Cosmopolitan Victorian

Before buying his south London Victorian terraced house a year ago, design John Teall lived in a variety of rented properties. At the time, he had a day job as a social worker, but spent his spare time tinkering with properties before renting them out or selling them on. His instincts as a developer soon took over and, four years ago, after completing a degree in interior and spatial design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, he switched careers and set up design company Flux.

After cutting his teeth on the large Knightsbridge home of US film producer Roland Emmerich (of Independence Day fame) – a project for which he designed bespoke furniture and original art – John started work on his own home. Having spent two years searching for his perfect place – he wanted a loft but couldn't afford one – he had an epiphany: to take an ordinary family home, tailor it to his needs and infuse it with a modern loft feel.

His vision realised, the resulting space makes an instant impact through its unexpected sense of height, space and light. Downstairs, three reception rooms were melded into one, while upstairs three of the original five bedrooms were converted to create a slick dressing room the size of a small disco, a nifty office and a screening room on the mezzanine attic floor.

Take a look around John Teall's home