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Houzz Tour: A 1930s House With a Broken-plan Family Space
After extending out and up, these owners needed help reconfiguring their home and stamping their own style on it
The owners of this Essex house had had a rear extension built and the loft converted. Downstairs, they were faced with a vast new open-plan space and, throughout, lots of opportunity to create a home that felt like their own. They’d been through renovations before, but this time, especially with two children in tow, they were keen to get professional support to help realise their ideas. So they turned to Houzz, where they found Milena Vallier of My Bespoke Room.
“Going through a major renovation with two young kids and dealing with millions of decisions every day, they loved working with me and getting the design support we provide,” Milena says. “We also sourced all the new items for the house.” At the end of the four-month project, the finished house looked incredible. Take a look…
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
“Going through a major renovation with two young kids and dealing with millions of decisions every day, they loved working with me and getting the design support we provide,” Milena says. “We also sourced all the new items for the house.” At the end of the four-month project, the finished house looked incredible. Take a look…
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
“The layout was the first step for each design,” Milena says, “and the space needed to work really hard for the family.” Downstairs, she created different zones for play and relaxing, plus a more grown-up living room.
“Each area had to have a specific function, but the whole open-plan [room] needed to work together,” she says. “There are five interconnected areas – it’s a very large space.” To give you a sense of scale, the span of the bifolding doors to the garden, for example, is eight metres.
This area seen here up two steps is a space for the children; behind it, at the front of the house, is a more formal living room and, at the garden end, there’s a more relaxed seating spot with a TV, which is all tucked behind a half-wall planter that semi-separates the zone from the kitchen and dining areas.
The owners have more than 70 houseplants and this was just one of Milena’s many ideas for factoring them all into her design across the house.
The planter initially came about to disguise an incongruous steel. “Because there had been such a huge structural change, we ended up with a pillar just where we didn’t want it,” Milena says. “We couldn’t change it, so we made it look intentional by filling the bottom half of the space with a stud wall.”
This contains a niche on the kitchen side and has space for plants in the top. There are strategically located spotlights to enhance the greenery. “It also forms a wall to put the sofa against,” Milena adds.
“Each area had to have a specific function, but the whole open-plan [room] needed to work together,” she says. “There are five interconnected areas – it’s a very large space.” To give you a sense of scale, the span of the bifolding doors to the garden, for example, is eight metres.
This area seen here up two steps is a space for the children; behind it, at the front of the house, is a more formal living room and, at the garden end, there’s a more relaxed seating spot with a TV, which is all tucked behind a half-wall planter that semi-separates the zone from the kitchen and dining areas.
The owners have more than 70 houseplants and this was just one of Milena’s many ideas for factoring them all into her design across the house.
The planter initially came about to disguise an incongruous steel. “Because there had been such a huge structural change, we ended up with a pillar just where we didn’t want it,” Milena says. “We couldn’t change it, so we made it look intentional by filling the bottom half of the space with a stud wall.”
This contains a niche on the kitchen side and has space for plants in the top. There are strategically located spotlights to enhance the greenery. “It also forms a wall to put the sofa against,” Milena adds.
Seen from the other end, the three different living space zones are clear. The formal living room can be closed off behind doors.
Wall light, Beut.
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Wall light, Beut.
Find interior designers in your area on Houzz.
A dark blue feature wall in the seating area tones down the visual impact of the TV screen when it’s off. The same blue pops up elsewhere – on the sofa in the formal living room and on the kitchen island and base units. “We wanted to bring the spaces together,” Milena says.
The ceiling is very high and the space on top of the tall kitchen units, which contain a full-height fridge-freezer as well as storage, was a handy surface on which to house more of the owners’ plants. They’re uplit by LED strips.
Feature wall painted in Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The ceiling is very high and the space on top of the tall kitchen units, which contain a full-height fridge-freezer as well as storage, was a handy surface on which to house more of the owners’ plants. They’re uplit by LED strips.
Feature wall painted in Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The white, dark blue and grey theme ticks the owners’ Scandi box, while the striking dining table pendant is one of the midcentury-style touches dotted throughout.
The floor is polished concrete.
Display cabinet, Tikamoon. Pale grey and blue kitchen, John Lewis.
The floor is polished concrete.
Display cabinet, Tikamoon. Pale grey and blue kitchen, John Lewis.
“The breakfast bar was a very simple idea,” Milena says. “It’s made from a wood-finish worktop, which is just propped over the island and has legs on the other end. It’s a really nice way to make a T-shape with the island and provides seating for six people. This is the family’s daily dining table.”
The worktop material for the bar is laminate. “We needed something really durable and easy to maintain,” she says.
The worktop material for the bar is laminate. “We needed something really durable and easy to maintain,” she says.
More LED strips around the wall cupboards light up the lovely brickwork at this end of the room.
At this end of the run of tall cabinets, there are shallow steps up to the entrance hall. Pocket fire doors here ensure everything complies with Building Regulations, but, during the day, these are usually open.
Before you get to the front door, there are entrances to a utility and a cloakroom on the left, taking up the space behind the full-height units.
Before you get to the front door, there are entrances to a utility and a cloakroom on the left, taking up the space behind the full-height units.
This cute little coat storage area and bench are right next to the front door (which is on its left) and the room behind it is the formal living room.
Pegboard, Naken Interiors.
Pegboard, Naken Interiors.
The large main bedroom is on the first floor, overlooking the garden.
Right on brief, details such as the little armchair, the dressing table, the double layered curtains with voile and blackout fabrics, covered by a pelmet at the top, and wall-mounted bedside lights all lend a touch of the boutique hotel glamour the owners wanted.
“The layout was quite challenging in here,” Milena says. The couple wanted a separate dressing room, but the only way to do this would have been to shrink the bedroom due to the location of the door.
Rosalie king ottoman bed in Stoneware Easy Cotton, Sofa.com.
Right on brief, details such as the little armchair, the dressing table, the double layered curtains with voile and blackout fabrics, covered by a pelmet at the top, and wall-mounted bedside lights all lend a touch of the boutique hotel glamour the owners wanted.
“The layout was quite challenging in here,” Milena says. The couple wanted a separate dressing room, but the only way to do this would have been to shrink the bedroom due to the location of the door.
Rosalie king ottoman bed in Stoneware Easy Cotton, Sofa.com.
So Milena moved the door, which had originally been closer to the bed. “It allowed us to be able to balance the two spaces,” she says. This is the ‘after’ layout of the bedroom and dressing area; the entrance to the en suite is via pocket doors on the right.
A pair of sideboards opposite the bed take up around two metres of wall space, giving you a sense of the room’s generous proportions.
The dressing area features bespoke his and hers wardrobes. The space leads into an en suite bathroom, seen here on the left.
The wall above the vanity unit in the en suite is clad with brick slips, linking it visually to the kitchen. “They have a pink rather than typical brick red tone, which goes with the colour palette in the house,” Milena says.
Two backlit mirrored cabinets highlight the feature and provide generous storage.
Customisable vanity unit, Parker Howley & Co.
Two backlit mirrored cabinets highlight the feature and provide generous storage.
Customisable vanity unit, Parker Howley & Co.
Opposite the vanity unit, there’s a large walk-in shower with an entrance at either end. Symmetrical brass towel radiators and marble-effect tiles continue the hotel feel.
Milena designed a home office in the smallest room on the same floor.
“The house has lovely oak flooring throughout,” she says, “so we introduced some oak pieces. The overall palette in the house is grey and off-white, with accents of emerald green, teal and blush, reflected in here.
“The little footstool in the window is for her daughter to sit on – she pops in after school for a chat with her mum. And she likes pink,” Milena says.
Desk chair, Anthropologie. Felix round footstool in Smart Velvet, Sofa.com.
“The house has lovely oak flooring throughout,” she says, “so we introduced some oak pieces. The overall palette in the house is grey and off-white, with accents of emerald green, teal and blush, reflected in here.
“The little footstool in the window is for her daughter to sit on – she pops in after school for a chat with her mum. And she likes pink,” Milena says.
Desk chair, Anthropologie. Felix round footstool in Smart Velvet, Sofa.com.
The view behind the desk with a living wall was conceived with video calls in mind. “The owner wanted a nice backdrop,” Milena says.
The Little Botanical living wall, John Lewis.
The Little Botanical living wall, John Lewis.
On the same floor, there’s also a simple monochrome family bathroom.
Again, the owners’ plant collection was a consideration and Milena position the bath at an angle so as to be able to put more plants behind it.
Floor tiles, Mandarin Stone. Clearwater Puro ClearStone freestanding bath, Drench.
Again, the owners’ plant collection was a consideration and Milena position the bath at an angle so as to be able to put more plants behind it.
Floor tiles, Mandarin Stone. Clearwater Puro ClearStone freestanding bath, Drench.
The first floor houses the family bathroom plus four bedrooms, two of which are en suites – the main suite and the daughter’s bedroom. The son’s bedroom and an office are also on this level.
From this viewpoint, you’re looking at the door into one of the children’s bedrooms; the main suite is behind where the photo is taken from, and a family bathroom is through the door on the right.
The chandelier, which hangs from the ceiling of the loft above, was “quite a bit of work. Typically these chandeliers are several thousand pounds and bespoke, so we had to be clever,” Milena says.
She sourced a multi ceiling rose with 15 light points, along with a lot of electrical cable and large decorative bulbs. “The electrician put it all together,” she says. “I gave him all the measurements for where each bulb needed to hang. They go in a spiral, so the distances had to be consistent to create the shape.”
Milena also added a niche in the wall to house more plants.
Tala brass nine pendant cluster ceiling light; fitted with Tala Sphere IV ES LED dim-to-warm globe bulbs, John Lewis.
From this viewpoint, you’re looking at the door into one of the children’s bedrooms; the main suite is behind where the photo is taken from, and a family bathroom is through the door on the right.
The chandelier, which hangs from the ceiling of the loft above, was “quite a bit of work. Typically these chandeliers are several thousand pounds and bespoke, so we had to be clever,” Milena says.
She sourced a multi ceiling rose with 15 light points, along with a lot of electrical cable and large decorative bulbs. “The electrician put it all together,” she says. “I gave him all the measurements for where each bulb needed to hang. They go in a spiral, so the distances had to be consistent to create the shape.”
Milena also added a niche in the wall to house more plants.
Tala brass nine pendant cluster ceiling light; fitted with Tala Sphere IV ES LED dim-to-warm globe bulbs, John Lewis.
At the top of the loft staircase, there’s a generous landing leading into the guest bedroom and bathroom. Milena made good use of the space by installing an armchair that folds out into a bed. It’s a nice space for guests to be able to sit and look out of the window for some privacy, plus a handy extra bed if there are overspill guests.
The family are delighted with their new home and, in her review, the owner says, “I was always wowed [by] the [design] options; it gave me something exciting to look forward to in the midst of the otherwise chaotic, messy build project I was going through. My favourite room [is] the master en suite, because it’s so spacious and airy, but there’s some interest there with the brick slips – it feels a luxurious room to be in.”
Wallpaper mural, Feathr.
Tell us…
Which is your favourite detail in this elegant family home? Let us know in the Comments.
The family are delighted with their new home and, in her review, the owner says, “I was always wowed [by] the [design] options; it gave me something exciting to look forward to in the midst of the otherwise chaotic, messy build project I was going through. My favourite room [is] the master en suite, because it’s so spacious and airy, but there’s some interest there with the brick slips – it feels a luxurious room to be in.”
Wallpaper mural, Feathr.
Tell us…
Which is your favourite detail in this elegant family home? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple and their two children
Location Romford, Essex
Property A 1930s detached house
Size Five bedrooms and four bathrooms
Designer Milena Vallier of My Bespoke Room
Project year 2021
Photos by Leanne Jade
“The owner and her husband knew what they liked, but wanted to be pushed a little out of their comfort zone,” Milena says of the brief the couple gave her.
The look they were after was “minimal/Scandi, but with a few midcentury pieces and a touch of ‘boutique hotel glam’,” she recalls. It also needed to be practical for family life with plenty of storage.