tara, three – as well as
three Schnauzers, they also craved more space.
Soon after starting their search the couple
came across the Grade II-listed country house that
is now their family home. ‘It’s part Georgian, part
Victorian, so it’s an architectural hybrid,’ explains
Kelly. ‘It has lots of character, roaring log fires
and plenty of room to spread out in. There’s also
a six-acre garden and various outbuildings, so it
offered everything we wanted.’
However, the property’s listed status limited
the amount of structural work that could be
carried out. ‘We both loved the house, but it
was like a rabbit warren upstairs, which made
living here somewhat chaotic,’ says Kelly. ‘So we
dismantled several of the stud walls to create
HALLWAY SNUG
A single pine branch The oversized rug brings
tied to the bannister and a more luxurious touch
a hint of greenery on the than a standard one, as
console was chosen does a pair of lamps at
for an elegant the end of the sofa.
Christmas look. Portland stone fireplace,
Grandfather clock, price on request, Jamb.
price on request, i gigi. Bespoke sofa, price on
Walls in Charleston Gray request, i gigi. Grey single
estate emulsion, £49.50 sheepskin rug, from £35,
for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. John Lewis & Partners,
For stair carpet like this, would work here
try the Sisal Panama
Penwood, £52.50sq m,
Alternative Flooring
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 4 3
 MAIN BEDROOM
The elaborately carved
French antique bed is
a dramatic centrepiece.
Antique bed, price on
request, i gigi. Walls painted
in Slipper Satin estate
emulsion, £49.50
for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball.
Try Lodge lamp base,
£56, Nordic Nest
INSPIR ATION ‘The ideas in the interior
design book A Life Less Ordinary gave
me a starting point for the decor’
larger bedrooms. We also took down some of
the ceilings and replaced the flooring in every
room. These minor tweaks and changes made
the house work much better for us.’
Once the bedrooms had been reorganised,
Kelly turned her attention to the decor. When it
came to interior design, she was determined that
the decoration and furniture should reflect her
family’s way of life. ‘With four children and three
dogs running around, the house is very much
lived-in,’ she says. ‘But the traditional farmhouse
style was not for me. I wanted something more
characterful and natural looking.’
Happily, Kelly soon connected with designers
Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre, owners of online
homeware store i gigi. ‘I travelled to Brighton
to meet Zoe and Alex and we hit it off straight
away,’ says Kelly. ‘I invited them both to come up
to Yorkshire to see the house and commissioned
them to help me rework the interior.’
To achieve the tranquil look she wanted, Kelly
painted everything – ceilings, walls and skirting
boards – in various shades of grey, then added
customised furniture. ‘When we were ordering
the kitchen and looking for other pieces, I told
Zoe and Alex I didn’t want anything that looked
too polished or finished, as I prefer things to
be raw and natural,’ says Kelly. ‘The numerous
spills, stains and restored breakages only add
to the story of our home.’
Zoe and Alex also worked with Kelly to make
bespoke blinds, curtains, seat coverings, comfy
sofas and even ruffled fabric sleeves to conceal the
electric cables. ‘Being at home with the children,
I’m not able to go out and source things myself,’
says Kelly. ‘Zoe and Alex’s help has been invaluable.’
Kelly and Jonathan’s home really comes into its
own at Christmas. ‘We decorate everything with
swathes of greenery and foliage foraged from the
garden, and all gather round the massive dining
table,’ says Kelly. ‘We tried going out for a meal once,
but it wasn’t for us. We like to stay at home.’

BEDROOM
The relaxing ambience
continues into the
guest bedroom, where
the palette of neutral
hues, distressed
wood finishes and soft
textiles come together
in a timeless scheme
that’s easy on the eye.
French dressing table;
milking stool, both price on
request, i gigi. For a similar
throw, try the grey
short-haired shearling
sheepskin rug, £79,
Nordic Sheepskin
BATHROOM
Period style fittings
deliver charm and the
marble-look flooring
adds sophistication.
Walls in Cornforth White
estate emulsion, £49.50
for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball.
Chandelier, price on
request, Agapanthus
Interiors. Reclaimed bath,
price on request, i gigi.
Oxford round raffia
basket, £54, The Holding
Company, is similar

4 4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 7

KITCHEN
Extending allowed for
this expansive space,
but brickwork was
kept exposed as a
nod to the home’s
Edwardian heritage.
Bespoke kitchen `
units, Lanserring

RENOVATION TRIUMPH
The team at Cherie Lee Interiors reveal how they gave an Edwardian property the wow factor
FEATURE MELANIE WHITEHOUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY RAY MAIN

DINING AREA
Glazed doorways
were used in key
places to enhance the
sense of flow.
Floren pendant four-arm
light, price on request,
CTO Lighting. Surya
pendant light over hob,
price on request, Ochre

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 47
 HOME TRUTHS
DESIGN TEAM
Cherie Lee Interiors
H O U S E Edwardian home
in Buckinghamshire
W O R K Complete
reconfiguration internally with
rear and side extension

HOW DID THE COMPANY GET

I N VO LV E D I N T H I S P R O J E C T ?
James and Celia Whyte were in the early
stages of renovating their Edwardian house in
Buckinghamshire, which they’d bought in 2015,
when they approached us for help. ‘The property
was a bit dated and needed some TLC but the KITCHEN PA N T RY tiles were chosen as it’s a
main problem was that it didn’t suit their lifestyle,’ Streamlined units were A separate larder keeps colour accent that is used
chosen to create more provisions out of sight. throughout the house.
remembers Cherie. ‘Because they want it to be of a ‘living room’ feel. An internal window was Metro Teal tiles, £20sq m,
their home for the foreseeable future, it really Try the Bontempi Casa put in so shopping could British Ceramic Tile. Ship
needed to work for them.’ Linda bar stool, from £351, be passed through from wall lights, £540 each,
H O W I N VO LV E D W E R E T H E Lime Modern Living the boot room. Turquoise Rothschild & Bickers
H O M E O W N E R S ? The renovation project
included a total reconfiguration internally, a
single-storey rear extension and a two-storey
side extension. Both James and Celia have busy
working lives and needed a team that understood
them, so that revisions to designs were not too
time-consuming or frequent. However, they
were very much involved in the finished look
and style of their home.
DESCRIBE THE HOMEOWNERS’
S T Y L E . Despite their minimalist, contemporary
approach and the largely light colour scheme, the
Whytes didn’t want the renovation to feel sterile
or devoid of personality. ‘They love entertaining
and have a good sense of fun, so the interior of the
house had to reflect that and not feel too “done
up”,’ explains Cherie.
W H AT W E R E T H E B I G G E S T
PRIORITIES FOR THE
H O M E O W N E R ? They wanted to ensure
that the way the property was configured, and the
two extensions that were added, worked for their
lifestyle. ‘We spent a lot of time discussing how
they would use the space and what was needed to
make life easier,’ explains Cherie. ‘For example,
we added an internal window between the boot
room and pantry to allow shopping to be passed
through the boot room from the side entrance,
and for rubbish to go out to the bins.’

4 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
TV ROOM
Two-tone walls bring a
touch of informality to this
space, while the calming
hues and seascape art
add to the relaxing feel.
Bottom half of wall in
Scree absolute matt
emulsion; top half in Inox
absolute matt emulsion,
both £48.50 for 2.5ltr, Little
Greene. Timothy Oulton
Cabana Yeti chairs, £2,495
each, Barker & Stonehouse
H A L LWAY
With its striking curved
staircase, this area may
look ultra-contemporary
but heritage materials like
the parquet flooring, wall
panelling and brickwork
hark back to the house’s bespoke; for a similar design,
Edwardian origins. The try Broadleaf Timber’s
panelling includes a door Santia Lucia oak parquet,
that leads to an office. from £89.17sq m. Walls in
The Mode 4 Herringbone Strong White estate
floor from The Engineered emulsion, £49.50 for 2.5ltr,
Flooring Company is Farrow & Ball
W H AT WA S T H E I N S P I R AT I O N ?
The project was a balancing act between
retaining some of the original building and
fitting the brief to make it contemporary.
Cherie touched on the original property
wherever possible, retaining fireplaces and
choosing tiles, flooring and lighting that give
a nod to the era but in a more updated style.
‘The hallway is a good example,’ she says.
‘At first glance, it’s a modern entrance with
a curved staircase, but the parquet floors,
wall panelling and exposed brick bring another
layer that keeps it feeling warm and slightly
undone, a charm often felt in period homes.’
W H I C H R O O M WA S T H E
M O S T I M P O R TA N T T O T H E
H O M E O W N E R S ? The kitchen, as with
so many homeowners. Cherie didn’t find quite
the right fit until she met with Lanserring,
in London’s Notting Hill, who offered the
correct blend of traditional and contemporary
craftsmanship, and used beautiful materials.
HOW WERE THE COLOURS
C H O S E N ? The Whytes liked the simplicity
that comes with a neutral palette. Colour and
pattern was introduced where appropriate and
texture added to keep it interesting.
W H AT WA S T H E B I G G E S T
C H A L L E N G E ? ‘There were times when
it would have been more cost-effective and MAIN BEDROOM MAIN EN SUITE BEDROOM
easier to demolish the existing dwelling and An elegant bespoke Positioned to take in the A raised sleeping area is
rebuild from scratch,’ says Cherie. ‘But the wraparound headboard garden views, a cast-iron a fun take on a bunk bed.
creates a cosy feel. bath injects a touch of Walls in De Nimes estate
Whytes were adamant they wanted to keep IC Lights Suspension lamp, classic glamour. emulsion, £49.50 for 2.5ltr,
some of the Edwardian character and existing from £365, Flos. Pattani Swale bath, from £2,875, Farrow & Ball. Terrazzo
facade of the house so as to not duplicate the geometric cushion, £40, Drummonds. Bouclé chair, wallpaper, around £75 a
Oka, would work here £229.99, Zara Home roll, Ferm Living
“modern mansion” style that’s popular in
this area. Helping them make that decision
worthwhile was the challenge.’
W H AT WA S T H E M O S T
S AT I S F Y I N G A S P E C T O F T H I S
P R O J E C T ? The flow of the ground floor –
the areas now blend into one another and feel
open-plan while managing to achieve all of the
designated spaces that the Whytes wanted.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU
W O U L D A L L C H A N G E ? As a design
team, we’re constantly torn between bold and
neutral schemes, but the scheme here works
beautifully, so we’re happy!
ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS
F O R C R E AT I N G S U C C E S S F U L
SCHEMES LIKE THESE?
Pursue the elements you’re passionate about.
Our clients’ perseverance to keep some
period elements and not create a new build
gave them a unique property that suits their
style and tastes.

5 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 A lesson in
HARMONY
Milly Goodwin and David Cleveland’s Victorian terrace oozes
pared-back serenity but is also a home that’s ready to party
FEATURE AMY MOOREA WONG | PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CLEVELAND | STYLING MILLY GOODWIN

SITTING ROOM
The couple like to leave plenty of space for their boys to run
around but have a pig bench that sits over the daybed that
can be pulled out when they have friends over for drinks.
Moroccan Berber rug, £739, London Cows. For an antique
rustic elm pig bench, £216, try Pamono

5 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 8

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Victorian terrace
L O C AT I O N West London
R O O M S Sitting room, kitchen-
diner, cloakroom, four bedrooms,
bathroom, office and loft room
P U R C H A S E D 2016
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We were living in a two-bedroom
flat in north London before
moving here,’ says Milly.
 SITTING ROOM
A generous amount of greenery and pretty
displays of flickering beeswax candles make
for a modern yet welcoming festive scheme.
Totem vases, from £28 each, West Elm. Black
tapered candles, £6.99 for pack of 4, H&M
Home. Candleholders, from £10.95
each, Graham and Green
C
hristmas in this house is ever-evolving.
‘It changes each year,’ smiles owner
Milly Goodwin. ‘We have an eclectic
collection of decorations so we just use
what we fancy – this year it’s simple greenery with
a few kitsch pieces, last year it was Indian-style
garlands in bright, clashing colours and gold.’
With the kitchen extension creating a smooth
flow throughout the downstairs of the Victorian
property, this is a house for parties, be that the
nightly before-bed dances around the sitting room
with the couple’s young sons Cosmo, seven, and
Wilbur, four, or get-togethers with friends.
Milly has always enjoyed experimenting with
style and, after a 10-year career as a stylist for
interiors magazines, she is now an interior design
consultant (@millygoodwin), helping guide clients
through their own projects. ‘I work with people
who are up for an adventure, but don’t have the
confidence to do it themselves,’ she explains. These
adventures often inspire changes in her own
home. ‘Ideas are always ticking over in my head
and it drives my husband David, a photographer,
nuts because I’m always rejigging something!’
The young family moved here five years ago
from a dark-walled flat decorated with pops of
colour. Filling this house was a purposefully

DINING AREA
‘I wanted a subtle slither of light that went the length
of this room,’ says Milly of the narrow skylight
that helps brighten this space.
Solid oak tumbled double smoked herringbone wood
floor, price on request, Avenue Interiors

KITCHEN
To give this new space integrity, the couple chose
to incorporate old materials, such as a hardwood
work surface from a science lab.
Kitchen units, price on request, Pineland

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 5 5
 MAIN BEDROOM
The simple beauty of an upholstered bed
and wooden flooring make this a peaceful,
understated retreat.
Audrey double bed, from £835, Sofa.com, is similar.
Cream linen crinkle throw, from £120, Piglet in Bed.
Luna wooden beaded chandelier pendant light,
£199, The Pendant light Company, is similar
slow process. ‘It had to be natural,’ explains Milly.
‘Living here for a while helped us understand
what we wanted.’ The property’s original features,
from the corbels and cornicing to the expansive
fireplaces, gave Milly a design starting point, and
the space now has a black and white thread
running through it.
The icing on the cake was the completion of
the kitchen. ‘Having that slow burn gave me a
clear vision for the space, I really wanted it to have
its own identity,’ says Milly. And its identity is a
historic one; the existing exterior brick wall is
joined by reclaimed oak parquet, an iroko island
top rescued from a science lab, and glazed tiles
that once lined the London underground.
While to some, a pale palette and two small
boys may not seem like an ideal combination, but
Milly designed the house to be practical. To make
it work, the sofa cushions are machine washable,
the deep-pile rug hides a multitude of sins, while
textiles are liberally layered throughout to hide
anything that won’t come out. ‘This isn’t a
precious house,’ says Milly, ‘but one where playful
family life can be enjoyed to the full.’
The house can be hired as a location, for details
visit instagram.com/stanleyhouselocation

HALLWAY
Painting the hall black to dado level is a child-friendly
choice, helping to hide any knocks and scratches.
White paper balls, from £1.99 each, Pretty Little Party Shop

LANDING
This striking geometric wallpaper draws
attention away from the many doorways.
Tile wallpaper, £90 a roll, Cole & Son

CLOAKROOM
Previously a storage cupboard, this small space has
been transformed with a cosseting dark shade.
Brass towel rail, from £28, Tea + Kate

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 57
 SITTING ROOM
The blend of formal and
informal elements is what
gives this home its
timeless style.
CH25 chairs, £2,648 each,
Cimmermann. Rio coffee
table, $11,199, Inform
Interiors. Tres Persian Pouf
by Nanimarquina, £750,
Monologue

PURE IMAGINATION
The French chateau-inspired home built by Elaine and Kevin
Yu is timeless but also modern with a dash of fantasy

FEATURE KARINE MONIÉ | PHOTOGRAPHY EMA PETER

5 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 9

H A L LWAY
The elegant floating
staircase creates a
dramatic entrance.
Table, $2,500, Pottery
Barn. For a similar chaise
longue, try the Brontë,
£945, Loaf
 HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Detached new build
L O C AT I O N
Vancouver, Canada
R O O M S Sitting room, dining
room, kitchen-diner, snug, library,
cinema room, laundry room,
four bedrooms (one en suite),
two bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2012
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We had a bungalow on the same
land, which is now the
poolhouse,’ says Elaine.

KITCHEN-DINER
The materials are luxe but
there is a casual tone, too,
thanks to the banquette
and island seating.
Bar stools, $300 each, RH.
Longworth oak dining chairs,
£220 each, Garden Trading.
Candle chandelier, $2,400,
Circa Lighting
 FAVOURITE FEATURE
T
he original small and dilapidated
1970s bungalow on a 40-hectare
plot of land in Vancouver was
certainly not what sold Elaine and
Kevin Yu on their current home. Rather it was
the land it came with that captured their
imagination. Despite the huge amount of work
that was needed, the couple decided to buy it
and over a period of five years, had a new home
built on the same plot of land for themselves
and their two teenage daughters, as well as their
menagerie of cats, dogs, horses and llamas. ‘It
was about building a property we knew our
children would inherit and live in for
generations to come,’ explains Elaine.
Located in an area renowned for its
wineries, the French chateau-inspired timber
‘The kitchen flooring makes us happy every time we see it’
frame house was built by Chris Meyer of DINING ROOM
An oil painting gives this
Homestar BC and designed by PlaidFox. With space gravitas.
one foot in the present and the other in the past, Campania dining table,
the new spaces intertwined the traditional $4,000, Bernhardt.
with the contemporary. ‘My main motivation Gebrüder Thonet Vienna
chair, from £510, Artemest.
and drive was that I wanted to create a classic Kare hanging light, £1,491,
home that I could juxtapose with modern Lights.co.uk. Painting, price
furniture,’ says Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox. ‘I like on request, Scott Landon
Antiques and Interiors.
that fusion of current day and old school.’
Despite the scale and grandeur of the SNUG
double-height living area, an intimate feel is This room is ‘beautiful
achieved here through the use of warm and enough to entertain and
small enough to gossip’.
organic textures – such as brushed brass, Leather chair, $2,400, RH.
chequered marble floors, oak timbers, stone and 1085 Edition lounge chairs by
cast limestone – all of which will last ages and Kristalia, £3,073 each,
develop a beautiful patina over time. ‘The Urbanlux. Torei low table
by Cassina, £935,
owners didn’t want to take shortcuts or use faux Twentytwentyone
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 61
 LESSON LEARNT
MAIN BEDROOM
It’s pared-back but warm
courtesy of the timber.
PP124 rocking chair, from
£5,129, Holloways of Ludlow.
Campania king-size bed,
$6,000, Bernhardt.
Peterhouse desk lamp, £162,
Jim Lawrence, is similar
EN SUITE
Creating a separate
nook for the bath is a
luxurious design choice.
Walls in Silver Chain Natura
flat, £83 for 3.79ltr, Benjamin
Moore. Try the Jane wall
sconces, £430 each,
LuxDeco. Try the Heritage
Derrymore freestanding
bath, £2,079, QS Supplies
6 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
‘Authentic materials will develop a beautiful patina over time’
materials,’ explains Ben. ‘There is a thread of
layered timelessness throughout, even though
it’s minimalist and airy.’ Equally timeless is the
soft and restrained palette, which is the perfect
backdrop for the French, Italian and Danish
design items that give every room a cohesive
feel. ‘Ben and the entire PlaidFox team filled
the home with pieces I would never have chosen
myself,’ says Elaine. ‘After working with the
family for so long, we ended up having a great
relationship,’ Ben adds. ‘They fully trusted
my vision so never really argued with my
suggestions and ideas, which made the project
all the more fun.’
Featuring the perfect balance between
formal and informal influences and elements,
the home has become a true refuge for Elaine
and Kevin, who spend most of their days taking
care of their garden – and their animals –
outside, before unwinding in the sitting room
next to the fireplace or in the snug, which also
acts as a wine room. ‘We wanted a home that
felt instantly cosy,’ says Elaine. ‘That’s exactly
what PlaidFox created.’
‘The home was designed not with a
European theme but rather with a European
feel,’ Ben explains. ‘The essence of this house
and the ones I loved while visiting Europe is the
approach to casual living in a formal setting.
There is a comfort found in traditional
architecture and finishings that is immediately
relaxing.’ Here, everything was designed and
chosen to be used and enjoyed by the family, day
after day. The result speaks for itself.
 ALL THAT
GLITTERS
Once dark and dated, Vanessa Clewett and
Luke James’ home now shines with a helping
of silvers, greys, velvets and metallics
FEATURE ANNABELLE GRUNDY | PHOTOGRAPHY COLIN POOLE

DINING ROOM
Dark grey accents set a modern, sophisticated tone in this
entertaining space. The greenery brings the look alive.
Similar Velveteen ring back dining chairs, £360 each, Sustainable
Furniture. Corinna dining table, £649, Made. Etch steel pendant
lights, price on request, Tom Dixon at Nordic Nest

6 4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 10

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Detached Victorian house
L O C AT I O N Bedfordshire
R O O M S Kitchen/family
room, dining room, sitting room,
four bedrooms (one en suite),
dressing room, bathroom
M O V E D I N 2015
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We were living in a barn
conversion in the countryside
before moving here,’ says Vanessa.

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 6 5
 D E C O R AT I N G T I P
‘I papered some walls,
like in the hallway,
to bring an even
cosier feeling’
W
hen Vanessa Clewett and Luke James were
moving, finding the right location was top of
their list of priorities. ‘We were living in a
converted barn in the countryside, but wanted to
find a house within walking distances of the children’s school,’ says
Vanessa. ‘It was all about location.’ After viewing several properties,
the couple succeeded in finding a house they both liked. ‘It was
centrally located, Victorian and detached and had lots of character,’
says Vanessa. ‘I loved its high ceilings and decorative windows.’
Despite the fact that the property’s size and location both ticked
the right boxes, its interior decor left a good deal to be desired. ‘It
was badly in need of a full cosmetic makeover,’ says Vanessa.
6 6 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
‘Everything looked very tired – all 1980s red walls and dark wood,
with lots of small rooms and a cramped, old-fashioned kitchen.’
Yet she and Luke were unfazed as they’d learned so much from
renovating their previous home. ‘We knew this would be a much
bigger undertaking and that we’d have to live on-site while the work
was done, putting up with the mess and disruption,’ says Vanessa.
In addition to redesigning the interior decor, Vanessa and Luke
also planned to reconfigure the layout. ‘Improving the spatial flow
of the ground floor was a priority and remodelling the kitchen was
our main focus,’ says Vanessa. She and Luke removed a dividing
wall, dismantled an old conservatory and blocked up redundant
doorways. ‘Our vision was for a contemporary kitchen-cum-family
 SITTING ROOM
The neutral scheme feels rich because of all
the tactile materials used.
Harlequin Sakura wallpaper, £64 a roll, John Lewis & Partners.
Similar Levanto coffee table, £1,005, Choice Furniture

HALLWAY
Three mirrors makes a more interesting display than one.
Safari wallpaper, £119 a roll, Kiki Slaughter at Feathr. Small porthole
mirrors, from £65, Graham and Green, have this look

KITCHEN
A long, multifunctional island divides the kitchen from the
adjoining family room area.
Leicht Ikone C kitchen, price on request, Kitchen Matters
 BATHROOM
Wood floors are a beautiful contrast to the ceramicware.
Newton freestanding bath, £1,200, Bathstore, has the same look.
Cement light grey tiles, £44sq m, St Neots Interiors

BEDROOM
The wallpaper is subtle but adds another decorative layer.
Faux fur throw, £275, Oka, has this look

MAIN BEDROOM
‘Our bed was the first item I chose and it’s quite luxurious,
so it set the mood,’ says Vanessa.
Super king size velvet buttoned four poster bed, £3,396, Womacks
of Bawtry. Try the Niki Jones Slate velvet throw, £220, Swoon
room with an open-plan feel,’ she says. We also wanted a separate
dining room for entertaining and a grown-up living space.’
With the structural works in hand, Vanessa set to work revising
the decor. ‘We started by painting everything white, which made
it all much more liveable,’ she says. ‘I then began to put together
a look that told a story throughout the whole house. I wanted
warmth, elegance and a touch of luxury, too.’ After testing lots of
colours, she settled on a pale grey shade for most of the walls and
picked out the woodwork with silver and darker tones. ‘I also used
subtle wallpapers, to make the house feel cosier, and linked various
elements, such as mirrors, metallics and velvets,’ says Vanessa.
Vanessa and Luke and their children Barnaby, now 15, and
Milly, now 14, moved into the house in August with the goal of
completing the project by Christmas. ‘We had several weeks
of washing up in the bath, but in the end we got there,’ says
Vanessa. ‘The finished house turned out to be elegant, luxurious
and out of the ordinary, too. We thought about going away for
Christmas but decided we’d rather be here.’
Now that the project is complete, Vanessa and Luke both
agree that the months of disruption were worthwhile. ‘It’s a
fabulous house for entertaining and parties, especially with the
separate dining room,’ says Vanessa. ‘It really comes into its
own at Christmas when the whole family come together to
celebrate the festive season.’
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 69
 25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES
READER
AWA R D S

M EE T T H E 202 1
AWA R D S W I N N ERS
We were delighted to receive so many submissions to our first-ever
Reader Awards. It has been a pleasure looking at all the entries
in search of the very best properties. We reveal the winners below
and will be showing the houses in full over the next few issues.
Turn the page to see the winning house in the Town category

WINNER WINNER

BEST TOWN HOUSE BEST COUNTRY HOUSE

Determined to stick to her design plan despite Sarah Jarman has managed to combine period
overwhelming choice, Lara Kott has created charm with contemporary functionality in
exactly the family home she had dreamed of. her Grade II-listed village house.

WINNER WINNER

BEST CITY HOUSE B E S T C O A S TA L H O U S E

Micaela Baker saw great potential in this This idyllic thatched cottage by the sea proved
London house. Having lived through the to be full of hidden surprises, which Annette
building work, she’s now reaping the rewards. and Dave Foster have carefully revealed.

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 7 1
 KITCHEN-LIVING AREA
The distinct black framed doors anchor the open-
plan space while drawing the eye to the garden.
Bespoke French windows in aluminium, around
£10,000, CJS Exteriors. Bespoke kitchen cabinets,
around £25,000; Estatuario worktop, £7,000,
all Trilogy Designs. Neolith glass pendant lights,
£120 each, Kichler Lighting. Try the Weyburn
Pecan bar stools, £310 for two, Perch & Parrow
 25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES
READER
AWA R D S
no. 11

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
1930s detached property
L O C AT I O N Essex
R O O M S Sitting room, kitchen/
dining/living area, playroom,
utility room, cloakroom, three
bedrooms, bathroom
P U R C H A S E D 2015
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We moved here from a new-
build terrace just 10 minutes
away,’ says Lara.

WINNING
ST YLE
For Lara Kott, the winner of the Town category in
our Reader Awards, research and planning really
paid o‫ ٺ‬to achieve exactly the look she wanted
FEATURE SALLY SMITH | PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN CHUNG | STYLIST SIAN WILLIAMS

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 7 3
 25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES
READER DINING AREA
Lara designed this impressive
AWA R D S concrete dining table, adding
black steel legs to match the doors.
Concrete dining table, £3,000, Smith
& Goat, has this look. Gubi Beetle
dining chairs in Sweet Pink, £275 each,
RoyalDesign.co.uk, are similar.
Herringbone engineered flooring,
from £72sq m, The Natural Wood
Floor Company

74 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 LIVING AREA
A corner sofa was chosen to
separate this area from the other
zones in the open-plan space.
Cenova corner sofa, from £3,979,
BoConcept, has the same look.
Chunky knit Charcoal throw,
£150, Cox & Cox. Similar Oatmeal
waffle throw, from £80, The
British Blanket Company. Rug,
£250, Daves Handmade Rugs

FAVOURITE SPACE
‘The back living area is perfect – I now feel
SITTING ROOM
part of everything when I’m cooking’ Half-height panelling
delivers delightful character.
Teal accent chair, £599,

L
Made. Coffee tables, £345,
ara and Lee were in no rush to start renovating when Rose & Grey. Similar cowhide
they moved into this property in Essex six years ago rug, £316, City Cows
with their children Ralph, now nine, and Sadie, seven.
‘It definitely needed a lot of work but we didn’t want to
compromise on anything or overstretch ourselves with the budget
so we made the decision to concentrate on the ground floor.’
It was actually only the second house the couple had looked
at, but Lara was smitten. ‘It had good structural bones to build
on and it was located in the ideal road for our family,’ she says.
Initially the couple just did a quick update of the 1970s decor,
painting walls white and ripping up the psychedelic carpets to
make it feel like home, then set about making detailed plans
in preparation for the first part of the renovation.
Lara has always been passionate about interior design
and this was the perfect opportunity for her to find her style.
There were three must-haves for her in this contemporary
update – a dark wooden floor throughout, metal-framed French
doors across the back of the entire house and a contrasting
lighter marble-effect worktop. ‘It can be overwhelming sticking
to your design decisions as there are so many different styles to
choose from, but I had done so much research over three years
of living here and I knew I had made the right choices before we
had even started the work,’ laughs Lara. ‘We were lucky that the
previous owners had already built this fabulous extension. It’s
 H A L LWAY
The staircase’s
handrail was sanded
down to match
the flooring.
Similar watercolour
hand print, £25, Desenio.
Find vintage stools
at Vinterior

DESIGN TIP
‘Don’t rush things, you’ll only make
mistakes and regret it later’
CLOAKROOM
The pretty blush
a massive eight by three metres but the configuration didn’t work pink walls contrast
for us. So we took down all the stud walls to create the open-plan perfectly with the
patterned floor tiles.
kitchen, living and dining space,’ she explains. Darci black framed oval
The walls are painted a Dulux off-white throughout the mirror, £109, Bathroom
downstairs and Lara has cleverly used black accents, painting Mountain. Black Basco
doors and incorporating key pieces of furniture with splashes tiles floor tiles, £6.60
each, Bert & May
of blush pink to create a cohesive interior scheme. ‘I’m planning
to do the same upstairs, too,’ she adds.
Keen to use a range of local contractors and manage each
one herself, Lara briefed each individually and her diligent
planning meant there were no last-minute decisions to be made.
The couple relished the opportunity to take on the project
management and both enjoyed the process, even though it did
run over by a few months. ‘The builders did a great job, the
finishes couldn’t be any better,’ she says.
Working through all the elements of this renovation gave
Lara and a close friend, Vanessa, the confidence they needed to
set up their own interior design consultancy, @studiolv__. ‘It’s
going really well,we have built up some great local clients,’ she
adds. ‘It was definitely the right decision for us to wait to revamp
the second floor. It’s also given us plenty of time to save up.’ The
planning for the next stage is already well underway though.
‘There’s going to be big changes upstairs, a new main bedroom,
en suite and dressing room. I can’t wait to get started.’

76 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
25 BEAUTIFUL
HOMES
READER
AWA R D S

BEDROOM
‘I painted the bed and side table
to match my scheme,’ says Lara.
She also updated the existing
built-in wardrobes with a lick of
paint and new handles.
Lightweight French Blue and linen
quilt, £325; blue velvet and linen
cushions, from £25, all Cox & Cox.
Similar oatmeal waffle throw, £80,
The British Blanket Company. Try
the Ernst marble and metal
bedside table lamp, £159,
Graham and Green
no. 12

THOROUGHLY
ENCHANTING
Carole and Jim Gannon’s manor house looks magical when decorated in festive greenery
FEATURE MAGGIE COLVIN | PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT SANDERSON

78 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 DRAWING ROOM
‘For the moment, the accents
are red and white,’ says Carole,
who seasonally alters the look
with a change of cushions.
The Holly sofa, from £805, Sofa.com,
is similar. Parquet and metal Hoxton
coffee table, £599, Blue Isle

SITTING ROOM
Two small coffee tables can
be moved around easily to
accommodate guests.
Try the Cross Leg coffee table,
£295, Made with Oak

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Georgian country house
L O C AT I O N New Forest
R O O M S Drawing room,
sitting room/dining area,
study, kitchen, utility room,
six bedrooms, four bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2007
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We moved from a riverside
house in London’s
Docklands,’ says Carole.

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 7 9
DINING SPACE
One of the successful
structural changes was to
take down the wall between
the living and dining rooms.
Echo dining chairs, £225 each,
Oka. Etienne curtain fabric,
£95m, Lewis & Wood
F
or Carole Gannon and her
husband Jim, Christmas starts
early in November when they like
to search out markets and small
fairs to find sole traders or family businesses
selling unusual presents. ‘It is a relaxing
and enjoyable way to shop and saves us
that last-minute dash to the big stores.’
At the beginning of December,
Christmas lights turn on in their local town
and families saunter up the high street
where shops stay open late serving mulled
wine, Buck’s Fizz and mince pies. To add to
the friendly, joy-filled atmosphere, the local
band plays non-stop Christmas carols.
The couple’s love affair with the New
Forest began when they decided to leave
London to retire. On their very first visit,
Carole recalls driving gingerly past stray
cows, donkeys and ponies to view a house
she had spotted in Country Life magazine.
‘We were enchanted,’ says Carole. ‘The
New Forest is not all trees; it has wild,
8 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
beautiful unspoilt heathland wrapped in a
horizon of distant blue hills. When we
finally arrived, we were looking at things
through rose-tinted glasses and everything
about the house seemed equally perfect.’
Built in the 1880s, it had an elegant
Regency façade added to by the Victorians,
as well as lovely views of trees and fields.
The rooms in the house ranged from quite
grand to snug and cosy with beams and
open fireplaces. ‘The house was last
decorated in the 80s with top-quality
materials,’ Carole recalls, ‘but of course it
looked tired, and the bathrooms and
kitchen were very dated.’
Gradually Carole, a qualified building
surveyor, has been transforming the house
to her style – a pared-down contemporary
take on the classic English country house.
‘The wall between the large formal dining
room, which we hardly ever used, was taken
down and opened up to create a new
sitting-dining room space. We live here
most of the time now and use the grander
rooms for entertaining,’ Carole explains.
Failure to find the right bed for her
daughter Araminta’s room turned out to
be the catalyst for Carole’s new furniture
business, Blue Isle. ‘I decided to design and
make a four-poster bed for her and the
experience persuaded me to start up the
company, selling pieces with simple lines in
weathered oak. It also goes well with the
natural foliage, which we raid from the
garden for our Christmas transformations.’
Christmas Day at the Gannons, usually
with 12 for lunch, is equally original. ‘Jim
makes quince jelly from his autumn
collection. I order a homebred local turkey
and make Yorkshire puddings, plus a
sherry trifle – there’s nothing like real
cream custard made with our hens’ eggs.
‘Our life in the country is never boring
and it is especially rewarding when visitors
ring the doorbell to ask to buy my furniture
or Jim’s quince jam,’ smiles Carole.
 BEDROOM
The bed pops
out against the
patterned wallpaper.
Four-poster bed £1,250;
bedside table, £330,
both Blue Isle

BATHROOM
A coat of clear
matt varnish will
protect wallpaper
from moisture.
St Antoine wallpaper,
£110 a roll, Farrow & Ball

Christmas Decor ating Tip ‘To set the party spirit,

extravagant gestures like swinging ivy off chandeliers work magic’

KITCHEN
The wood flooring
and console warm
up the white units.
Ledbury glass
pendants, £130 each,
Fritz Fryer. Chepstow
oiled oak flooring,
from £152sq m,
Woodpecker.
Cabinetry,
Higham Furniture

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 8 1
 for just £34.50
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 RECIPE FOR
SUCCESS
The home of cookery writer Skye McAlpine
and her husband Anthony has all the
ingredients for a very merry Christmas
FEATURE FIONA MCCARTHY | PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL MASSEY

SITTING ROOM
A vintage Fornasetti
fridge makes cocktail hour
all the more stylish.
Walls in Setting Plaster
estate emulsion, £49.50
for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball.
For a similar flatweave rug,
try Robert Stephenson.
Bespoke velvet ottoman,
Coryndon Cabinet Makers.
Mantelpiece greenery,
Milli Proust

8 4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 13

DINING AREA
An antique glass-fronted dresser displays Skye’s favourite plates,
glasses, jugs and bowls, collected since she was at university.
8ft Nordmann fir candlelight clear LED tree, £1,019, Balsam Hill. Floral
arrangements, Milli Proust. Dresser lined with Baies in Rose Et Vert
wallpaper, €150 a roll, Antoinette Poisson. Antique French table, Lorfords

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 8 5
 DESIGN TIP ‘Freestanding storage is much
less expensive than built-in cupboards and
gives you the Æexibility to change the way a
room works whenever you want’

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Victorian terrace
L O C AT I O N
Southwest London
R O O M S Sitting room,
kitchen-diner, study, four
bedrooms, three bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2019
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We lived nearby in a two-bed flat
before moving here,’ says Skye.

8 6 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
W
hen Skye McAlpine wanted her new
home to feel immediately lived-in,
she had no hesitation in calling on
architect and interior designer Ben
Pentreath for help. Together with Ben, a master of
combining comfort with lived-in style, Skye and her
husband Anthony decided to strip their four-storey house
back to its bare bones and start again from scratch.
The property, which had been soullessly renovated
by a developer in the 1990s, had been on the market
for a long time. Emptied of all its contents, ‘it looked
incredibly sad,’ recalls Skye. ‘But it had a really good
energy with great ceiling heights and views of the park,
which gave it a generous feeling of space.’
The couple, however, had to work to a tight deadline.
Their second child, Achille (a brother for Aeneas), was
due six months from receipt of the keys, so the pressure
was really on when it came to reinstating chimney breasts,
fireplaces, sash windows, parquet flooring and decorative
cornicing. ‘The only details kept were the floor-to-ceiling
shelves in the study and the staircase because it felt too
big a project to install a new one,’ explains Skye.
Walls were removed and floor layouts reconfigured to
create a flow of practical, light-filled family spaces. Now
there is an open kitchen and dining area on the ground
floor – ideal for Skye to throw the many lunches and
dinners she loves to host over the festive season. There is
also a sophisticated but child-friendly sitting room where

KITCHEN
The two shades of yellow were inspired by a kitchen in a rental property
in Venice, which the family likes to visit, and they make the space dynamic.
Woodwork in Dayroom Yellow and Citron estate eggshell, both £28 for 0.75ltr,
Farrow & Ball. Traditional range cooker, price on request, Lacanche

H A L LWAY
A beautiful hand-painted mural provides a lavish welcome.
Bespoke wall design, Alasdair Peebles

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 8 7
 everyone will gather for mulled wine, mince pies and carols
around Anthony’s beloved Yamaha baby grand piano.
As the couple wanted nothing in the house to feel too
precious, Ben encouraged them to think about ‘the colours
we wanted to live with and textures that would wear better
with age,’ says Skye. As a result, Skye now has a three-toned
yellow kitchen, which was inspired by the 1950s kitchen in
the house the family rents in Venice where Skye grew up,
while the sitting room has pink textured plastered walls.
Also not to be missed is the riot of vintage florals by
GP&J Baker, Jean Monro and Antoinette Poisson, and
a mural of hand-painted birds and vines stretching up
through the stairwell, all of which team sympathetically
with new and antique finds. ‘I love old things with a sense
of history, partly because they’re really beautiful but
mostly because they feel unique,’ says Skye.
At Christmas, Skye loves the house to be cosy, ‘but
also really over the top and extravagant,’ she says. There
are three trees – one each for the kitchen, sitting room
and the boys’ top-floor landing, decorated with vintage
Venetian glass baubles and gilded birds in cages. Skye
also calls on florist Milli Proust to dress doors,
mantelpieces and tables with showstopping wild flora
and foliage. ‘What matters to me,’ says Skye, ‘is that
everything should feel very personal and made with love.’
Skye’s new tableware collection is now available at
skyemcalpinetavola.com. For Skye’s tableware stationery
range with Papier, visit papier.com

MAIN BEDROOM
Delicate lines of a four-poster bed cut a contemporary dash against a
striking floral print and antique bureau.
For similar wallpaper designs, try GP&J Baker. Antique bureau, Brownrigg

M A I N B AT H R O O M
The deep, cosseting bath was the starting point for the timeless decor.
Bateau copper bath, price on request, William Holland. Bespoke day bed,
Coryndon Cabinet Makers

8 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 AENEAS’ BEDROOM
Three tiny rooms tucked into the eaves were converted into one
big bedroom and a nursery. An 18th century-inspired wallpaper
provides a classic backdrop that will stand the test of time.
Jardin wallpaper in Vert, €150 a roll, Antoinette Poisson. Antique
table and 19th-century Windsor chairs, all Cunningham White’s.
For a similar Moroccan rug, try Edit58

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 8 9
 NATURAL BEAUTY
Colours and features inspired by nature helped interior
designer Tammy Holmes bring a wonderful warmth to
her clients’ modern farmhouse-style house
FEATURE KAREN WILSON | PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPH HOFFMANN

GARDEN ROOM
A rustic and characterful sideboard doubles as a drinks
cabinet and glassware store for evening entertaining.
Oxie sideboard, £1,429, Oak World, has this style.
Try the Cruz 40cm raffia shade, £39, Made

9 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 GARDEN ROOM
‘I added benches in the alcoves for additional
seating and put moulding around the fire to
no. 14
give it a period look,’ says Tammy.
Hand-carved mirror by Artisan Furniture, £109, Fy,
is an alternative. Try the Luxury rattan four-seater
garden sofa set, £1,599.99, Primrose

HOME TRUTHS
T H E P R O P E R T Y Detached
modern farmhouse-style home
L O C AT I O N
Johannesburg, South Africa
R O O M S Kitchen, sitting room,
snug, garden room/veranda, four
bedrooms, two bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2020
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘The owners lived in a two-
bedroom cottage in Gauteng,
South Africa,’ says Tammy.
 B
eing friends with her clients was a bonus
for interior designer Tammy Holmes
(ivydecor.co.za). Not only did she
redesign their home but she also helped
them find it. ‘When their little girl turned into a
toddler they needed more space, so I went with
them to view houses and find one with the most
potential,’ she says.
Located on a beautiful tree-lined street in a
secure four-home complex in Johannesburg, the
modern property they discovered had spacious
bedrooms, open-plan living areas and a large
outdoor veranda. ‘It felt like a slice of the country
in the city,’ she says.
As Tammy’s friend and client is a busy working
mum, she was involved in the fundamental finishes
and decor decisions, like the tone, personality and
warm colour palette, while giving Tammy overall
autonomy on the project. ‘She loves the classics –
ticking, heavy linens and textured neutrals,’ she says.
‘So I elevated these with large sisal rugs, classic
broad stripes and pops of colour through timeless
paisleys, palms and ikats. The biggest priority was
to create a home that has warmth and functionality,
with spaces that allow for entertaining and can
easily accommodate all the couple’s friends and
children for weekend barbecues.’
With no major building work required – just
superficial additions like mouldings on the existing
fireplaces and creating bench seats on either side of
the garden room fireplace – Tammy could focus on
adding character and charm.
‘In each area, I find an anchor product, fabric or
colour which resonates with the space, and use this
as the base for my scheme,’ she says. ‘You may have
noticed that I’m not shy of using colour. I’m a firm
believer in using feature walls to bring in warmth,
character and charm; and the taupes and greens
used throughout this home enhanced the country

DINING AREA
Mixing rattan end chairs with classic Wishbone
designs brings a range of textures
to the dining space in the sitting room.
Try the Wish wooden dining chair in natural weave and
Off White, £149, Cult Furniture. Maltby natural oak
extending dining table, £599, Swoon, is similar

SITTING ROOM
‘I custom-made each piece of furniture, covering
the sofas in easy-to-clean linen slipcovers,’ says
Tammy. ‘I like the relaxed feel of the seating mix.’
Constantinople Blue scatter cushions, £95 each; and Palma
Raspberry scatter cushions, £85 each, all by Whiteman
& Mellor at Hadeda. Try the Isaac armchair in Oxford Blue
brushed linen cotton, £796.50, Sofa.com. Siri Jute rug
(300x400cm), £530, Rug Vista, would work. Waterloo
mahogany coffee table, £649, Oak World, has this look

92 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 DESIGN TIP ‘To gauge whether each room
scheme would work, every element was added to a
mood board, including paint swatches, fabrics, rug
and wood samples and cabinetry hardware’

KITCHEN
Painting the island in navy blue anchors the
scheme and contrasts well with the other pale
blue cabinetry. Floating shelves ensure the
kitchen remains sleek and minimal.
For a similar kitchen cabinet colour, try Borrowed
Light estate eggshell, £67 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball.
Dar Academi three light pendant, £171.61,
Ocean Lighting, would work
 feeling I was aiming to achieve.’ Creating flow,
cohesion and rhythm meant designing separate
mood boards for each space. ‘This allowed me to
see how the elements of each room would work
together in relation to the rest of the home,’ says
Tammy. ‘If anything didn’t fit the overall aesthetic,
it could easily be spotted and swiftly substituted
with a more harmonious replacement.’
Particular consideration was taken when
choosing fabrics. ‘We went with gorgeous
100% linens for the double pinch-pleat curtains
throughout the home, and followed suit with
linen stripes and patterns on all Roman
blinds,’ says Tammy.
These new additions complemented existing
furniture and accessories that had special meaning
to the couple. ‘The large gilded mirrors and coffee
table in the living spaces, along with the straight
back throne chair in the main bathroom, were
all family heirlooms and have travelled the world
with the couple,’ says Tammy.
Due to the long hot days in South Africa,
indoor-outdoor living is a priority, so the garden
room was a key room for the family. ‘They dreamed
of a space where they could relax and reconnect
over a glass of wine after a busy day,’ says Tammy.
‘So we created a country-style lounge area with
enough seating to entertain, fixed black-framed
steel windows and a fireplace which the family
have loved throughout winter.’
Having been involved from the very start of
this transformation journey, Tammy is rightfully
proud of the home she’s helped her friend to
create. ‘She has fantastic taste so it was wonderful
to work with her,’ she says. ‘It was very satisfying
seeing the whole scheme come together in such
a harmonious, complementary way, and getting
incredible feedback from the couple on the
positive impact their new home has had on
their way of life.’

BEDROOM
The greens used in the upstairs rooms chime with the
downstairs schemes as they are a nod to nature.
Try Willow Boughs wallpaper by Morris Wallpapers, £79
a roll, Wallpaperdirect. Fandango chest of drawers, £679,
Atkin and Thyme, would work here. Ellis cushion cover
with paisley print, £83, Shropshire Design, is similar

BEDROOM
Bronze accents pop out against the green walls.
Miya Home farmhouse two-drawer oak desk, £414.19,
Solo Miya, is similar. Stag deer head in bronze, £17.26,
ManoMano, would work here

B AT H R O O M
A quirky bamboo mirror is a beautiful foil to
the sleek modern sanitaryware.
Try Mode Hardy white floorstanding double vanity unit, £749;
Orchard Wharf freestanding bath, £565, both Victoria Plum

9 4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
TOWN AND
C O U NTRY
With three growing boys, Hilda and
Howard Barnfield decided to swap city
living for a more rural adventure
FEATURE PENNY BOTTING | PHOTOGRAPHY ROB SANDERSON
SITTING ROOM
In this big open-plan space
two rugs and two pendants
are used to zone areas for a
more intimate feel.
Mobile chandelier, £250, West
Elm. Eiffel Tower Lenticular by
Sir Peter Blake, £4,000,
Art Republic. Multi 8105
vintage rug, £645,
Louis De Poortere
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
A detached Victorian property
L O C AT I O N East Sussex
R O O M S Sitting room/dining
area, kitchen-diner/office area,
cloakroom, music room, lounge,
five bedrooms, two bathrooms
P U R C H A S E D 2014
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We moved from a Victorian
mid-terrace in the Port Hall
area of Brighton,’ says Hilda.
 no. 15

SITTING ROOM
A wall of shelving
was put up to
add a beautiful
architectural feature.
Karina armchair in
Marine, £349, Swoon

DINING AREA
Part of the sitting room,

T
he one thing Hilda Barnfield was sure about a blue blind was chosen to
when she and her husband Howard were looking match the living space’s
colour accents.
for a bigger home for their family, was that she Extra large Conker dining
didn’t want another Victorian property. ‘I’ve table, £895, Loaf. Blind
always hankered after a mid-century style house and really in Shima in Turquoise,
£61m, Designers Guild
thought that’s what we would find when we moved,’ she says.
‘At the time, we were living in a nice area of Brighton, close to
a park in a typical property for the area – a tall, thin Victorian
townhouse, which was a bit top heavy, with a postage stamp
size garden. But, with three boys, we knew that quite soon we’d
need more living space inside, and a larger garden,’ says Hilda.
Along with these two requirements, also on their checklist
was a village location, a property with four, possibly five
bedrooms, and a garage. ‘Our search area was ridiculously large,
and we ended up looking at loads of places, which wasn’t easy
with three boys (then aged three, four and five) in tow. Plus,
nothing felt right, until we saw this one. The house was on
the outskirts of a village, in a plot of just under two acres with
a wraparound garden. We knew it was right for us before we
walked through the door… despite it being Victorian!’ she says.
With a queue of people waiting to snap up their place in
Brighton, everything finally looked set to go smoothly. ‘We
had a cash buyer, I’d managed to move the boys into their
new school and nursery, and the day of the exchange was my
birthday, so we were really excited. Unfortunately, when the
day came it transpired that not only did our buyer not have
the cash at all, he had also disappeared,’ says Hilda.
‘Luckily our vendors gave us an additional fortnight to find
another buyer, and we found one really quickly – a lovely

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 9 7
SITTING ROOM
The wallpaper is a piece
of artwork in itself. couple who were looking to downsize, and I’m so glad they
Civic Bee wallpaper, £250 got the house in the end,’ she says.
a roll, Timorous Beasties.
Vento sofa in Manhattan
With the search and purchase finally over, the family
Grey, from £999, Made were able to move into their new home, which for Hilda,
felt strangely familiar. ‘Although I’d had a hankering for a
very different style of property, there was something almost
comforting about being in another Victorian house,’ she
says. ‘If felt like our old home, but bigger.’
Luckily, the new property didn’t need any structural work
and they were able to concentrate on getting the interiors
exactly as they wanted. ‘The downstairs rooms physically
flow easily from one to another, but some of them didn’t
really have regular shapes, and often included a quirky corner
or a bay,’ says Hilda. ‘It was tricky deciding how best to
delineate which areas were to be used for what, but in the
end we were able to create a dining space at the far end of the
sitting room, as well as a little study area just off the kitchen.’
To create a sense of continuity throughout the house, Hilda
referred to the tear sheets from magazines that she’d collected
over the years. She wanted to give this house a dramatic feel.
‘I’ve always loved strong colours and wanted to try out some
more here, particularly from a blue palette,’ she says.
The house is now finished, and the experience has made the
couple feel a little more confident to be bolder with colour and
furniture choices. ‘If we ever moved again, I’d be tempted to go
even bolder,’ says Hilda. ‘But if history is anything to go by, the
property will probably still end up being Victorian again!’

BEST BUY ‘Our leather love seat – it was £100 on eBay’

KITCHEN
Geometric tiles give the
Shaker units a modern edge.
Bar stools, from a selection,
Rockett St George. Concrete
hanging lights with gold
interior, £249 each, Gant.
Lomond dining table set,
£599, Made. Try the Green
Majadas tiles, £7.20 each,
Bert & May at Fired Earth
 MAIN BEDROOM
The floorboards were
painted white to add to
the airy feel in here.
Walls in Peignoir estate
emulsion, £49.50 for 2.5ltr,
Farrow & Ball. Louis Ghost
chair, £260, Trouva

B AT H R O O M BEDROOM
The pastel colours A small alcove is used
make this scheme sing. to display trinkets
Try the Duke Blue roll with great effect.
top bath, £539.95, Try the Dusky Pink and
Victorian Plumbing Pearl Herringbone
blanket, £80, The British
Blanket Company

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 9 9
no. 16

MAKING
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
LIGHT WORK
A 1930s detached house
L O C AT I O N North London For Emily and Zac Roberts, calling on the experts
R O O M S Sitting room/dining
area, kitchen, study, playroom, was key to getting more light into their 1930s house
cloakroom, utility, four bedrooms
(one en suite), bathroom – but the home’s cool look is all down to them
P U R C H A S E D 2020
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘Our last place was a flat in a 1920s FEATURE SEÁN O’CONNELL | PHOTOGRAPHY MATT CLAYTON
mansion block nearby,’ says Emily.

10 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
SITTING ROOM
Emily and Zac wanted a
contemporary-classic
look and felt the blue
was bold but also had
heritage credentials.
Knapwell Blue loveseat
sofa, £938, Made To
Last, is similar. Hendricks
Grey three-seater sofa,
£1,400, Habitat.Try the
Geo Diamond rug, £75,
Next. Walls in Royal
Navy absolute matt
emulsion, £48.50 for
2.5ltr, Little Greene

HALLWAY
(below far left)
Sliding pocket doors
were used to create a
feeling of space and
to let the light flow.
Laminate flooring,
price on request,
ESB Flooring. Moda
Vicenza Shale stair
carpet, £48.59sq m,
The Essential
Flooring Company
 DINING AREA
A doorway was
widened to have a
better connection
between this space
and the kitchen.
For a similar dining
table, try the Jethro,
£2,360; Balance
multi-arm chandelier,
£369, both Heal’s.
Plastic dining chairs in
White and Natural, from
£39, Cult Furniture

KITCHEN
The extension included
a skylight to get natural
light in. Traditional
French doors were
chosen to honour the
period of the house.
Bespoke cabinetry,
Peter Hudson Designs.
Cabinetry in Green
Smoke and Pink Ground
estate eggshell, £67
for 2.5ltr, both Farrow
& Ball. Brass handles,
from £9.95, Plank
Hardware. Wishbone
bar stools, £189 each,
Where Saints Go

102 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
A
fter a year spent searching
for their ideal house, Emily
and Zac finally found a 1930s
detached property quite close
to where they were living in north London.
‘It had been lived in and loved by the
previous owners for 40 years but seemingly
hadn’t been updated in that time,’ says
Emily. ‘It needed a top-to-toe refurbishment
so we called in XUL Architecture. They
have a fantastic reputation in this area and
considerable experience of working on
similar houses to ours.’
In turn, Sebastian Sandler of XUL says
that working with owners, who were decisive
and had a clear idea of what they wanted,
helped the project go smoothly. ‘They told us
that their aesthetic throughout the home was
contemporary-traditional, with an interior
that felt homely and welcoming yet modern
and sophisticated,’ he says. An important
part of achieving that feel was enlarging and
reconfiguring the building as far as the strict
local building regulations would allow in
this conservation area. On the ground floor,
that meant extending out at the back to
create a kitchen with a large skylight to fill
this space with much-needed natural light.
Meanwhile the upper floors were also
opened up and the family bathroom and
main bedroom were moved to the loft space
to take advantage of the generous ceiling
height. Having achieved extra space, it was
time to reconfigure the rooms downstairs.
‘What was immediately apparent about this
house was that it didn’t have the essential
amenities of contemporary living, such as a
WC, utility room or, importantly, a kitchen
connecting to a dining area,’ says Sebastian.

design tip ‘Our architect brought more light and space into
the kitchen and cleverly linked it with the living/dining area’
‘It also didn’t have the sense of flow that is
vital in a home – the ground floor was a
series of unconnected rooms.’ To remedy
this, sight lines were improved, connecting
doorways were introduced along with
space-saving pocket doors. There is still
a flow of light from one space to another
– a quality Sebastian believes is essential
in the modern home. ‘Natural light has a
positive effect on spatial quality, wellbeing,
productivity and creativity,’ he says.
It certainly had a creative effect on
Emily and Zac who stepped up to the mark
with their own neat ideas on decor, lighting
and hardware. This being a family home
– the couple have a one-year-old daughter,
Freya – a fun, lively feel was essential so
the feature walls of the sitting room-cum-
dining area were pepped up with a modern
shade of blue. Muted but complementary
colours were used for the sitting room
furniture, giving it a contemporary look
with a lot of warmth, while a thoughtful
touch was the use of soft pinks to link
this space with the kitchen, and its island
painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground.
But the main bedroom is the place
where Emily feels the look has really come
together. ‘Ripping out the ceiling and
restoring the exposed beams gave the
room a feeling of expansiveness, which we
enhanced by adding wall panelling and
paintwork in a pale green to produce a
countryside boutique hotel feel,’ she says.
Just as XUL have created a sense of flow
with light and space, Emily and Zac have
achieved the same with their interior style.
‘This has been an amazing collaboration that
has exceeded our expectations,’ says Emily.

FAVOURITE FEATUR E ‘We love our bedroom’s vaulted ceiling and

restored beams – they give it a country boutique hotel feel’
MAIN
BEDROOM
The ceiling was taken
down, which revealed
these amazing beams.
Rouen bed frame in
Topaz Pink, £699, John
Lewis & Partners.
Panelling in Boringdon
Green intelligent eggshell,
£68 for 2.5ltr, Little
Greene. Flexi Neck wall
lights, from £176, Spark &
Bell. The Elisa chair, £83,
Cult Furniture, is similar

NURSERY
Cleverly, room was left
to create bookshelves
between the wall and
the wardrobes.
Superfresco Easy Elegant
wallpaper, £16 a roll,
Argos. Pax cupboard
units, from £40, Ikea;
fitted by Mozi Builders

FAMILY
BATHROOM
Patterned floor tiles
extend up the wall to
give a seamless look.
Chic Décor 1 tiles, price
on request, ESB Flooring.
Cadence vanity unit and
basin, £415, Tavistock.
JTP stainless-steel
shower fittings, price on
request, Chris Stevens

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 105
 L ABOUR OF LOVE
After overcoming several challenges, Dawn and Kevin Truscott
were finally able to build the house they had dreamed of
FEATURE BECKY PRITCHARD | PHOTOGRAPHY NICK YARSLEY

10 6 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 17

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Oak-framed, barn-style new build
L O C AT I O N Essex
R O O M S Sitting room, dining
room, kitchen-diner, study, utility
room, cloakroom, four bedrooms
(three en suite), bathroom
P U R C H A S E D 2019
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘We lived in a thatched cottage
in Essex,’ says Dawn.

DINING AREA
Dawn used a pale palette throughout to ensure the oak
frame is the main attraction. A corner of this open-plan
space has been turned into a comfortable study area.
Dining table, from a selection at Debden Barns antiques centre.
Find similar farmhouse dining chairs, from £85 each, Etsy. Cox &
Cox’s round rattan carver chair, £250, is a good alternative

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 107
 FAVO U R ITE FE AT U R E ‘The beautiful oak frame has a light Ånish that sets a

KITCHEN-DINER
The couple chose not to have wall units to create a more
traditional look and the dresser provides plenty of
storage. The extractor unit is hidden in the ceiling so
there are no interruptions to the lovely views.
Ashbourne units, price on request, Masterclass Kitchens. Try
Maine Furniture Co’s Hudson bar stool in Old White, £249

H
aving lived in a 16th-century thatched cottage for 10
years, Dawn and Kevin Truscott were keen to move
somewhere with more light and space for their three
teenage children. While they didn’t want to leave
their village, they also couldn’t find anywhere suitable to buy.
Luckily, a conversation with neighbours, Matt and Sarah Switzer,
set the couple on an unexpected path to build an oak-framed home.
‘Matt had made enquiries about an empty field in our village,’
says Dawn. ‘He asked if we’d be interested in buying the 1.8-acre
site with them and us both building our own house. It was a hugely
optimistic project as there was no planning permission and a string
of failed applications stretching back over 40 years – but we thought
we’d give it a go!’ Both couples wanted to pursue the idea of building
an oak-frame house and finally came to an agreement with the
landowner – they could have first refusal to buy the plot for an
agreed price, within three months of getting planning permission.
They approached a number of oak frame companies, though
neither couple wanted to spend thousands of pounds on an architect
or planning consultant as gaining permission to build was still an
uncertainty. ‘We both needed a set of house drawings for our joint
application,’ explains Dawn. ‘Welsh Oak Frame was the only
company we could find that was prepared to help. We promised if
we got planning, we’d come back to them, and the designer was just
brilliant, he was prepared to trust our word.’
The couple picked an off-the-shelf barn design they liked from
the Welsh Oak Frame brochure and the Switzers did the same,

108 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
subtle, understated tone – we get real pleasure from admiring the craftsmanship’

H A L LWAY FLO’S BEDROOM

Using the same floor tiles throughout the A neutral scheme was chosen so it would
ground floor improves the sense of flow. be easy to adapt as Flo gets older.
Cavendish Cream porcelain tiles, £30sq m, Rose gold fairy lights, £14.49, Etsy, are similar.
Mandarin Stone, have this look Try Homescapes’ tall knitted footstool, £39.99

B AT H R O O M
The flooring is bold but has
an aged look to tie in with the
house’s rustic charm.
Try the Verona bath, £599.95,
Victorian Plumbing. Try the
Freya Decor tiles, from
£46.80sq m, Mandarin Stone

preferring a cottage design. After an initial refusal, planning
permission was finally granted and Dawn and Kevin went to meet
a Welsh Oak Frame designer to discuss the project. The couple still
loved the look of the barn and only changed the position of the front
door. They concentrated on reconfiguring the inside to suit their
family. They moved the kitchen and dining space to the back of the
house to face the garden and created an upstairs mezzanine from a
corridor. They also changed the size of a dressing room and the
en-suite bathrooms to give bedrooms more space.
Future-proofing the barn was important, too. ‘With some minor
changes we can adapt the layout later on to create a self-contained
annexe,’ says Dawn. ‘Our daughter, Flo, has disabilities so it will be
important she has her own space as she gets older.’
After struggling to find a builder to work to the tight time
frames and within the price they wanted, the Truscotts decided to
project manage themselves. Dawn took time out from her job in
events management to oversee the trades and work on the build
while Kevin kept a close eye on the budget.
Finished in just ten months, Dawn and Kevin’s new barn home
is a property to be admired. Painted grey cladding and a double-
storey glazed porch nod towards a barn conversion rather than a
new build, giving authenticity to the house just as the couple
intended. ‘We wanted to capture the essence of the frame’s
character without detracting with too much oak in the floors,
kitchen and joinery,’ says Dawn. ‘The project was a very emotional
experience and we’re super pleased with how it has turned out.’

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 10 9
 HOLIDAY
AT H O M E
Architect Tom Rutt explains what he
did to bring a little piece of the
Hamptons to this once-dreary
Victorian terrace
FEATURE KAREN WILSON
PHOTOGRAPHY KALINA KRAWCZYK

F A M I LY R O O M / S N U G
All design decisions were geared towards
creating a tranquil space – hence all the
clean lines, from the fire to the built-in
storage underneath.
Flag Halyard chair, £8,840, Skandium.
RHYTHM 2 sculpture on white Perspex
panel, £1,100, Nikki Taylor Sculpture

110 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 18

SITTING ROOM
A specialist clay wall
covering was applied to
bring a relaxed holiday feel
to the property.
Walls in Dune 60% colour,
£20m, Clayworks. James
floor lamp by Rubn, £646,
Twentytwentyone. Nota
Bene coffee table, £4,680,
Monologue London, is similar

KITCHEN
Crafted from cross-sawn
oak veneer and Mont Blanc
marble, the bespoke cabinetry
evokes understated luxury.
Bulthaup Kitchens from
Kitchen Architecture start
from £50,000. Ballet stools,
£528 each, Camerich
112 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
HOME TRUTHS
D E S I G N E R Tom Rutt,
founder and lead architect of
TR Studio (trstudio.co.uk)
H O U S E Five-storey Victorian
terraced house in west London
W O R K Stripping back the
house to its external shell,
relocating the staircase to allow for
a double-height main stairwell and
extending the lower and ground
floors to connect with the garden
HOW DID YOU COME TO BE
I N VO LV E D I N T H I S P R O J E C T ?
The owners, a couple with two children,
had been referred to us by a previous client.
They’d been living in New York for eight
years and also had a small lake house in the
Hamptons. We helped them view properties
on their return to the UK and they loved this
street in Chelsea with its mix of mid-19th
century terraces and Grade II-listed houses.
H O W I N VO LV E D W E R E T H E
H O M E O W N E R S ? The couple were very
involved in the entire process. As they’d lived
in the house for almost a year to get a feel for
the light and noise, we could tailor it to their
lifestyle and understand their likes and dislikes.
W H AT WA S T H E H O U S E L I K E
B E F O R E ? It had great ‘bones’ and generous
space but had been altered over the years,
resulting in a hybrid of disjointed spaces. We
could see there was great promise with a few
strategic structural changes.
W H AT WA S T H E H O M E O W N E R S ’
B R I E F ? They wanted to modernise the
house and extend the lower and upper ground
levels to create a more open kitchen/dining
space. As the family loved the thick forest and
sandy beaches in the Hamptons, we were tasked
with bringing that calm essence back to London.
W H I C H R O O M WA S M O S T
I M P O R TA N T F O R T H E M ?
Ultimately it’s all about the living spaces spread
across the two lower floors. This is the heart
of the house, where the kitchen takes centre
stage and you feel connected to the garden.
H O W WA S T H E C O L O U R
P A L E T T E C H O S E N ? That sense of
tranquillity in the Hamptons was brought
 BEDROOM
in through earthy, warm and light colours. To give the sleep space a
Material-wise, clay was used on the walls of cocoon-like feel, a linen
the key rooms and main stairwell, alongside curtain has been hung
oak floors and doors, plus a continuous timber along an angled pole to
create a canopy effect.
handrail that runs through the house. We used Amberley bedside table in
cross-sawn oak veneer on most of the joinery, Brown Shagreen, £1,092;
with touches of satin brass and fluted timber Springfield downlight,
£255, both Vaughan
joinery pieces. Natural stone adds warmth and
depth in the kitchen and main en suite, along
with Moroccan zellige tiles in the bathrooms.
W H AT WA S T H E B I G G E S T
C H A L L E N G E ? Due to the levels of
the existing floors in the main house and
side return, it was challenging to provide a
staircase that helped the flow of the house,
was compliant with building regulations and
also looked like it had been there from the
outset. We took out the existing staircase
structure and carefully designed the half
landings so they were more comfortable.
W H AT WA S T H E M O S T
S AT I S F Y I N G A S P E C T O F
T H I S P R O J E C T ? Every element
was a joy to work on. In particular, we loved
seeing the new extension come to life. Only a
couple of walls were removed but it’s become
a really light and airy space and is the new
heart of the home. Interior designers Riley
Brooks Studio and contractor Q Projects
were invaluable in the project’s success.
W H AT I S YO U R A D V I C E F O R
C R E AT I N G A S U C C E S S F U L
I N T E R I O R ? At the core of our process
is natural light, proportion and flow, but also
the interiors should have texture, contrast and
depth so there are different layers to a space.
HOW DO THE OWNERS FEEL
ABOUT THE NEW SPACE?
They’ve reacted with a sense of gratitude and
relief at being able to settle back in the UK in
a home that, in certain aspects, wouldn’t be
too far removed from the Hamptons!

BAR AREA
Cleverly nestled into an alcove, this bespoke
cocktail bar is perfect for entertaining guests.
Pevino integrated wine fridge, £1,899, Wine and
Barrels, has this style

KITCHEN-DINER
Floating shelves complement the warm oak of the
bespoke bench seat and dining table.
Director’s chair in brown, £179, Where Saints Go,
has this look

B AT H R O O M
Brass fittings and volakas marble create a chic look.
Crosswater MPRO freestanding tap with shower
mixer, £681, UK Bathrooms

DRESSING AREA
A walk-through dressing area with elegant slatted
wood wardrobes leads to the master en suite.
Try Melbourne oak flush wardrobe door and frame
kit, £1,493.24, Direct Doors

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 113
 LICENCE
to
THRILL
When designer Marie Soliman was tasked with creating a
stylish home, a certain secret agent was her inspiration…
FEATURE SEÁN O’CONNELL | PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTOPHER HORWOOD/NICK SMITH

114 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 19
SITTING ROOM
With such a vast space it was
important to create intimate
pockets like this chic circular
seating arrangement.
Lloyd chairs, £2,000 each,
The Sofa & Chair Company.
Antique rugs, price on
request, Bergman Design
House. Bespoke copper
chair, 5MM Design. Brass
Binate coffee table, price
on request, Novocastrian

HOME TRUTHS
D E S I G N E R Marie Soliman of
Bergman Design House
H O U S E Edwardian townhouse
in central London
W O R K Full renovation in
keeping with the historic nature
of the property
DINING ROOM
The table was chosen as it
echoes the shape of the
dramatic recessed ceiling.
Bespoke dining table, Bergman
Design House. Dining chairs,
price on request, The Sofa &
Chair Company. Vases from
a selection, 101 Copenhagen
116 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
W H AT WA S T H E B R I E F ?
The client was looking for a house with character, not a typical
luxury development. He wanted an unfolding experience, with
different moods as you walk through the house. He also wanted
to see works of art on display wherever he walked, all of which
were a pleasure to carry out – here at Bergman Design House
we love colours, layering and textures.
W H AT W E R E YO U R M A I N P R I O R I T I E S ?
Everything was a priority! From the minute you enter the
space and wander through the house, it’s all about the sense of
grandeur and the way it develops from one area to another, yet
each space has its own distinct identity.
W H AT WA S YO U R I N S P I R AT I O N ?
I tried to imagine what James Bond’s house would look like.
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE COLOURS?
Each room had to feel delicious, and the uniqueness of each
space dictated the colours we used. For example, the drawing
room is the first room guests see, so it needed a welcoming
feel, which was the perfect opportunity to celebrate teals and
burgundies as seen on the rug, seating and art. While in the
orangery, we took a fresh, zen-like approach using mint green
chairs, white stone and hints of flora and fauna on the cushions.
H O W I M P O R TA N T W E R E F U R N I S H I N G S ?
As important as words are to a book! We selected the furniture
based not only on its beauty, but on its functionality. A single
piece can transform a space as well as introducing a new style.
W H AT WA S T H E B I G G E S T C H A L L E N G E ?
At 25,000sq ft, this house is huge and if not designed cleverly,
it will come across as too vast. So creating the balance of
elegant space, with the right scale of furniture and lighting was
important, as was the relationship between the spaces.
W H AT I S YO U R FAV O U R I T E R O O M ?
I love the orangery – the pandemic has made us all appreciate
outdoor spaces and this room has a glass retractable ceiling so
that as well as maximising light it’s perfect for rainy or summery
days, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor.
 KITCHEN-DINER
‘I gave this space the vibe
of a lounge,’ says Marie.
For similar units, try Häcker.
Walls in Little Greene’s
French Grey and Portland
Stone Light absolute matt
emulsion, £48.50 for 2.5ltr
ORANGERY
The roof is retractable for
balmy summer evenings.
Dining table, price on request,
Bergman Design House. Porcelain
stools, from £169, India Jane.
Sofas, from a selection, RHA
Furniture. Cushions from a
selection at ILIV
MAIN BEDROOM
Lots of curves add a softness.
Bespoke bed, Savoir. Sofa, price on
request, Bergman Design House.
Coffee table and chairs, price on
request, The House of Luxury
EN SUITE
See-through doors mean
the two spaces flow.
Try Helix Blue Décor 2 tiles,
£45.60sq m, Mandarin Stone.
Silk wallcovering, price on
request, Carlisle & Co. Regent
wall light, £356, Chelsom
 AIMING
HIGH
Pippa Jones knew she had stumbled upon a
gem when she found a flat that had a loft that
could be turned into extra rooms and a terrace
FEATURE ELLEN FINCH | PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL CRAIG
 no. 20

HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY
Three-bedroom flat in a
Victorian terraced house
L O C AT I O N
Southwest London
R O O M S Kitchen-diner/
living area, three bedrooms
(one en suite), two bathrooms,
roof terrace
P U R C H A S E D 2016
PREVIOUS PROPERTY
‘Before moving here, I lived in
a rental property,’ says Pippa.

LIVING AREA
‘I think mixing old and new
pieces gives a home bags
of charm and it saves money
as you can negotiate prices
at markets and auctions,’
says Pippa.
Similar Tewin overmantel mirror,
£267, Michael Edwards.
Bluebell sofa, from £1,115;
Valentin footstool, from £295,
both Sofa.com, are similar

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 119
 KITCHEN
‘I insisted on having every
appliance, which limited my
cabinet space, so I added a
kitchen island,’ says Pippa. The
island also acts as a divider
between the cook space and
the living area (right).
Try the Allendale cabinetry, price
on request, Howdens. The Pendant
Light Company’s industrial white
pendant light, £85, has this look
 S
ome homeowners shy away from the disruption
and stress of a full-scale renovation, but Pippa
Jones is quite the opposite. ‘I’ve always loved
property and interiors and I renovated a couple
of places before moving to London,’ says Pippa, who
works as a consultant for a global consultancy firm.
‘My parents were doing up an old rectory when I was
growing up in Devon and we spent our days peeling
off layers of old wallpaper, stripping back windows
and going to antiques markets to look for interesting
items to buy – it’s fair to say I was enchanted by the
magic of it all. I think my love of all things vintage
was probably embedded from that experience.’
As soon as she’d saved up enough for a deposit,
Pippa began searching for a flat. ‘I was looking around
in Clapham, and wasn’t shy about taking on a project,’
DESIGN TIP ‘Raising the ceiling is a good way to enhance the sense of space’
she explains. ‘When I saw this place, I knew it had lots
of potential. I’d originally wanted a ground-floor flat
and outdoor space, but realised fairly soon that my
money wouldn’t stretch that far. When I viewed this
flat, I spotted a loft hatch and noticed that several
homeowners in the road had converted their lofts.
That was the key, really – by doing the loft conversion
here, I’ve ended up with three bedrooms and a roof
terrace, all spread over five levels.’
She began her renovation by tweaking the
downstairs layout. ‘I’m not a fan of open-plan living, but
it made sense to have the kitchen and living room as one
space,’ says Pippa, who loves to share her home passion
on her Instagram account, @thelittlepipcompany. She
also raised the downstairs ceiling to enhance the sense
of space and volume. ‘It’s quite a feature and definitely
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 121
 BEDROOM
A mirror increases the sense
of space and adds an
architectural feature.
Symons bed linen, from
£40; luxury wool-cashmere
throw, £17, both The White
Company, are similar
the biggest “wow” moment for anyone who comes in,’
she says. Pippa also replaced the standard-sized doors to
the middle bedroom with huge double doors. ‘It makes
quite an entrance,’ she adds. She also fulfilled her dream
of an outdoor space by creating a roof terrace. ‘I put in
some proper stone paving and filled it with wild plants
and vintage pots,’ she says. ‘The terrace feels more like
the countryside this way.’
With the building works under way, Pippa was able
to begin planning the decor and thoroughly relished the
challenge. ‘I had a real creative itch that I’d never fully
expressed,’ she says. ‘My personal signature is “old meets
new” and I enjoy combining an eclectic mix of modern
interiors with original fixtures and fittings, vintage finds
and reclaimed treasures. It gives your home a certain
uniqueness, bags of charm and warmth, a lived-in feel
FAVO U R ITE FE AT U R E ‘The loft – it’s my cosy shut-away space where I relax’
12 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
and a story behind each and every piece. It also saves
money, as you can negotiate astonishing bargains at
reclamation markets and house clearance auctions.’
With limited funds to spend on the renovation
work, Pippa’s design approach was born out of practical
necessity. ‘My budget was limited, so I decided to
embrace second-hand and vintage pieces in order
to achieve the otherwise impossible!’ she says.
‘Buying something new from a shop just doesn’t
compare to the charm of pieces you pick up from
a reclamation yard or preloved fair and transform
yourself, like the bedside tables in the main bedroom
which I bought for £30, then painted and distressed.
The search itself is fun, too. You go looking for
something in particular, then spot something else and
think, “I know exactly where that’s going to go!”’
 STUDY AREA
The dark blue feature
wall makes a statement.
Wall in Hague Blue estate
emulsion, £49.50 for 2.5ltr,
Farrow & Ball. Similar green
glass bottle, £30, Little Deer

MAIN BEDROOM
‘I panelled one of the walls
in this room for a country-
house look,’ says Pippa.
Panelling in Worsted estate
eggshell, £67 for 2.5ltr, Farrow &
Ball. Try Melody Maison’s large
antique silver angel wings, £82

B AT H R O O M
The vintage theme
continues with an ornate
mirror and painted vanity.
Carved Louis black mirror,
£225, The Online Mirror
Shop, has this look
 ROOMS
IN FOCUS
We look at a specific project in five amazing houses
to give advice and inspiration in detail

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 12 5
 A TIMELESS CLASSIC
Anne and Chris Morris’ carefully planned kitchen has a place for
everything and perfectly suits the feel of their Edwardian home
FEATURE KAREN WILSON | PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN CHUNG

KEEPING WITH TRADITION

Anne and Chris like how the cabinetry panelling
echoes the ceiling, while the neutral colours
will stand the test of time.
New Deco kitchen collection cabinetry in Pale
Ivory, Lead (island), and Grey Flannel (appliance
cupboard), with satin brass lacquered handles,
from £45,000, Martin Moore

126 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2

P R O J E C T D E TA I L S
O W N E R S Anne and
Chris Morris
H O U S E Edwardian
detached home in Cheshire
W O R K Designing and
installing a bespoke, classic,
hand-painted kitchen to suit the
Edwardian heritage of the house
no. 21
W
hen Anne and Chris bought their
Edwardian house five years ago, they were
happy to live with the glossy, handleless
kitchen for a while. However when an
up-and-over cupboard fell apart, they decided it was time
for a new look. ‘The poor quality of the fittings became
apparent,’ says Anne. ‘There was a barely used coffee
machine that took up space and we really wanted an Aga.’
THE BRIEF
The pair brought in Rosi Interiors (rosiinteriors.co.uk)
to help them design the new space. Their brief was for
a highly functional, cohesive family kitchen that better
suited the style and heritage of the property. Having
had a Martin Moore kitchen previously and been
impressed by their planning service and after care,
they were keen to use the company again.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Martin Moore’s 1930s inspired New Deco kitchen was
the obvious choice. Featuring clean, contemporary lines
and elegant detailing, it has a strong sense of permanence.
The cooking area forms the centrepiece of the room
and the Aga is framed by Martin Moore’s signature
chimney breast mantle. Running parallel is a large island
that acts as both a prep area and washing up zone.
Another wall features a large fridge freezer and larder.
M AT E R I A L S U S E D
Contrasting worktops were used for the T-shaped island;
Honed Steel Grey granite on the island worktop and
beautifully veined Bianco Eclipsia quartzite on the social
area, which is also featured on the striking splashback.
‘I particularly love the finish of the marble behind the
Aga,’ says Anne. ‘It’s what drew us to this kitchen in
Martin Moore’s Altrincham showroom.’
FINISHING TOUCHES
The colour scheme is predominantly soft and neutral with
small pops of colour. Rosi Interiors had several bespoke
pieces of furniture made, along with colourful patterned
blinds. They suggested a bold teal for the bar stools and a
dramatic feature wall of 3D wallpaper in the dining area.
‘It really sets off our unusual gold chandelier,’ says Anne.
LESSONS LEARNT
The finished kitchen has a warm, inviting feel and allows
the family to come together in a comfortable, sociable
space. ‘It works so well as everything is in the right place,’
says Anne. ‘Having no wall cupboards keeps it feeling
open, but we have lots of deep drawers where you can
fit tons of pans and even big Aga trays.’
With two of their three children away at university,
the flexible layout comes into its own. ‘Most often we sit
and eat at the breakfast bar,’ says Anne. ‘But when all the
children are home it’s great to be in the dining area.’
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 12 7
 TRUE BLUE
The bold teal wallpaper was chosen to tie-in with the
stools and helps to delineate the zones in the kitchen.
The larder has a spice rack on the door so cooking
essentials are easy to grab.
Arte Cannage (61522) 3D wallpaper, £240.59 per roll,
Rosi Interiors. Cattelan Italia Planer Keramik table,
£3,268, Lime Modern Living, would work here.
Distressed gold leaf 6-bulb chandelier, £1,196, Crown
French Furniture, is an alternative. Dining chairs
upholstered in Black Edition Chana Dragonfly, £156m,
Rosi Interiors. Brooklyn bar stools in Teal velvet,
£139 each, Cult Furniture, are a good alternative

12 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 SUPER PRACTICAL
The island features open shelving, allowing the couple
to display their cookbooks and beautiful ceramics,
and has both a work and social space.
Honed Steel Grey granite and Bianco Eclipsia quartzite
worktops, from £400lin m (installed); Shaws Inset 76cm
ceramic sink with 90mm basket strainer waste, £700;
Quooker PRO3 Fusion round tap in polished chrome,
£1,150, all Martin Moore. Aga R7 100 Electric,
£11,910, Aga Living
 ONE OF A KIND
Bespoke furniture company Chiselwood created a unique and standout kitchen
for Tanya and James West – one that embraces both the traditional and the modern
FEATURE MELANIE WHITEHOUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN CHUNG

P R O J E C T D E TA I L S
O W N E R S James and
Tanya West
H O U S E A brick detached
house, built in 1928, near
Sheffield, Yorkshire
W O R K To build an extension
to accommodate a new kitchen,
living space and entertainment
area leading out to the garden

13 0 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2

SHINE THROUGH
Materials play a big part in the uniqueness
of this kitchen, which has contemporary
mirrored cabinets that reflect the light.
All cabinets made bespoke by Chiselwood.
For similar lights try Firstlight’s Jasmin, £172,
Castlegate Lights. Gaia Monica Armani
counter stools for KFF, price on request;
Dunelm’s Vivian velvet, £109, gets the look
no. 22
W
ith a growing family, the kitchen space in
Tanya and James West’s home was tight.
The existing kitchen was small and located
in the wrong part of the house, away from
the dining and living spaces, so they decided to build an
extension to bring all the living areas together in one seamless
room. The old kitchen became a utility and laundry room.
THE BRIEF
A friend recommended bespoke furniture company
Chiselwood, run by husband-and-wife team Mel and
Martin Holliday in Lincolnshire. ‘Our brief was to create a
contemporary kitchen, dining and lounge area within the
new extension,’ explains Martin. ‘The clients wanted us to
construct a space that linked the rooms together. They love
to entertain and already had a bar and cinema room, and they
wanted sliding doors to open onto their garden, so the kids
could run around. They were happy for me to take the lead
in helping them, which was mainly with colour choices.’
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
The Wests wanted lots of storage and sufficient space
for several cooks to work in the kitchen at any one time,
because they were keen to encourage their children to
get involved in cooking meals, which meant creating a
large island for food prep, or to sit and have breakfast or
tea, was key. Because the Wests own a lighting company,
lighting the space well and keeping the extension light
and airy throughout was also very important.
M AT E R I A L S U S E D
Martin used a rippling, textured Italian veneer called
Alpi to clad the exterior of some of the cabinets and add a
natural feel. It complements the tiles, which were applied in
a wavy fashion to reflect the light and give an interesting
shape to otherwise flat surfaces like the splashback and
island. The worktops are in Laminam, an Italian-made,
compacted ceramic slab – the white one is Calacatta
Oro Venata and the brown Noir Desir Lucidato. The
flooring is Polyflor grey stencil concrete.
FINISHING TOUCHES
‘We are very proud of the high spec appliances we used,
like the Sub-Zero refrigeration and the pop-up electrical
sockets,’ says Martin. Tanya is over the moon with the
results. ‘It’s unlike any other kitchen, which is just what
we wanted, and the bespoke dining table is stunning,’
she says. ‘I also love the curve of the tiles and the colour
matches the chairs perfectly. Chiselwood thinks
outside the box but with style and elegance.’
LESSONS LEARNT
‘Martin had a difficult brief as my husband likes the
modern look but I prefer traditional,’ says Tanya. ‘Martin
managed to please us both – the kitchen is modern, but
not too modern that it doesn’t suit the house, and there
are hints of Art Deco in the seating.’
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 13 1
 M A K I N G WAV E S
The pretty, pale blue tiles used vertically
have been laid to create a rippling that
complements the Alpi Italian veneer on the
cupboards. ‘We’re really proud of the
wavy tiles and the curves we employed
throughout,’ says Martin.
Polyflor Expona 9139 flooring in grey stencil
concrete, £23.61sq m, Flooring Hut. Tub chairs
and sofa (previous page), price on request, Natuzzi
Italia. Walls in Dash of Soot Absolute matt emulsion,
£48.50 for 2.5ltr, Little Greene. Worktops in
Laminam, price on request, sourced by Chiselwood.
Ceramic grey blue tiles, £68sq m, Ca’ Pietra. Oven
7860 BP, £3,749, Miele. Fridge, £10,740, Sub-Zero.
Induction hob, price on request, Bora

13 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 CURVE APPEAL
The dining chairs, dining table and mirrored clock
continue the curvaceous theme.
Similar mirrored wall clock, Rockafella, £55.95, Roco
Verre at Etsy. Table, made bespoke, Chiselwood.
Gaia dining chairs, price on request, KFF

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 13 3
 STRIKE A
BALANCE

P R O J E C T D E TA I L S
D E S I G N E R Ashley Baker
H O U S E A modern apartment
in southwest London
W O R K Redesigning the
sitting room, as well as the rest
of the apartment

13 4 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 23

Ashley Baker achieved a chic sitting

room with pinks and purples and it
manages to be fun yet sophisticated
FEATURE SEÁN O’CONNELL | STYLING ASHLEY BAKER
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS SNOOK PHOTOGRAPHY

F E AT U R E F O C U S
The apartment is
lacking in period
features so texture was
key to giving the space
depth and character.
Ecume wallpaper by
Lelièvre, £197 a roll,
Wallpaper Direct. Sofa
in Velours Oskar fabric
by Nobilis, £136m, TM
Interiors. Cabinet made
to order by Middleton
Bespoke Joinery. Max
coffee table, £1,160,
LuxDeco. Try the
Tweedmill Fishbone wool
throw, £57, Amara

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 13 5
H
aving bought her two-bed, fourth-floor
apartment in London, the owner called in
interior design company Vesta (vesta-london.
co.uk) to take it to another level. Spending
much of her time abroad with work, she was keen to
return from her travels to a home where she could
instantly feel grounded, and one of her main areas of
focus was the sitting room. Tasked with transforming the
space was one of Vesta’s senior designers, Ashley Baker,
who says: ‘Our client, Hala, wanted her home to represent
her and to have both relaxing and sociable spaces – the
sitting room was central to this.’

THE BRIEF
Part of the brief was to include lots of pinks, purples
and pops of colour and to weave in marble and golds
where possible to create a high-end bespoke finish.
Colour, pattern and texture were among the main
themes. ‘These elements must be considered together
for a well-balanced home,’ says Ashley. ‘I particularly
love working with colour and it was a real joy to work
on a pink-toned apartment, even though personally
I’m not a huge pink fan.’

DESIGN SOLUTIONS
As the space where Hala said she wanted to relax and
unwind, the sitting room had to reflect her personality.
While incorporating Hala’s favourite colours, Ashley
says she wanted to demonstrate how using pops of
pinks and purples can still look classy, mature and
sophisticated. ‘When taking the brief, I had in mind
classic glamorous women like Marilyn Monroe and
that helped me stick to a timeless and classic look
with a punch of colour,’ says Ashley.

FINISHING TOUCHES
Having chosen a generous-size sofa in a lush velvet,
festooning it with cushions was one more way of adding
more of the colours and textures that Hala loves. For
Ashley, the cherry on the cake was the owner’s reaction
when the new look was revealed. In Hala’s own words:
‘The outcome surpassed my expectations and I was
overcome with a feeling of pride and happiness, and
couldn’t help thinking, this is my home!’

COLOUR DELIGHTS
It’s the bold colours that give the sophisticated sitting room
a sense of fun. They work with the more pared-back base
because they are rich shades that chime with the
luxurious tone of all the other features.
Side table, from a selection at West Elm. Cabinet made to order
by Middleton Bespoke Joinery. Miss Luck occasional chair,
from £750, Robert Langford. Cushions covered in a selection of
fabrics from Lelièvre. Quart rug, price on request, Rama Carpets.
Ecume wallpaper by Lelièvre, £197 a roll, Wallpaper Direct

13 6 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL
A striking wallpaper was the inspiration for the warm and cohesive
design scheme in this luxurious basement bedroom
FEATURE MELANIE WHITEHOUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY PHILIP VILE

13 8 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
 no. 24
P R O J E C T D E TA I L S
D E S I G N E R Nicky Dobree
H O U S E A 1920s listed villa
in the heart of Bogenhausen, a
smart residential area of Munich

T
W O R K The house was he present owners, who have four children,
totally gutted and rebuilt, bought the villa in 2016. Because it had fallen
which included digging down into disrepair, the house was rebuilt and the
to create a basement
space reconfigured for modern-day living.
A basement was dug out, which includes this guest
bedroom with en-suite bathroom.
To create a bespoke design scheme, the owners
brought in award-winning interior designer Nicky Dobree
(nickydobree.com), who specialises in creating elegant
and timeless interiors for her clients, and who had
worked with them before.

THE BRIEF
‘My brief was to design a family home,’ says Nicky.
‘The client’s input is integral to the design process and
they had their own ideas. They loved the orange wallpaper
from Cole & Son, and it became both my starting point
and my inspiration.’

DESIGN SOLUTIONS
The striking Savuti wallpaper, named after one of Africa’s
national parks and featuring monochrome monkeys,
hornbills and hoopoes on a bright orange background,
took centre stage. ‘It was then about adding layers and
textures to complement the scheme,’ explains Nicky.
The headboard was upholstered in a burnt orange
velvet from Dedar, and the bedside tables made bespoke
by Nicky Dobree Interior Design with inset orange
leather. ‘The bench at the end of the bed is the perfect
place to put an overnight bag or for putting on your shoes,’
says Nicky. ‘The desk provides a corner to work, soft
lambswool curtains at the window add to the feeling of
comfort, and everything is grounded by a sisal rug.’

FINISHING TOUCHES
The bedding was made bespoke with colour-coordinated
cording, and the big lamps either side of the bed frame
the headboard. The cashmere throw introduces another
tonal layer in orange, and the elephant silk cushions from
Hermès are a nod to the clients’ love of travel.

LESSONS LEARNT
‘We absolutely love how our home has come together,
which we simply couldn’t have done without Nicky’s
expertise and vision,’ says the homeowner. ‘We are
thrilled with the results.’

A L I V E LY L O O K
Orange is an unusual colour for a bedroom but ideal
for a guest suite in a basement, where it adds warmth
and drama in various textural forms.
Savuti Tangerine wallpaper, £100 a roll, Cole & Son. Bespoke
elephant cushions, Hermès. Headboard in velvet similar
to Adamo & Eva cotton velvet 115, price on request, Dedar.
Ottoman in Nasrid 3658-06 by Jim Thompson, £130m,
TM Interiors. Launay desk chair, from £2,690, William
Yeoward. Sisal rug, price on request, Crucial Trading

2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 13 9
 SOFT
TOUCH
Interior designer Irene Gunter used
curves and dreamy cloud motifs to
realise this elegant en suite
FEATURE LINDA CLAYTON | STYLING HANNAH FRANKLIN
PHOTOGRAPHY MARY WADSWORTH

P R O J E C T D E TA I L S
D E S I G N E R Irene Gunter
from Gunter & Co
H O U S E Victorian house
in London
W O R K The reworking of the
main en-suite bathroom as part
of a whole house renovation
no. 25
T
he four-storey Victorian house in central
London has undergone a complete renovation,
including a modern ground-floor extension
and a reworking of all the main rooms.
THE BRIEF
The couple were going to refurbish the original bathroom,
which had been fitted out with Carrara marble, but the
layout felt wrong with dividing walls for shower and WC.
They felt it should be spacious and spa-like so they decided
to plan the whole room with the help of designer Irene
Gunter from Gunter & Co (gunterandco.com).
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Quite radically, the en suite has no bathroom door and
opens directly onto the bedroom. This meant that Irene
and her team had to ensure the ventilation was powerful
enough and chose a robust extractor vented through an
extra wide channel above the bath.
‘The most obvious place for the bath was under the
window,’ says Irene. ‘We then worked out how to allow
enough space to walk around it. The solution was curves.’
A curved vanity unit and a shower were designed to match.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Irene went to town with the lighting to bring in extra
glamour to the scheme. ‘The brass pendants around the
vanity were chosen because they look so lovely, while the
wall lights either side of the mirrors produce good light for
applying make-up,’ she says. Scallop shell wall lights by the
window work beautifully with the cloud motif wallpaper.
Irene had initially thought of using marble for the wall
panels but felt it might look a bit harsh so instead chose this
softer wallpaper which brings the whole scheme together.
LESSONS LEARNT
It was tempting to rework the original bathroom but the
owners are very happy that they cut their losses and started
again with a much better layout,’ says Irene. ‘Also applying
a coat of decorator’s varnish to the wallpaper to protect it
from water damage is a good precaution. We did a test
sample first as it can darken the colour slightly.’
L U X E L AY E R S
The Calacatta-look quartz was installed in 1.8x1.2m
slabs for minimal grout lines and visual disruption.
Bespoke vanity unit and mirror, around £25,000, all
Gunter & Co. Calacatta Lusso quartz, from £200sq m, Classic
Quartz Stone. Barcelona bath, from £3,500, Victoria + Albert.
Purist deck three-hole basin mixer taps, £1,237 each; Purist
floor mounted bath filler, from £2,624, both by Kohler;
Sterlingham Morville towel warmer, from £1,644, all West One
Bathrooms. Nuvolette wallpaper, £350sq m, Cole & Son.
Orb pendant lights, £1,026 each; Scallop Shell wall lights,
£1,230 each, all Porta Romana. Visual Comfort Dresser
long glass rod wall lights, £731 each, Best & Brown
2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2 | 141
 A CONSIDERED DESIGN
Curved glass allows maximum showering space
without boxing in the bath.
Bespoke curved shower, from £4,200, Glasstrends.
Purist thermostatic shower valve, £1,454; contemporary
showerhead, £1,567, both Kohler at West One Bathrooms

14 2 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
IDEAS TO SHARE
ROOM ENVY
Each month we bring you a scheme that delights, dazzles and intrigues
T
his award-winning interior, set within Pater Noster,
a former lighthouse keeper’s home on the tiny private
island of Hamneskär in Sweden’s western archipelago,
is now one of Scandinavia’s most coveted places to stay.
Earning its moniker from the treacherous waters it guided
sailors through, (Pater Noster is a translation of ‘our father’ from
the Lord’s Prayer), the red iron lighthouse itself was built in 1868 by
engineer Gustav von Heidenstam and ceased working life in 1977.
Now with new owners and significant investment, the former
keeper’s home hosts a nine-bedroom guest house with its own
restaurant, bar and outdoor cafe serving home-baked treats, fresh
seafood and locally-sourced seaweed.
14 6 | 2 5 B H JA N UA RY 202 2
Bold wallpaper and
industrial lighting
ensure the look is
cool and current.
paternoster.se
PHOTOGRAPH ERIK NISSEN JOHANSSEN
Against its isolated backdrop, and under the masterful eye
of Stylt Trampoli, a Swedish design agency renowned for its
sympathetic schemes, the rooms take their influence not only from
the wild surroundings but from the island’s history and heritage.
Low painted timber ceilings and rustic stripped wood flooring
FEATURE JACKY PARKER
make for a cosy spot to observe the barren landscape and lashing
waves, while a welcoming blend of rich blue and green hues, warm
natural materials and vintage maritime ephemera and art are a
stylish reminder of its past inhabitants, place and purpose. It’s a
comforting space to retreat to, and writing and other reflective
pursuits are actively encouraged – not that you need your own island
to create an interior that inspires introspection or relaxation.
9000 9023