v i c to r i a n v i c a r ag e | 25bh
All in the detail The classic good looks of a former vicarage were elegantly revealed after a restoration by its owners Naomi and Tim Coyle FEATURE Serena Fokschaner | PHOTOGRAPHY Catherine Gratwicke
HALL
Vaulting and period detailing were carefully recreated in the striking new entryway and, to recapture the Victorian Gothic spirit of the property, the Coyles added a new stone staircase (below), housed in a turreted tower. Building work, price on application, Broseley London. Walls painted in Tracery absolute matt emulsion, £43.50 for 2.5L, Little Greene. Charles Edwards sells a good selection of Gothic-style ceiling lanterns, price on request
inspiring
home truths
The property Victorian former vicarage L o c at i o n West London R o o m s Hall, formal sitting room, sitting room, dining room, kitchen-diner, study, cloakroom, five bedrooms (one en suite), five bathrooms, dressing room P u r c h a s e d 1996 Previous property ‘Before, we lived in a terraced house nearby,’ says Naomi.
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KITCHEN-DINER
This open-plan area used to have a rustic French feel, but has been reinvented with a mix of contemporary and inherited pieces. Try Winchester upholstered solid wood bar stool, £79, Cult Furniture. Bespoke table, Caroline Riddell. Corolles pendant shade, £188, Emery et Cie at Retrouvius
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v i c to r i a n v i c a r ag e | 25bh guest bedroom
Naomi chose a statement wallpaper to help soften the many angles of the pitched ceiling. Delancey wallpaper, £58 a roll, Colefax and Fowler. Anders pendant light, £1,180, Pinch
DRESSING ROOM
Elegantly turned finials adorn the bespoke built-in wardrobes in here. Interior design by Caroline Riddell. Blind in Persepolis Fig/Taupe on cream linen, £304m, Tissus d’Hélène
f a v o u r i t e s h o p ‘Fine Cell Work, which sells cushions embroidered by inmates in British prisons. The work teaches them a skill and allows them to earn money’ FORMAL SITTING ROOM
When the Coyles first viewed the house, the light and proportions of this first-floor space inspired them to buy. Sloop chairs, from £2,820 each, Amy Somerville. Bespoke Cordoba dhurrie rug, Vanderhurd
F
rom traditional turrets to quintessential quatrefoils, the exterior of Naomi and Tim Coyle’s home in west London has all the hallmarks of a classic Gothic Revival property. But when the couple bought the former vicarage 22 years ago, it bore more resemblance to a Gothic horror. ‘It had been split into flats, the interior was completely run down, and it was bereft of character,’ recalls Naomi. ‘However, when I stepped into the formal sitting room and saw the amount of space and light, I was captivated.’ Since the couple took on the 19th-century house, they have transformed it through an ambitious renovation. Lost period details have been revived and once-dark interiors now bask in light and colour. ‘We spent two years making the house right for us,’ says Naomi of the task to revert from a series of flats back to one whole home. ‘Thankfully, our first architects, Crawford and Gray, were sympathetic to the character of the property. They had the idea of filling a lightwell behind the hall with a tower that now houses a cantilevered stone staircase.’ The resulting symmetry of the spiral staircase is enhanced by decorative wall lights and arched windows. Keen to recapture the building’s history, the Coyles and their team added an arched front porch, created rib vaulting in the hall, and built a bathroom extension in a classic combination of marble and <#L #> | 2 5 b h o c to b er 2018
MAIN BEDROOM
With the spacious walk-in dressing room next door, this room is simply decorated with a king-size bed and wall panelling. Chair covered in Kasari Ikat Palm, price on request, Schumacher at Turnell & Gigon. Cushions and long bench covered in Cath de Russie Albatre, £388m, Lelièvre
mirror. Elsewhere, blank walls were given interest with reclaimed fireplaces, fitted panelling was installed in the main bedroom and cornicing was reinstated where necessary. Exterior architectural details such as quatrefoils (decorative stonework similar to a four-leaf clover) and banded brick were carefully replicated. With the bones of the house back to their dramatic best, Naomi and Tim turned their attention to the decor, adorning the interior with a combination of classic neutral hues and feature wallpaper that balances the unique angles of the rooms. In latter years, the rooms have been given a refresh under the deft eye of interior designer Caroline Riddell. ‘We asked Caroline to give the house a more sophisticated, cohesive feel,’ says Naomi. The kitchen was one area ripe for change. ‘Our builders, Broseley, removed old ducting to enlarge the space and made bespoke units with marble surfaces.’ As the couple’s four now adult children, Alice, Marina, Isobel and Hugo, have grown, their home has evolved with them. The most recent addition is a subterranean extension that provides not only a family space that is perfect for parties, but also houses a guest suite. ‘The bedroom down there has been snapped up by our youngest daughter,’ says Naomi. ‘In fact, the children love the place so much that I think they will find it hard to ever leave home.’ fo r sto c k i sts g o to w her e to b u y
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