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Houzz Tour: A Stylish 1930s Home With a Relaxed, Welcoming Feel
A practical layout, cocooning colours and hard-wearing materials make this a home where everyone feels at ease
The challenge of updating an older home often lies in finding the right balance between old and new. You might want it to look fresh and designed, but it’s also nice if the renovated features feel like part of the original house – almost as if they’re not new at all.
For interior designer Alison Anderson, this balance was key to giving her clients a home that felt warm, inviting and full of character. Thoughtful design choices that elevated the property while embracing the owners’ treasured possessions and personality, as well as the bones of the 1930s house, have created a home that works perfectly for the family.
For interior designer Alison Anderson, this balance was key to giving her clients a home that felt warm, inviting and full of character. Thoughtful design choices that elevated the property while embracing the owners’ treasured possessions and personality, as well as the bones of the 1930s house, have created a home that works perfectly for the family.
Before Photo
A peninsula in the previous layout was tucked within the L-shaped area, making the kitchen feel separate from the wider space.
“We anchored the island next to a supporting column,” Alison says. “This made it feel grounded and the column feel part of the whole design.”
Alison moved the sink along the window worktop so it was centralised, and positioned a prep sink on the island, nearer to the range cooker to make it easy to rinse vegetables and cutlery, or fill up saucepans while cooking.
Blind in Field fabric, Christopher Farr.
Alison moved the sink along the window worktop so it was centralised, and positioned a prep sink on the island, nearer to the range cooker to make it easy to rinse vegetables and cutlery, or fill up saucepans while cooking.
Blind in Field fabric, Christopher Farr.
There are two contrasting materials on the island – white quartz and timber. “We needed to extend the island, but rather than have a join, we added a butcher’s block instead,” Alison says.
The team created a chimney above the range cooker and fitted slim shelves with hooks either side, which keep tools and condiments to hand but off the worktop.
The team created a chimney above the range cooker and fitted slim shelves with hooks either side, which keep tools and condiments to hand but off the worktop.
As the kitchen is bespoke, Alison could ensure every inch was maximised, so an area at the end of the sink run was used for a recipe bookcase and breakfast cabinet. Doors open to reveal small appliances with plug sockets and storage above.
A fridge-freezer sits to the right of the breakfast cabinet and, adjacent to that, is the door to a garden room. Inside, there’s a day bed where the kids can hang out.
Alison painted the garden room’s walls a fun pink tone and installed playful geometric tiles on the floor.
A textured brass pendant ties in with the brass fittings in the kitchen, while yellow cushions match the colours in the kitchen blind fabric.
Walls painted in Potters Pink, Dulux. Floor tiles, Claybrook. Brass pendant, Rockett St George.
A textured brass pendant ties in with the brass fittings in the kitchen, while yellow cushions match the colours in the kitchen blind fabric.
Walls painted in Potters Pink, Dulux. Floor tiles, Claybrook. Brass pendant, Rockett St George.
The dining room is in front of the kitchen area. As the table is extendable, Alison specified a flexible light fitting above it. “There are a couple of hooks further along the ceiling, so you can bring the bulbs across,” she says.
Parquet flooring has been installed throughout the ground floor, replacing a dull grey laminate. “The house is solid and needed something sympathetic to the building,” Alison says. “[The parquet] is tumbled, so it looks lived in and gives the house a relaxed and homely feel.”
Aged Oak Antique parquet flooring, The Natural Wood Floor Company. Pendant, Buster & Punch.
Parquet flooring has been installed throughout the ground floor, replacing a dull grey laminate. “The house is solid and needed something sympathetic to the building,” Alison says. “[The parquet] is tumbled, so it looks lived in and gives the house a relaxed and homely feel.”
Aged Oak Antique parquet flooring, The Natural Wood Floor Company. Pendant, Buster & Punch.
Across the hallway is the living room, where the clients like to relax in the evening. Comfy green sofas complement the blue joinery and ottoman.
As the sofas extend beyond the edge of the nook, Alison built shelves above the radiators either side to ensure they didn’t look as if they were floating. “The shelves make the space near the extended sofas feel purposeful and designed, and add balance to the room,” she says.
“The clients had collected lots of treasures over the years, so we built lots of storage to display them,” she continues. “My job was to provide the backbone for the clients to add their personality to their house.”
Sofas, Loaf.
As the sofas extend beyond the edge of the nook, Alison built shelves above the radiators either side to ensure they didn’t look as if they were floating. “The shelves make the space near the extended sofas feel purposeful and designed, and add balance to the room,” she says.
“The clients had collected lots of treasures over the years, so we built lots of storage to display them,” she continues. “My job was to provide the backbone for the clients to add their personality to their house.”
Sofas, Loaf.
Before Photo
Here’s the living room before the renovation.
This is the area opposite the nook. “The client had a good eye, so it was really fun to collaborate with her,” Alison says. “She had great ideas, and then I would suggest things that were a little bolder.
“I use Houzz Pro to communicate with all my clients, as I find it a great way of presenting ideas and keeping track of everything,” she adds. “It saves me time and reassures me, and for the clients it’s great, as they have a reference point to access information rather than going through their emails.”
“I use Houzz Pro to communicate with all my clients, as I find it a great way of presenting ideas and keeping track of everything,” she adds. “It saves me time and reassures me, and for the clients it’s great, as they have a reference point to access information rather than going through their emails.”
The clients had originally brought Alison in to redesign the boot room, which is also located off the hallway.
“I suggested to the client that it’s good to have a master plan of the whole space when designing one room, even if you’re planning to do it in stages,” Alison says.
After some thought, the clients decided to ask Alison to design the whole house. This allowed her to create a more cohesive look, with cabinetry that matches the kitchen and fabric that ties in with the blind on the kitchen window.
“I suggested to the client that it’s good to have a master plan of the whole space when designing one room, even if you’re planning to do it in stages,” Alison says.
After some thought, the clients decided to ask Alison to design the whole house. This allowed her to create a more cohesive look, with cabinetry that matches the kitchen and fabric that ties in with the blind on the kitchen window.
The area under the hallway stairs was open, so Alison made a feature of it with bespoke shelving, where the owners can display more items that hold memories.
A window opposite the front door brings lots of light into the hallway, and Alison made use of a recess next to the fireplace to add more storage.
Upstairs, soft blue walls in the main bedroom provide a backdrop for the clients’ own furniture and artwork. Bold patterned curtains add even more colour.
Walls painted in de Nimes, Farrow & Ball. Curtain fabric, Timorous Beasties.
Walls painted in de Nimes, Farrow & Ball. Curtain fabric, Timorous Beasties.
A dressing room leads off the bedroom and contains hanging storage and drawers.
The dressing room leads through to an en suite with a large shower and marble-effect porcelain tiles on the floor and walls. “We went for a large format on the walls and a smaller parquet on the floor, all in the same design,” Alison says.
Shower fittings, Samuel Heath. Porcelain tiles, Mandarin Stone.
Shower fittings, Samuel Heath. Porcelain tiles, Mandarin Stone.
A custom-made vanity unit adds useful storage.
In the family bathroom, warm pink walls contrast with modern stacked tiles. Alison made use of a wall at the foot of the bath by adding niches for easy access to toiletries, and deeper shelves facing out to the rest of the room.
Walls painted in Desert Rose, Paint and Paper Library.
Walls painted in Desert Rose, Paint and Paper Library.
Alison says the clients are really pleased with the finished renovation. “This home was really important, as they’d move back home after a few years away,” she says. “We enhanced the features of the house. It feels like them and is full of everything that’s dear to them.”
Tell us…
What do you like about Alison’s redesign of this 1930s house? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like about Alison’s redesign of this 1930s house? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A couple with their two teenage children
Location Hertfordshire
Property A detached 1930s house
Designer Alison Anderson of Alison Anderson Interiors
Joinery (including kitchen cabinetry) Moduu Living
Photos by Anna Stathaki
The main part of the kitchen is located in an L-shaped area of the open-plan living space. The original configuration wasn’t working for the sociable owners, as it felt cut off from the rest of the room.
They were keen for the kitchen to feel like a family hub, so Alison brought the area out into the room by straddling a large island between the two spaces and positioning the cooking area opposite (seen here on the right).
Kitchen cabinets painted in Studio Green, Farrow & Ball.