Far from Typical

A West London property belonging to a Norwegian and Canadian clients was in need of an overhaul. Indigo Design Associates were brought in to add a full basement, home office, games room, guest bathroom and more storage space

Photographs by Mel Yates

Co-founder of Indigo Design Associates and London interior designer and architect, Iona Duckworth and her fluffy dog, Fitch

A warm and inviting view of the sitting room featuring luxurious deep velvet sofas gathered around the fireplace, and an abstract designed carpet

This West London property that was a family home for many years to Norwegian and Canadian clients was in desperate need of an overhaul. Colin and Iona Duckworth, the husband and wife team behind Indigo Design Associates, were commissioned as architect and interior designers to completely refurbish it, with the addition of a full basement to provide the much needed additional space in the form of a home office, games room, guest bathroom - and all the storage often so lacking in London homes.

Iona managed to get around this stereotype though, she believes. The end result is far from typical, she believes. The couple’s brief was to reinvigorate the house and give it a newer, stylish look that appealed to both their Scandanavian and Canadian design aesthetic, while providing a backdrop for their impressive art collection.

To facilitate this, throughout the home colours were kept calm and soothing to let the artwork speak for itself, with extra highlights of richness from the furnishings to add interest, and the judicious use of antique mirror for glamour. Iona says that she looks for simple, elegant solutions when designing. For example, a work station was hidden behind sliding doors in the dining room, with a triptych of art recessed into each of the three doors, making this otherwise mundane storage solution interesting when not in use.

Also commissioned especially for the home was a great quantity of furniture pieces, including the Danish dining table and chairs from Pere Dansk, and the dining room’s lacquer and brass console. These make for a fantastic contrast when positioned in front of the exposed brick wall which was actually an idea that came from the client’s teenage son, who expressed an interest in design during the process.

Basement lobby with antique mirror wall, bespoke bronze console with lacquer top and Giacometti style bronze wall lights

Moving through to the kitchen, the modern feeling space opens out to the dini ng room, with the two areas of the home cleverly linked by the same grey limestone floor. The use of white lacquer and stained wood units, black glass splash backs and modern light fittings ensure the flow of all the ground floor spaces. The over-sized wall lights were sourced from Lampe Gras, while the blue leather window seat combined with silk ikat cushions provides a splash of colour, as well as a welcoming spot to sit. And, of course, it gives more storage!

For other inspired storage solutions, in the sitting room, Iona and the team designed an interesting bookcase to solve the usual problem of how to incorporate a modern television into a stylish interior, which combines traditional tongue and groove with purple and white lacquer boxes for storage and to house the television, resulting in a simple, modern twist to a traditional idea.

In the stylish master bathroom, the black tumbled stone floor and dramatic use of statuary marble link seamlessly with the walnut bath surround

Relaxation has not been forgotten in this room either. Two large, comfortable blue velvet sofas from Dudgeons sit elegantly on a silk rug from Christopher Farr Carpets in the main space. The bashed bronze and stone coffee table was specially commissioned in the style of Giacometti and works well with the room’s Danish leather chairs. ‘It always works best if we can mix modern commissions with mid-century or antique pieces to give a quirkier end result,’ Iona explains.

Meanwhile, in the master bathroom, there is an interesting mix of tones, featuring a white marble, walnut and black stone floor with a large splashbacks shower located behind the double ended bath. And the storage solutions continue here too, with the addition of the freestanding towel ladder helping to stop the bathroom feeling at all claustrophobic.

The relationship between designer and clients worked well, Iona believes. ‘It was a great project to work on. It’s always fun to work with clients with a keen interest in design, and after 18 months I think it’s fair to say we’re all thrilled with the result!’