A Georgian townhouse in southwest London comes to life with bold splashes of colour

THE PROPERTY

A Georgian townhouse in southwest London. The dining room and kitchen and a WC are on the ground floor of this modern home. The living room, a sitting room and study are on the first floor. On the two upper floors are the master suite with dressing room, three bedrooms (one en suite), a bathroom and a WC. A guest bedroom, shower room and utility rooms are on the lower ground floor.

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LIVING ROOM

Golden ferns, paper stars and armfuls of winter foliage are all that’s needed to add a festive air to Ana Engelhorn’s London home. Her Georgian house is already laden with atmosphere, withrooms decorated in jewel shades and chandeliers that cast iridescent flecks of light onto the ceilings.

But when Ana, an interior designer, and her family, moved into this tall townhouse, it was wall-to-wall beige. The family moved to London from Barcelona and rent this home, but this didn’t deter Ana from carrying out a comprehensive transformation.

First, she pulled up a few corners of the cream fitted carpets to see what condition the floorboards were in. The original oak boards immediately gave the rooms a more interesting texture and hinted at a more authentic character for the house.

Next up, Ana negotiated repainting the walls throughout in the strong colours she’s found herself drawn to since moving to London. Now, the bold shades are central to this home’s personality.

In the living room, she opted for a green that’s soothing rather than sober, mixing it with hot pinks and deeper blues, while a separate sitting room is wrapped in a warm red, the paint taken over the fireplace surround for an all-enveloping effect.

Next, she revamped the lighting, as the house had been fitted with new-build-bland down lighters. She already owned the standout chandelier constructed from vintage bottles hanging over the dining table, but the sparkling number in the living room was bought in London.

When it came to the art, Ana had plenty of ideas. She grew up going to galleries and art fairs with her parents. For this home, she deliberately chose works that surprise or stir the imagination.

Likewise, furniture from different eras is brought together in unexpectedly beautiful arrangements: a modern sofa works next to Italian chairs from the Fifties reupholstered in deep velvet, all positioned beneath a 19th-century chandelier.

Velvet upholstery adds depth and intensity to Ana's choice of shades. The cascade of books artwork above the fireplace is a much smaller version of an iconic one the artist created in Madrid, using 5,000 volumes.

SITTING ROOM

This is where Ana heads for calm during the pre-Christmas storm.

HALLWAY

In the hallway, she settled on a sunshiny yellow as it feels inviting when you walk in.

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KITCHEN

Ana gave the space a sleek makeover, painting over the floor and varnished pine units a pale pink and adding handles that echo the jewel shades of the dining room beyond.

BEDROOM

Pretty meets punchy in this serene sleep zone, with trad floral curtains set against an enveloping blue paint shade.

BATHROOM

Timorous Beasties toile wallpaper and a blind in the same pattern envelope the bathroom.

See more of Ana’s work at anaengelhorn.com

Photography / Patrick Williamson

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