House Tours Open Door with Interior Designer, Rebecca Wakefield

(Image credit: Anna Stathaki)

By Jacky Parker 2020-10-27T08:00:46Z

Welcome to series 2 of House Tours Open Door. We've been busy filming gorgeous homes over the summer, filled with cool and clever ideas from their creative owners.

We plan to beam you into eight jaw-dropping homes, to hear from the owners and to get under the skin of exactly what makes a place special. Inspiration from the comfort of your living room? Sounds like a double win.

EPISODE 3 - AT HOME WITH REBECCA WAKEFIELD

Interior Designer, Rebecca Wakefield, has invited us in to share how she and her Quantity Surveyor, partner, turned a London terrace into a calm oasis of cool.

Rebecca's ethos is to design projects with the intention to make spaces feel calm, bright and timeless – and this was the focus for her own home, too. Quite a feat with two kids under two.

WATCH HOUSE TOURS OPEN DOOR EPISODE 3 WITH REBECCA WAKEFIELD

Taking on a wreck that hadn’t been touched for 50 years was all part of the game plan for Rebecca and her partner, Josh.

To better manage the renovation, the couple divided it into two phases. The first involved the complete refurbishment of the upper level, along with the two ground-floor living rooms.

New internal walls were installed upstairs, engineered oak chevron flooring was laid downstairs and the entire house was rewired and re-plumbed. It was important to both Rebecca and Josh that they restore their home’s Victorian charm so they reinstated features sympathetic to its era, after ripping out those that had been added during the 1950s.

The second phase involved the refurbishment of the kitchen, including extending into its side return. A relatively narrow space with a low ceiling, it was opened up with the installation of a large skylight. By extending the chevron flooring into this area, installing generous openings to the garden and whitewashing the new brick party wall, the room feels all the brighter and fresher.

The house now has the vibe of a beachside abode in Sydney rather than a small terrace in London, thanks to Rebecca’s use of materials and colour palettes that are natural, neutral and pared-back.

In the kitchen, the pale green joinery was inspired by the garden’s overgrown jasmine bush. The hue gives the room the desired calming effect, while creating a visual connection between inside and out.

In the rest of the house the palettes are similarly muted, complemented by Rebecca’s understated styling.

The outcome is laid-back yet sophisticated and highly personalised. Every item has a story, from Rebecca’s cherished bobbin rocking chair purchased on eBay to the artwork sourced from local artists.

SHOP REBECCA'S KEY PIECES NOW

Living room

Shop now: Long Island sofa in Elephant matt velvet, Sofa.com

Shop now: Wall light, Maisons du Monde

Rebecca is drawn to organic products, simple shapes and natural materials. The master bedroom is furnished with a mix of vintage finds from antiques markets and eBay, along with high-street purchases.