Houzz Tour: A Restored 18th Century Home in London’s East End
Attention to detail and skilful sourcing have resulted in an impressive restoration of this 18th century townhouse in Spitalfields
This historic home in the heart of London underwent a faithful restoration two years ago in the hands of architect and owner Chris Dyson. The property was built in the 1720s in Spitalfields, a former Huguenot district of London. The Huguenots were protestants who fled France in the 16th and 17th centuries following prosecution and restrictive laws, and many found shelter in London’s Spitalfields, building a vibrant silk industry there.
The house had fallen into disrepair, but proved the perfect project for Chris, who had been working with period properties in the area for many years before embarking on his own restoration. He wanted to re-create the original 1720s feel of the home, and a serious external overhaul alongside careful sourcing and detailing inside achieved just that.
Chris now lives in the house with his family, and their extensive collection of antiques, china, artwork and other objects have filled it with a comforting, vibrant and eclectic vibe. ‘I went to art school and studied architecture, so it’s natural for me to want to collect,’ Chris says, and his entire home reflects that.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Chris Dyson and his family of four
Location Spitalfields, London
Designer Chris Dyson of Chris Dyson Architects
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
The house had fallen into disrepair, but proved the perfect project for Chris, who had been working with period properties in the area for many years before embarking on his own restoration. He wanted to re-create the original 1720s feel of the home, and a serious external overhaul alongside careful sourcing and detailing inside achieved just that.
Chris now lives in the house with his family, and their extensive collection of antiques, china, artwork and other objects have filled it with a comforting, vibrant and eclectic vibe. ‘I went to art school and studied architecture, so it’s natural for me to want to collect,’ Chris says, and his entire home reflects that.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Chris Dyson and his family of four
Location Spitalfields, London
Designer Chris Dyson of Chris Dyson Architects
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
This ground floor reception room is where the shop was housed a few decades ago. The single-pane shopfront window was removed and replaced with two Georgian sash windows to give it a more homely feel.
The corridor, seen through the door here, was added during the renovation to allow people to access the staircase down to the basement – which houses the kitchen and dining area – without having to pass through the front room.
Chris had oak flooring laid throughout much of the home, creating an elegant continuity that complements the many antiques and interesting objects he’s collected and inherited over the years.
The double doors were designed by Chris in a Moorish style. ‘I just thought they were interesting and different,’ he says. They were made in softwood and painted in Farrow & Ball’s Mahogany.
Candelabra, Spitalfields Thursday bricolage market. Doors painted in Mahogany, Farrow & Ball.
The corridor, seen through the door here, was added during the renovation to allow people to access the staircase down to the basement – which houses the kitchen and dining area – without having to pass through the front room.
Chris had oak flooring laid throughout much of the home, creating an elegant continuity that complements the many antiques and interesting objects he’s collected and inherited over the years.
The double doors were designed by Chris in a Moorish style. ‘I just thought they were interesting and different,’ he says. They were made in softwood and painted in Farrow & Ball’s Mahogany.
Candelabra, Spitalfields Thursday bricolage market. Doors painted in Mahogany, Farrow & Ball.
All of the panelling in the front room was designed by Chris and installed by carpenters. ‘Panelling was more appropriate to the house we were trying to recreate,’ he explains. ‘It gave a scale to the room that was attractive and warmer than a plaster surface.’
A close inspection reveals that the niche to the left of the fireplace is slightly more distressed than the one on the right. ‘This is the original niche I bought at Lassco,’ Chris says. It dates back to the 1700s, and after installing and adding the panelling around it, he replicated the design on the right-hand side. ‘It was a bit of luck finding that niche,’ he adds.
The ornaments seen adorning the alcoves are items Chris inherited or collected over time from markets, auctions and while travelling. He found the chair on the right, for example, discarded on the street, and the fire accessories were purchased at a house sale in the north of England.
Sofa, Lots Road Auctions. Painting, Fiona Maclean. Blue vase, Andrew Coram’s Antique Shop. Walls painted in Light Gray, Farrow & Ball.
Get tips for how to display favourite finds and collections
A close inspection reveals that the niche to the left of the fireplace is slightly more distressed than the one on the right. ‘This is the original niche I bought at Lassco,’ Chris says. It dates back to the 1700s, and after installing and adding the panelling around it, he replicated the design on the right-hand side. ‘It was a bit of luck finding that niche,’ he adds.
The ornaments seen adorning the alcoves are items Chris inherited or collected over time from markets, auctions and while travelling. He found the chair on the right, for example, discarded on the street, and the fire accessories were purchased at a house sale in the north of England.
Sofa, Lots Road Auctions. Painting, Fiona Maclean. Blue vase, Andrew Coram’s Antique Shop. Walls painted in Light Gray, Farrow & Ball.
Get tips for how to display favourite finds and collections
The rear section of the ground floor reception room functions as a more formal dining area. The table is a gate-legged design from Chris’s father-in-law that can be folded away to make a more multifunctional space. Chris occasionally hosts art shows in the house, inviting artists to display their work publicly.
A large urn, which Chris bought in Columbia Road flower market, dominates the space. ‘I actually bought the urn to go in the rear garden, but it wouldn’t go through the back door, so there it stayed,’ he says.
Light, Maison Trois Garcons.
A large urn, which Chris bought in Columbia Road flower market, dominates the space. ‘I actually bought the urn to go in the rear garden, but it wouldn’t go through the back door, so there it stayed,’ he says.
Light, Maison Trois Garcons.
The corridor outside the front reception room leads to a staircase down to the kitchen area. Chris designed the glass divider himself and had it made. ‘I wanted to keep the light flowing throughout the space,’ he explains.
Panelling painted in Off White, Farrow & Ball. Ice cream notice, Spitalfields market.
Panelling painted in Off White, Farrow & Ball. Ice cream notice, Spitalfields market.
The holes in the staircase are vent holes for the storage below, and create an interesting visual detail that draws the eye upwards.
Formerly a storage area and boiler room, the basement was converted into a kitchen over the course of about four months. Chris designed it himself with the aim of creating a space that felt welcoming and warm. ‘We panelled the walls and put in underfloor heating and lots of detailing to make it feel cosy,’ he says. John Russell Architectural made the kitchen according to Chris’s designs, with cupboards in white-painted plywood and an American walnut worktop.
To keep the room as light as possible, given it’s on the basement level, Chris chose to use gloss paint to enhance the light and bounce it around the room. The flooring is hard-wearing rubber. ‘We went for rubber flooring because it’s thin, durable and warm on the feet, and it works nicely with underfloor heating,’ he explains.
Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball. Nora rubber flooring, Freudenberg.
To keep the room as light as possible, given it’s on the basement level, Chris chose to use gloss paint to enhance the light and bounce it around the room. The flooring is hard-wearing rubber. ‘We went for rubber flooring because it’s thin, durable and warm on the feet, and it works nicely with underfloor heating,’ he explains.
Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball. Nora rubber flooring, Freudenberg.
In the dining area next to the kitchen, Chris designed bespoke shelving to house the family’s collection of plates from Holland and China. Its function and aesthetic is similar to that of a Welsh dresser, but it has a less fussy feel. The black American walnut table was also designed by Chris, and made by Matthew Hilton, who also designed the dining chairs. The dark colour of the substantial furniture provides a beautiful contrast to the delicate china.
Dining table, made by Matthew Hilton. Dining chairs, designed and made by Matthew Hilton. Shelving painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
Dining table, made by Matthew Hilton. Dining chairs, designed and made by Matthew Hilton. Shelving painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
The living room on the first floor is more spacious than the reception room on the ground floor. ‘It has a slightly higher ceiling, as it’s on the piano nobile [principle] level, and it’s much wider, as it goes over the hallway on the ground floor,’ Chris explains. ‘We wanted it to be lighter, so we made a big opening between the rear room and the front room,’ he adds.
‘I found the two columns either side of the fireplace at Lassco Three Pigeons in Oxfordshire,’ Chris says. ‘They became the inspiration for the design of the room.’ The fireplace is in fact made from timber with a marble effect painted by Ian Harper. Panelling, wooden shutters and cast iron heritage radiators complete the historic feel of the room.
The space above the fireplace holds a secret bookcase. ‘I think books and TVs can dominate living spaces too much, and I didn’t want that feel. I just wanted to have blank-ish walls that I could put pictures on,’ he says. It’s an innovative design that maximises storage without compromising on aesthetics.
Sketches, Martin Richman. Wing chairs, Matthew Hilton. Lamp, Maison Trois Garcons.
‘I found the two columns either side of the fireplace at Lassco Three Pigeons in Oxfordshire,’ Chris says. ‘They became the inspiration for the design of the room.’ The fireplace is in fact made from timber with a marble effect painted by Ian Harper. Panelling, wooden shutters and cast iron heritage radiators complete the historic feel of the room.
The space above the fireplace holds a secret bookcase. ‘I think books and TVs can dominate living spaces too much, and I didn’t want that feel. I just wanted to have blank-ish walls that I could put pictures on,’ he says. It’s an innovative design that maximises storage without compromising on aesthetics.
Sketches, Martin Richman. Wing chairs, Matthew Hilton. Lamp, Maison Trois Garcons.
The rear half of the room is a quiet little nook that can be used as a study area or for relaxing. It leads out onto a balcony, which allows light to flood into the space. The Crittall door provides an interesting industrial twist to the more classical feel of the rest of the room.
Armadillo, Spitalfields market. Striped sofa, Dorotheum auction house. Curtain fabric, Hussain Tailoring.
Armadillo, Spitalfields market. Striped sofa, Dorotheum auction house. Curtain fabric, Hussain Tailoring.
The home has access to outdoor space on three different levels of the property, thanks to a fern garden that occupies two separate levels and a south-facing balcony on the first floor. Chris had the rear of the property clad in timber boarding, as it had been badly rendered beforehand and didn’t look ‘handsome enough’.
On the second floor there are two bedrooms and a family bathroom, and a staircase leads up to the master suite on the third floor. On the landing there is a further loo. All of the banisters in the house were replaced. They were designed by Chris, made up in softwood and painted in a mahogany finish. The clock is a 17th century French piece with a hand-painted wood effect, continuing the theme of decorative detailing present throughout the home.
A large space at the top of the building has served different functions over the years. ‘It was always one big room,’ Chris says. ‘At one time I used it as my studio and set up my business here, but then we converted it back into a bedroom.’
There is a bath in the same space. ‘We wanted to keep the same light for the bath and the room,’ he says, so a bath and basin stand to the left of the custom wardrobe seen in the left-hand corner here. There is a toilet on the half landing between the second and third floors.
Bench and flooring, Solid Floor. Bed, Ikea. Curtain fabric, Hussain Tailoring.
There is a bath in the same space. ‘We wanted to keep the same light for the bath and the room,’ he says, so a bath and basin stand to the left of the custom wardrobe seen in the left-hand corner here. There is a toilet on the half landing between the second and third floors.
Bench and flooring, Solid Floor. Bed, Ikea. Curtain fabric, Hussain Tailoring.
Chris saw this design of bath in Shoreditch House hotel and loved it. ‘I asked who the suppliers were and went from there,’ he says. The nickel-plated copper tub is an impressive feature and, as it’s visible from the entire bedroom, it’s almost as much a sculpture as it is a bath.
Bath, William Holland.
TELL US…
Which is your favourite room in this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Bath, William Holland.
TELL US…
Which is your favourite room in this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
‘The building had been restored in the 1950s with Crittall windows, but they and the extension were failing,’ recalls Chris. ‘It was time to reinvest in the fabric of the building.’
He had the extension demolished to allow more light to flood into the lower floors. He then installed new Crittall windows at the rear of the property and timber sashes at the front, in keeping with the period of the house.
Discover more on Crittall windows