Houzz Tour: A Colourful and Creative Family Home in North London
Reconfiguring the layout and injecting light and colour into the space has totally transformed this London home
Having the ability to see potential where others can’t is the mark of a creative mind, and it’s clear that interior designers Susie and Evros Agathou have this vision in spades. When the couple were house-hunting in north London, they were sent the details of this property, which had been rented out for 15 years. The layout was odd and uninspiring, with very little natural light. ‘There were lots of walls and it had an oppressive feel to it,’ says Evros. ‘I printed out the details just to see how awful they were.’
However, professional curiosity drove him to take a closer look at the floor plan, and he started ‘taking out walls and envisaging what we could do’. Sensing the potential, they made the leap and have transformed the space into a bright, creative and fun family home. ‘I wanted to achieve a number of things with the design,’ says Evros, ‘but first and foremost, I wanted it to be a happy space. I wanted to wake up and feel really happy with my environment.’
However, professional curiosity drove him to take a closer look at the floor plan, and he started ‘taking out walls and envisaging what we could do’. Sensing the potential, they made the leap and have transformed the space into a bright, creative and fun family home. ‘I wanted to achieve a number of things with the design,’ says Evros, ‘but first and foremost, I wanted it to be a happy space. I wanted to wake up and feel really happy with my environment.’
Once they’d bought the property, they immediately started work. ‘We gutted the whole place,’ says Evros. ‘It needed all new services, including a whole new heating system, and we demolished a number of walls and reconfigured the space. We took out most of the back wall of the house to make the kitchen-diner.’
Modular storage, Cubit. After Matisse rug, Sonya Winner. Danish midcentury leather suite, eBay. Luna Lana hanging lights, Stephanie Ng.
Modular storage, Cubit. After Matisse rug, Sonya Winner. Danish midcentury leather suite, eBay. Luna Lana hanging lights, Stephanie Ng.
‘We went through a number of drafts and different ideas about how we would reconfigure the space,’ says Evros. ‘There was a toilet and bath under the stairs initially, so we took all that out, and I saw an opportunity to take out the fourth bedroom that was downstairs and create an open-plan kitchen-diner.’
Eames DSR side chairs, Vitra.
Eames DSR side chairs, Vitra.
There are no radiators on the lower-ground floor. Instead, the heat comes from a hot-water system hidden in the skirting boards that runs throughout. It’s heated by a boiler linked to a smart heating system.
There was no wall space for radiators and, thanks to the concrete floor, it wasn’t possible to install underfloor heating, so this was a good alternative. ‘We want to innovate, but I didn’t want to take a gamble, so I researched it thoroughly,’ says Evros, and so far it’s standing the test of time. ‘It’s been a year and it’s not showing any signs of wear and tear; it’s been well tested by our kids!’
There was no wall space for radiators and, thanks to the concrete floor, it wasn’t possible to install underfloor heating, so this was a good alternative. ‘We want to innovate, but I didn’t want to take a gamble, so I researched it thoroughly,’ says Evros, and so far it’s standing the test of time. ‘It’s been a year and it’s not showing any signs of wear and tear; it’s been well tested by our kids!’
Removing the ceiling and leaving the joists exposed was a clever way of creating visual interest at the same time as adding a few extra centimetres of headroom. However, it was a carefully thought through design choice. ‘When you remove a ceiling, you’re also removing a firebreak, which you need for Building Regulations,’ says Evros, ‘so all the joists and the entire wooden ceiling had to be painted in fire-retardant paint.’
Fire safety was also a concern when the couple decided to change the enclosed staircase for an open design. Because this meant removing a protected means of escape, they installed a domestic misting system, which is approved by the relevant authorities.
Fire safety was also a concern when the couple decided to change the enclosed staircase for an open design. Because this meant removing a protected means of escape, they installed a domestic misting system, which is approved by the relevant authorities.
The home covers the ground and lower-ground levels of the property, but the space still feels bright and airy, thanks to the large bifold doors and glazed ceiling.
‘The aim with the project was to open up the space and create as much living area as possible without extending the footprint of the property,’ Susie explains.
Hungarian glass factory pendant lights, Trainspotters. Fridge-freezer, Fisher & Paykel. Kitchen cabinets, Howdens.
‘The aim with the project was to open up the space and create as much living area as possible without extending the footprint of the property,’ Susie explains.
Hungarian glass factory pendant lights, Trainspotters. Fridge-freezer, Fisher & Paykel. Kitchen cabinets, Howdens.
‘Our design work is 70% commercial and that influenced us hugely during this project,’ says Evros. The worktop is an example of this. ‘We didn’t want a polished concrete surface, so we made a frame, with help from our builder, put the supports in and poured our concrete mixture into it. The result is a very tactile surface.’
See how to make your kitchen a sociable space
See how to make your kitchen a sociable space
The bench seating in the dining area was also influenced by the couple’s experience of commercial design; it’s popular in restaurants.
Noah dining table by Bethan Gray, John Lewis. Medicine cabinet; Art Deco mirror, both eBay.
Noah dining table by Bethan Gray, John Lewis. Medicine cabinet; Art Deco mirror, both eBay.
A Lego wall creates a feature in the kitchen-diner. ‘There’s no dedicated playroom for the kids, so we wanted to be able to build play into the space,’ explains Susie.
The Lego wall doesn’t take up any floor space, so it’s the perfect solution for a compact family home.
‘We don’t take ourselves too seriously,’ says Evros. ‘It’s important to us that this doesn’t look like a home you can’t touch; it’s not too precious.’
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The Lego wall doesn’t take up any floor space, so it’s the perfect solution for a compact family home.
‘We don’t take ourselves too seriously,’ says Evros. ‘It’s important to us that this doesn’t look like a home you can’t touch; it’s not too precious.’
Check out these enticing play spaces that encourage creativity
Keen to innovate wherever possible, the couple have integrated plenty of smart technology into their home. They’ve installed smart smoke alarms, fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, which can all be controlled remotely. ‘If an alarm does go off, it doesn’t just go off randomly,’ says Evros. ‘The alarm tells you exactly where the smoke is in the house.’
Bifold doors link the kitchen-diner and the garden, which has also been transformed. ‘The garden was basically just mud when we moved in,’ says Susie. Keen to have somewhere for the children to be able to run around outside, the couple chose to lay Astroturf, so it can be used all year round.
A wall-hung basin unit is a compact solution in the small en suite bathroom, while softly patterned tiles add colour and interest.
Happy D.2 vanity unit, Duravit.
Happy D.2 vanity unit, Duravit.
The children’s rooms are bright and cheerful. ‘I took them both to Cath Kidston to choose a fabric for their curtains and that was the starting point for each room,’ says Evros.
Houses curtain fabric, now discontinued, Cath Kidston. Cottage bed, Warren Evans. School desk, vintage. Storage units, Ikea. Egg of Columbus pendant light, Seletti.
Houses curtain fabric, now discontinued, Cath Kidston. Cottage bed, Warren Evans. School desk, vintage. Storage units, Ikea. Egg of Columbus pendant light, Seletti.
Each of the children also picked out a brightly coloured pegboard for their room and use these as somewhere to display drawings, notes and pictures while keeping the rest of the walls clean and tidy.
The second bedroom was larger, but had a tiny en suite bathroom, so the designers stole some of the space to carve out a bigger bathroom. A happy side effect of this was that the children’s rooms are now the same size – ideal for avoiding arguments!
London Scene cotton curtain fabric, Cath Kidston. Cottage bed, Warren Evans. Storage units, Ikea. Bau pendant light, Normann Copenhagen. Tartan carpet, Stevens & Graham.
London Scene cotton curtain fabric, Cath Kidston. Cottage bed, Warren Evans. Storage units, Ikea. Bau pendant light, Normann Copenhagen. Tartan carpet, Stevens & Graham.
The colourful, playful approach to design continues in the bathroom, with bright wallpaper and cheerful splashes of cherry red.
Happy D.2 vanity unit, Duravit. Gunnern bathroom cabinets, Ikea. Axor Starck Organic mixer tap, Hansgrohe.
Happy D.2 vanity unit, Duravit. Gunnern bathroom cabinets, Ikea. Axor Starck Organic mixer tap, Hansgrohe.
Who lives here Evros and Susie Agathou and their two children
Location North London
Property Victorian house (ground and lower-ground floors)
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Designers Evros and Susie Agathou of Avocado Sweets Interior Design Studio
When the couple walked into the property, they could immediately see the building was structurally sound and had amazing potential. ‘There was an opportunity to make the downstairs into a light and functional space for us as a family,’ says Evros.
E27 lighting, Muuto. Pigeonhole storage, Graham & Green. Vintage school gym bench, reclaimed.