Like a Gothic fairy tale brought to life, this home has unexpected twists, with angels, insects – and even a unicorn – at every turn
Get the look: The angel statue and Seventies coffee table are both from Pure White Lines. For a similar rug, try French Connection Home. The walls are painted in Chemise estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball.
THE PROPERTY
A double-fronted Victorian house on three levels in east London. On the lower ground floor there is a kitchen, dining room, utility room, bedroom and wet room. On the ground floor there is a living room, study, bedroom and WC. On the first floor sit four bedrooms and the main bathroom.
There’s no denying this home is the stuff of fantastical festive grottoes, with its smorgasbord of ‘what-on-earth!’ oddities at every turn. And guests can’t help but feel they’ve walked into some captivating, otherworldly kingdom – Narnia meets Miss Havisham meets The Natural History Museum. To be honest, it’s hard not to gawp. Waiting inside is a unicorn, more than one angel, a lioness, hundreds of butterflies and even a human skeleton.
THE LIVING ROOM
The living room (above and below) is full of grand gestures, from the sprawling bespoke sofa to the praying angel and imposing convex railway station mirrors. Winter flowers and crackling fires make this home feel cosy during darker months.
Get the look: The Fifties railway mirrors and antler skulls are all from Pure White Lines. The walls are painted in Chemise estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball.
Get the look: The oak school cabinet, columns and red chairs are from Pure White Lines.
THE HALLWAY
With a hallway like this, who can blame guests for wanting to make an entrance?
Get the look: The Murano glass Sputnik pendant and reproduction turtle shells are from Pure White Lines. The walls are painted in Downpipe estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball.
THE STUDY
The study is a sanctuary for some of the owners’ quirkiest pieces.
Get the look: The albino lion and butterfly dome are from Pure White Lines. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Black Blue estate emulsion. For a similar rug, try Graham and Green.
THE KITCHEN
Terracotta tiles, dark grey cabinetry and rustic wood surfaces create an earthy kitchen.
Get the look: The built-in kitchen units came with the house – for similar, try Magnet. Find terracotta floor tiles like these at Fired Earth. The Live East Die Young print is from Nelly Duff.
The dairy cabinet is an antique from the 1880s.
Get the look: The French cast-iron bistro table and Tolix chairs are from Pure White Lines. The glasses and crockery are from Anthropologie.
THE BEDROOM
Neutral walls are the perfect backdrop for the cluster of deer skulls and out-there lighting.
Get the look: The bed is from And So To Bed. The overhead lights were made by Matt – the Feiss Adams 3 light pendant at Kes Lighting is similar. The velvet print cushions are by House of Hackney.
A vintage taxidermy ‘unicorn’ sits in a meadow of flowers designed by Joanna Imrie at Cut Flowers London.
Get the look: The unicorn is from Pure White Lines.
THE WET ROOM
A tiny bathroom has been transformed into a functional shower room.
Get the look: The bronze wall tiles are by Fired Earth and the faux plants are by Abigail Ahern.
Design / purewhitelines.com
Photography ⁄ James Merrell
