victorian drama
When Will and Emily bought their South London terrace, it was seriously dilapidated. Now it’s a breathtaking blend of old and new STORY RUTH WELSBY PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL SMITH
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Who lives here?
Will, 40, an architect; his wife Emily, 37, a teacher; their daughter, Alice, cats Persephone and Perdita and Lulu the whippet.
What’s your best renovating tip?
Will: “Decide what you want and stick to it! Costs skyrocket if you change your mind on site.”
Any trade secrets on creating a sense of space in small rooms?
“In the master bedroom, we removed the ceiling to reveal the sloping roof, which is a great trick for making rooms feel bigger than they are.”
What’s your favourite room?
“The living room is a great space to relax in because of its natural light. The glazed doors bring in the outside and it’s a lovely space for our daughter to play in.”
What couldn’t you live without? “Good storage. It was a hugely important aspect of the design. We built it in where possible.”
”We wanted a spacious, practical family home that would grow with us“ There’s no more misleading real-estate jargon than the phrase ‘renovator’s delight’ – investing in a huge transformation of your home is often anything but, as Will, an architect, and his teacher wife, Emily, can testify. When they purchased an unassuming Victorian terrace house in south-east London, it was almost derelict. Undeterred, the couple saw past its tatty, dog-eared facade to the family home of their dreams. “We saw it as a fantastic opportunity to create a bespoke house from scratch,” says Will, who envisioned it becoming a spacious three-bedroom home, packed full of designer details and contemporary finishes. Armed with an enviable knowledge of the building trade thanks to his day job, Will, with Emily’s help, embarked upon a dauntingly fast four-month renovation, camping out on the first floor of the two-storey house during the build and even installing a temporary kitchen in a spare bedroom. With the couple already planning a family, “we wanted to create a spacious, practical family home that would grow with us,” explains Will. Utilising available space played a major role in reshaping the layout of the property, with a new single-storey rear extension encompassing a redundant side alley. Relocating the kitchen to the centre of the home was Will’s next design trick. “It gave us a dining room at the front and a more discreet living area at the rear,” he says. >
LIVING AREA {above & opposite} Creating a stylish yet
comfortable living space was high on Will’s agenda and, having converted many period properties for clients over the years, ideas were not hard to come by. “Open-plan layouts are very popular but we wanted the option of a bit more privacy, so we chose a semi open-plan scheme on the ground floor with sliding doors for separation,” he says. Classic glazed doors at the rear offer up views over the pretty garden, and a glass lightwell bathes the room in soft sunshine. The couple chose a neutral backdrop of crisp white walls and warming wooden floors to highlight colourful accessories and playful touches in the room. For a similar striped rug, try the ‘Coast’ range from Hip Home, visit hiphome.com.au. “We enjoy mixing styles and finishes and furnishing with splashes of bold colour,” says Will. A wall of built-in-joinery is a practical inclusion to maximise storage and creates a display nook, while a black and white photo montage by an unknown artist makes a dramatic focal point.
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”We bought basic kitchen unit carcasses and had custom-made doors fitted“ “And a sliding pocket door between the kitchen and living room means we can shut it off when I burn the toast!” he adds with a laugh. Creating more space upstairs was next. A loft extension seemed the obvious solution, but due to the tight time schedule, it was ruled out, sending Will back to the drawing board. “We wanted to squeeze in an extra bathroom but didn’t want to lose a bedroom, so I had to employ all my design know-how,” he recalls. Reconfiguration was the answer, so the main bathroom was relocated to the front of the house. At the rear, the newly light-filled master bedroom was given a facelift with the creation of an ensuite shower room and walk-in-robe. When it came to dressing the home’s interiors, simple lines, contemporary finishes and occasional sweeps of bright colour dominate the aesthetic. Playful pendant lighting replaces ubiquitous ceiling downlights, while a stylish mix of designer furniture and retro finds sits comfortably within their Victorian surroundings. What was once forgotten has had new life breathed into it with a flurry of activity and a bolt of modernisation. “We love the way the house functions and how successful the new floor plan has been – and to top it off, it’s easy to keep an eye on our daughter Alice wherever you are in the house,” says Will. “We’ve created great spaces for both entertaining and relaxation.” 72 {JUNE 2011} homebeautiful.com.au
DINING ROOM {above left} One of the original reception rooms, the dining room is now open plan and has easy access to the kitchen. Muted pale-green walls, sweet fairy lights and Fritz Hansen ‘Series 7’ chairs in Red (available in Australia from Corporate Culture, visit corporateculture.com.au) inject a sense of fun to the room. KITCHEN {above right & opposite} Positioned at the centre of the ground floor layout, the functional yet chic kitchen was relocated from the rear of the house, as Will was keen to make the most of all the rooms. “Front rooms rarely get used when you create an open-plan kitchen/dining area at the rear and I wanted a more efficient layout,” he explains. Clever design tricks were employed to make the budget stretch a little further. “We bought basic kitchen unit carcasses and had custom-made doors fitted to give it the feel of bespoke joinery at a fraction of the cost,” he says. The white finish helps lighten the room.
we love
pendant lighting Will and Emily were fed up with downlights, so instead chose this glamorous Tom Dixon ‘Copper Shade’ pendant (available in Australia from De De Ce, visit dedece.com) for the kitchen. An elegant black chandelier (seek similar at designerchandelier.com.au) in the dining room pays tribute to the history of the home. >
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A wall of built-in joinery is a practical inclusion to maximise storage and create a display nook
74 {JUNE 2011} homebeautiful.com.au
style notes
BATHROOM An Underground-map
ILLUSTRATION KENZIEDESIGN.COM. ALL INTERNATIONAL PRICES ARE BASED ON CURRENT EXCHANGE RATES AT THE TIME OF PRINTING
mirror (available at suck.uk.com) is a must for a London home.
GUEST BEDROOM Cath Kidston bedlinen
and cheerful bunting (for similar, try Lark; visit larkmade.com.au) give the guest bedroom an inviting country feel.
MASTER BEDROOM Splashes of red recall London’s most famous icons.
Playful and pretty touches add personality to all corners of the home 1
2
3
KITCHEN
colours & materials
GARDEN
DINING ROOM LIVING ROOM
1 Wooden flooring Try American Oak 175mm
wide floorboards, $130/sqm, Tait Flooring. 2 Pillowcases ‘Spray Flowers Cotton Duck’ fabric, $30/metre (£18/metre), Cath Kidston. 3 Dining room walls Try Low Sheen Acrylic in Lake George, $88/4 litres, Porter’s Paints.
Stockists, page 220
Due to the printing process, actual colours may vary.
GROUND FLOOR
BEDROOM
BEDROOM BATHROOM
BATHROOM
FIRST FLOOR BEDROOM
HOMES
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SPARE ROOM While renovating their Victorian terrace, owners Will and Emily
were “keen to retain as many of the home’s original features as possible but give it a more contemporary style,” explains Will. In the spare room, Emily commandeered an airy corner for pampering, teaming a vintage dressing table with a modern Fritz Hansen ‘Series 7’ chair. GUEST BEDROOM {opposite, left} A vintage chandelier and a poster of Some Like it Hot in Italian (seek similar at allposters.com.au) add a retro touch. MASTER BEDROOM {opposite, right} An antique iron bed and elegant linen turn Will and Emily’s bedroom into a haven.
68 {MONTH 2011} homebeautiful.com.au