Houzz Tour: A Victorian Family Home Infused with Colour and Character
This generously sized west London home has had a gradual and glamorous transformation
‘It’s a gorgeous big house, although it looked like an empty barn when I first saw it,’ recalls designer Fiona Andrews, reflecting the sentiment of this stunning property’s owners when they initially moved in a few years ago, feeling a little overwhelmed. ‘It’s a lot bigger than their previous home, so they needed some help with the layout and transforming it into a comfortable family home with personality.’
The house is set over four floors and the owners adopted a gradual approach to renovation, living in the property as they restored it one floor at a time over a two-year period. With the help of builder Pascal Huser, Fiona’s first task was to make a number of structural adjustments to the layout to enhance the flow between rooms, before creating a relaxed yet glamorous interior, shot through with flashes of bold colour. ‘The owners naturally gravitate towards cream and brown interiors, which can be lovely, but this house needed some colour,’ explains Fiona. ‘As the build went on they grew in confidence and so, much like the house, their style has evolved over time.’
The house is set over four floors and the owners adopted a gradual approach to renovation, living in the property as they restored it one floor at a time over a two-year period. With the help of builder Pascal Huser, Fiona’s first task was to make a number of structural adjustments to the layout to enhance the flow between rooms, before creating a relaxed yet glamorous interior, shot through with flashes of bold colour. ‘The owners naturally gravitate towards cream and brown interiors, which can be lovely, but this house needed some colour,’ explains Fiona. ‘As the build went on they grew in confidence and so, much like the house, their style has evolved over time.’
The owners wanted to the keep the traditional Aga, but Fiona persuaded them to integrate a second hob into the design for ease of use.
‘They love to cook, so this part of the kitchen is perfect for quick family suppers’ she explains. ‘Agas look fantastic, but they’re not always a practical choice.’
An elegant chandelier above the sleek hob, meanwhile, is cunningly designed to conceal an extractor fan. ‘It’s a lovely piece, and proves that practical appliances can be beautiful as well.’
Elica Celestial Ceiling Mounted Decorative Hood, Angel Appliances. Artwork, Will’s Art Warehouse.
Get more inspiration for stylish extractor fans
‘They love to cook, so this part of the kitchen is perfect for quick family suppers’ she explains. ‘Agas look fantastic, but they’re not always a practical choice.’
An elegant chandelier above the sleek hob, meanwhile, is cunningly designed to conceal an extractor fan. ‘It’s a lovely piece, and proves that practical appliances can be beautiful as well.’
Elica Celestial Ceiling Mounted Decorative Hood, Angel Appliances. Artwork, Will’s Art Warehouse.
Get more inspiration for stylish extractor fans
Fiona was tasked with incorporating a number of heirloom pieces – such as the console table on the left – from the family’s previous home into the design, enhancing the warmth and friendliness of the scheme.
‘The cabinet works really well in this space. The rich texture of the wood echoes the grain of the flooring in this part of the house, adding depth and interest,’ explains Fiona.
‘The cabinet works really well in this space. The rich texture of the wood echoes the grain of the flooring in this part of the house, adding depth and interest,’ explains Fiona.
‘This area was a blank slate when I first saw it, although the skylight was already there,’ recalls Fiona.
With so much space to play with, there was a danger the room would feel too cold, so Fiona opted for colourful banquette seating to add drama to this corner of the room.
‘We added the traditional-style wall unit above the seating to give a more friendly vibe,’ she explains. ‘Having books along the top makes it a really personal space, and is lovely way to express the family’s character.’
Arley Stripe fabric, GP & J Baker. Dining table, Karavan. Bespoke bookcase built by Pascal Huser.
With so much space to play with, there was a danger the room would feel too cold, so Fiona opted for colourful banquette seating to add drama to this corner of the room.
‘We added the traditional-style wall unit above the seating to give a more friendly vibe,’ she explains. ‘Having books along the top makes it a really personal space, and is lovely way to express the family’s character.’
Arley Stripe fabric, GP & J Baker. Dining table, Karavan. Bespoke bookcase built by Pascal Huser.
Just off the kitchen, a cosy snug has been transformed into a TV room that erupts with seductive blue, raspberry and silvery hues.
‘It’s a naturally shady room so we decided to embrace the darkness and add interest with texture and colour,’ explains Fiona. ‘This is the room where they spend most of their time as a family, so we’ve hidden a TV among the bookcases and we brought in a little more light with the mirrored cabinetry.’
Walls painted in Blue Blood, Paint & Paper Library, Silver sofa covered in Nakuru fabric, Sabi Velvets, Osborne & Little.
‘It’s a naturally shady room so we decided to embrace the darkness and add interest with texture and colour,’ explains Fiona. ‘This is the room where they spend most of their time as a family, so we’ve hidden a TV among the bookcases and we brought in a little more light with the mirrored cabinetry.’
Walls painted in Blue Blood, Paint & Paper Library, Silver sofa covered in Nakuru fabric, Sabi Velvets, Osborne & Little.
‘By the time we decorated this room the owners trusted me enough to take a few chances,’ explains Fiona.
The sofas were re-used from their old property and re-upholstered in sumptuous velvet for a new lease of life.
Yves wall light, Porta Romana.
The sofas were re-used from their old property and re-upholstered in sumptuous velvet for a new lease of life.
Yves wall light, Porta Romana.
Playful parrot wallpaper in the downstairs closet makes this tricky space sing with life.
‘The client found the wallpaper and loved it, but we didn’t know where to use it at first,’ recalls Fiona. ‘Eventually we settled on here – downstairs loos are a great place to be a bit more dramatic with the interior.’
Perroquet wallpaper, Nina Campbell. Connaught monobloc taps, Lefroy Brooks.
Browse 10 bathroom designs that pair perfectly with Victorian homes
‘The client found the wallpaper and loved it, but we didn’t know where to use it at first,’ recalls Fiona. ‘Eventually we settled on here – downstairs loos are a great place to be a bit more dramatic with the interior.’
Perroquet wallpaper, Nina Campbell. Connaught monobloc taps, Lefroy Brooks.
Browse 10 bathroom designs that pair perfectly with Victorian homes
Lofty ceilings and pale flooring create a simple, elegant, look in the hallway.
‘We’ve continued with the Scandi theme in this part of the house, but we’ve added a touch of drama with some Oriental-style furniture. It’s a subtle look and very timeless,’ says Fiona.
Light Green Lacquer Ladies Cabinet, Orchid. Large Deco Lantern, Hector Finch.
‘We’ve continued with the Scandi theme in this part of the house, but we’ve added a touch of drama with some Oriental-style furniture. It’s a subtle look and very timeless,’ says Fiona.
Light Green Lacquer Ladies Cabinet, Orchid. Large Deco Lantern, Hector Finch.
An elegant cabinet elsewhere in the entrance hall provides an elegant storage solution in an unexpected spot.
‘As it is for any modern family living in London, storage space is always at a premium,’ says Fiona.
Anna 2-Door Low cabinet, Julian Chichester.
‘As it is for any modern family living in London, storage space is always at a premium,’ says Fiona.
Anna 2-Door Low cabinet, Julian Chichester.
An original fireplace in the formal living room is a beautiful relic restored from the original property.
‘It’s very grown-up in this part of the house,’ says Fiona. ‘They use it quite a lot for reading the papers or a book, and for making the most of the sunshine that streams into the room during the summer. It’s next to the TV room, but it’s a much more relaxing space, and not as visually challenging,’
Redcliffe sofas, David Seyfried.
‘It’s very grown-up in this part of the house,’ says Fiona. ‘They use it quite a lot for reading the papers or a book, and for making the most of the sunshine that streams into the room during the summer. It’s next to the TV room, but it’s a much more relaxing space, and not as visually challenging,’
Redcliffe sofas, David Seyfried.
When it came to decorating the master bedroom, Fiona’s brief was to create a calm, comfortable, grown-up space, with just a hint of decadence.
‘The owners are really great fun, but they wanted the their room to be a kind of sanctuary.’
A sumptuous antique French bed with richly-textured velvet takes centre stage in the room, while soothing creamy walls and, pleated curtains melt effortlessly into the background.
For similar antique French bed, try Swans of Oakham. For similar artwork, try Will’s Art Warehouse.
Get ideas for creating a glamorous sleep space with movie star quality
‘The owners are really great fun, but they wanted the their room to be a kind of sanctuary.’
A sumptuous antique French bed with richly-textured velvet takes centre stage in the room, while soothing creamy walls and, pleated curtains melt effortlessly into the background.
For similar antique French bed, try Swans of Oakham. For similar artwork, try Will’s Art Warehouse.
Get ideas for creating a glamorous sleep space with movie star quality
Just off the main bedroom – in what used to be the en-suite bathroom – a cosy TV area with a champagne fridge provides a decadent spot for the couple to unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house.
There is a distinct hotel-chic feel to the new en-suite bathroom.
‘The owners chose marble for its clean, fresh finish in this part of the house,’ explains Fiona. ‘It’s luxurious, but refreshingly bright and breezy in here.’
Philippe Starck bath, Duravit.
‘The owners chose marble for its clean, fresh finish in this part of the house,’ explains Fiona. ‘It’s luxurious, but refreshingly bright and breezy in here.’
Philippe Starck bath, Duravit.
‘The client fell in love with this yellow fabric so I came up with this crazy combination of brown and yellow for the dressing room,’ explains Fiona.
‘It’s certainly a little bit over-the-top, but it’s important to let yourself go in certain rooms if you can.’
For similar curtain fabric, try Floratina by Lorca, Osborne & Little.
‘It’s certainly a little bit over-the-top, but it’s important to let yourself go in certain rooms if you can.’
For similar curtain fabric, try Floratina by Lorca, Osborne & Little.
The owners re-used furniture from their previous property when it came to furnishing the spare bedroom.
‘Again, we’ve gone for a timeless, neutral palette in here, but the Sanderson wallpaper adds a subtle hint of vintage style. It’s pretty, but not overdone,’ says Fiona.
Swallows wallpaper, Sanderson Vintage.
‘Again, we’ve gone for a timeless, neutral palette in here, but the Sanderson wallpaper adds a subtle hint of vintage style. It’s pretty, but not overdone,’ says Fiona.
Swallows wallpaper, Sanderson Vintage.
The guest bathroom is long and narrow, so Fiona positioned the shower behind the walls where the basin is to make the most of the available space.
‘As it’s quite compact, we didn’t want to make this room too busy, so I’ve relied on texture and tone from the mosaic wall tiles,’ explains Fiona.
For similar mosaic tiles, try Praetorian square tiles, Topps Tiles.
TELL US…
Are you a fan of bold colour in period properties? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Comments below.
‘As it’s quite compact, we didn’t want to make this room too busy, so I’ve relied on texture and tone from the mosaic wall tiles,’ explains Fiona.
For similar mosaic tiles, try Praetorian square tiles, Topps Tiles.
TELL US…
Are you a fan of bold colour in period properties? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A professional couple and their two sons, aged 10 and 13
Location West London
Designer Fiona Andrews at Fiona Andrews Interiors
When was it built Mid 19th century
Renovation completed 2012
Size 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
Budget £300,000
‘They’re a big, warm family who love to entertain, so a convivial kitchen-dining area was essential,’ explains Fiona.
Hand-painted, wood-panelled walls in this part of the house have been teamed with a pale grey timber floor for a restful scheme, in a masterful blend of Scandi cool meets country-style charm. ‘The owners love the pale and interesting look of Scandi-style kitchens, so there was a definite push to incorporate this into the design.’ To get the look, Fiona sanded down the existing timber floor and gave it a lime wash to lighten it and compliment the pale grey cabinetry.
Kitchen, Neptune. For similar paint on wall panels, try French Grey from Little Greene.
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