This stunning family home shines with opulent touches and fabulous focal points, so that every space gives a stellar performance
THE PROPERTY
A Victorian townhouse in south London. The ground-floor comprises a living room, dining room, kitchen, playroom, cloakroom and WC. On the first floor is the master suite and dressing room, plus a guest bedroom and shower room. On the top floor are three bedrooms and a family bathroom.
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HALLWAY
A dark band of paint below the dado takes the inky shade from the living room ceiling and leads it up the stairs.
Get the look: Try Original Style for Victorian encaustic floor tiles. The Mongolian sheepskin bench was bought at 1stdibs.com. The cushion is from Graham and Green.
THE LIVING ROOM
Darkness reigns from above, adding drama to this flowing, sociable space. Here, luxe seating is given a clubby feel beneath the dark ceiling, its paint shade highlighting the original Victorian mouldings.
Get the look: The ceiling is painted in Blue Black estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball. The sofa, coffee table and storage cabinet are from Roche Bobois. This is the 45 armchair by Fin Juhl, available at Twentytwentyone.
Get the look: The artwork was bought at the Affordable Art Fair – the horses painting is by Rimi Yang and the abstract by Gordon Hopkins. The Deco-style mirror is from India Jane. The lamp is from Oka.
THE KITCHEN
The original kitchen dresser that you can see at the back of the room was made when the house was built. To make sure that no other element upstaged the vintage piece, new additions are more low-key – such as the flat-fronted, handleless cabinets and a resin floor.
Get the look: The kitchen is by Roundhouse. For a similar vintage cabinet, try Original House. These are Tom Dixon’s Beat Fat pendants.
Pared-back contemporary cabinetry highlights the ornate beauty of the original kitchen cabinet. The resin flooring feels modern but at the same time fades slightly into the background. Open shelving breaks up the scheme’s linear look.
Get the look: The Plum tray, on the shelf, is by Tom Dixon. This is a Quooker boiling water tap. The Tretchikoff disc is from Ahoy Trader.
THE DINING ROOM
An industrial style dining table by Roche Bobois and dining chairs by Kai Kristiansen and Eames contrast against the traditional painting and a pop of bright turquoise in the tall table lamp. Spotlights keep the space from looking cluttered.
Get the look: This is the Syntaxe dining table by Roche Bobois. The black chairs are Kai Kristiansen’s Model 42 for Schou Andersen Møbelfabrik, available at 1stdibs.com. The Eames DSW chair for Vitra is available at Heal’s. The cabinet is vintage Heal’s – find a similar design at The Modern Marketplace. The painting is by Richard E Miller.
THE BEDROOMS
The bedrooms’ best feature is the opulent but practical storage, made bespoke by The London Joinery Co, including the A-list dressing room and the dreamy cubby bed in the children’s bedroom.
The headboard set a key tone that was used as a starting point for the rest of the space.
Get the look: This is the Vadim wall light by Maison Sarah Lavoine. The bed is by Savoir Beds. The Ferris wheel wire sculpture is from Roche Bobois. For a similar rug, try Floor_Story.
The spacious dressing room is divided from the master bedroom by steel-framed glazing. By day, it feels like one big space, with a flow of light from the front to the back of the house, but at night, the doors can be closed and the curtains drawn to make this master bedroom quiet and cosy.
Get the look: The storage is bespoke by The London Joinery Co, using Alpheus poured panels by Solomon&Wu on the island. The glazing is by Govette Windows. This is the Modo chandelier by Jason Miller for Roll & Hill. The parquet flooring is from Element7.
Having spotted New York designer Athena Calderone’s chic, brass-trimmed kitchen cabinetry in Livingetc (March 2014 issue), the home owners wanted The London Joinery Co to incorporate similar detailing.
Luxe curtain fabrics and interesting materials were sourced by interior designer Sarah Chambers, and the dressing room island was created by Solomon&Wu.
Get the look: The bespoke storage features Buster + Punch Closet Bar handles.
The children’s bedroom beautifully incorporates clever storage in an alcove bed.
Get the look: The cabin bed and storage are bespoke by The London Joinery Co. The pink rug is by Danskina. The walls are painted in Calamine estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball.
THE BATHROOM
The floor tiles give a flash of the teal that is threaded throughout the upstairs rooms.
Get the look: The floor tiles are from Made a Mano. For a similar bath, try The Cast Iron Bath Company. This is a Vola bath filler.
To learn more about The London Joinery Co’s bespoke cabinetry, visit thelondonjoineryco.com. Check out Sarah Chambers’ interior design work at sarahchambersinteriors.co.uk
Photography ⁄ Alexander James
