Houzz Tour: Colour-rich Rooms Reflect the Play of Light and Dark
The warm and generous paint shades in this Georgian home work beautifully with the aspect and architecture
The owners of this house had moved from a flat, so they wanted to really enjoy extra space it gave them. “They were keen to entertain and spread out,” says interior designer Andrew Jonathan Griffiths, who was contacted by the couple soon after they moved in.
The four-storey home has a kitchen, dining room and boot room on the lower ground floor and a living room and cloakroom on the upper ground floor. There are two bedrooms (one used as a study) and a bathroom on the first floor, plus a master suite at the top of the house.
The property was in a reasonable state. “Everything was grey, though,” Andrew says, “and the owners were keen to add some colour.”
The four-storey home has a kitchen, dining room and boot room on the lower ground floor and a living room and cloakroom on the upper ground floor. There are two bedrooms (one used as a study) and a bathroom on the first floor, plus a master suite at the top of the house.
The property was in a reasonable state. “Everything was grey, though,” Andrew says, “and the owners were keen to add some colour.”
The living room has a Juliet balcony that overlooks the garden. The owners, who have demanding jobs, were after a cocooning, cosy retreat to come home to.
Andrew used different gradations of blue-green on the walls and a very deep green shade on the cabinetry to create subtle shifts of mood around the space. The vintage Kai Kristiansen Paper Knife chair has been reupholstered in a bouclé fabric.
Shelves and cabinetry painted in Obsidian Green, Little Greene. Curtain fabric, House of Hackney. Chair upholstery fabric, Rose Uniacke.
Andrew used different gradations of blue-green on the walls and a very deep green shade on the cabinetry to create subtle shifts of mood around the space. The vintage Kai Kristiansen Paper Knife chair has been reupholstered in a bouclé fabric.
Shelves and cabinetry painted in Obsidian Green, Little Greene. Curtain fabric, House of Hackney. Chair upholstery fabric, Rose Uniacke.
Battens have been fitted to the living room walls to create the illusion of wood panelling. The walls and radiator are painted in a deep, restful shade that sits somewhere between blue, green and grey.
The owners already had the sofa, so Andrew designed the room around it. The oversized rattan pendant shade is one of his favourite pieces. “It looks like an art installation; the scale of it is just amazing,” he says.
Walls and radiator painted in Livid, Little Greene. Pendant lampshade, Market Set. Rug, Nordic Knots. Sofa, The Conran Shop. Coffee table, Isamu Noguchi at Vitra.
The owners already had the sofa, so Andrew designed the room around it. The oversized rattan pendant shade is one of his favourite pieces. “It looks like an art installation; the scale of it is just amazing,” he says.
Walls and radiator painted in Livid, Little Greene. Pendant lampshade, Market Set. Rug, Nordic Knots. Sofa, The Conran Shop. Coffee table, Isamu Noguchi at Vitra.
The hallway on the upper ground floor features Victorian-style floor tiles and an oatmeal stair carpet.
“This is a tall, thin house,” Andrew says, “and I wanted a coherent thread to link all four floors. The light levels around the stairwell are low, so I emphasised that by using a charcoal blue paint colour to provide a consistency of design through the middle of the property.”
The telephone table is a vintage eBay find and the cushion and seat pad have been reupholstered.
Woodwork and stairwell walls painted in Squid Ink, Paint & Paper Library. Bolster cushion fabric, House of Hackney. Seat cushion fabric, Rose Uniacke. Stair carpet, Alternative Flooring. Floor tiles, Topps Tiles.
“This is a tall, thin house,” Andrew says, “and I wanted a coherent thread to link all four floors. The light levels around the stairwell are low, so I emphasised that by using a charcoal blue paint colour to provide a consistency of design through the middle of the property.”
The telephone table is a vintage eBay find and the cushion and seat pad have been reupholstered.
Woodwork and stairwell walls painted in Squid Ink, Paint & Paper Library. Bolster cushion fabric, House of Hackney. Seat cushion fabric, Rose Uniacke. Stair carpet, Alternative Flooring. Floor tiles, Topps Tiles.
The hallway has a built-in, tongue-and-groove-lined seat with storage for coats and shoes. “This is where you sit to take your boots off,” Andrew says. “The unit is painted in a fantastic rich paint colour. It has such depth that, depending on the time of day, it can look alternately plum coloured, brown, reddish and even black.”
To contrast with the stairwell, the walls are painted a stone colour with a slightly different tone on the woodwork and window frame.
Storage seat painted in Pontefract; walls painted in Stone II; woodwork painted in Stone III, all Paint & Paper Library.
To contrast with the stairwell, the walls are painted a stone colour with a slightly different tone on the woodwork and window frame.
Storage seat painted in Pontefract; walls painted in Stone II; woodwork painted in Stone III, all Paint & Paper Library.
The couple inherited a fairly good kitchen on the lower ground floor, so just wanted the space freshening up a little rather than being refitted. The ceiling has been painted in gloss to help maximise the light levels in here.
The informal dining spot can get cool, so Andrew has used a pink tone to add warmth and atmosphere.
Walls painted in Dead Salmon, Farrow & Ball.
Ready to renovate? Look no further than the Houzz Professionals Directory, where you can see past projects and read client reviews for pros in your area.
Walls painted in Dead Salmon, Farrow & Ball.
Ready to renovate? Look no further than the Houzz Professionals Directory, where you can see past projects and read client reviews for pros in your area.
The dining room is next to the kitchen. “This is a pure entertaining space, mostly for evening use,” Andrew explains. “The owners were keen that it felt not only opulent, but fun, too.”
The blue lampshade on the kitchen wall is a small detail that has a big impact, helping to unify the two disparate spaces.
The blue lampshade on the kitchen wall is a small detail that has a big impact, helping to unify the two disparate spaces.
Andrew met the brief for this room by picking toile wallpaper and Hans J Wegner Wishbone chairs to provide the elegance and formality. “I then undercut that with the fresh blue paint and the bunch-of-balloons pendant light. Those two elements add the fun.”
There’s a rooflight above the door, which helps the blue to work harder while upping the light levels in this potentially dark corner.
Toile wallpaper, Linwood. Pendant light, Dowsing & Reynolds. Rug, The White Company.
There’s a rooflight above the door, which helps the blue to work harder while upping the light levels in this potentially dark corner.
Toile wallpaper, Linwood. Pendant light, Dowsing & Reynolds. Rug, The White Company.
The boot room is a practical space for a couple with a dog and is designed for when they come home from a muddy walk in nearby Highgate Wood.
The walls are painted in emulsion at the top and gloss at the bottom, so they’re easy to wipe down.
Walls and doors painted in Calke Green, Farrow & Ball.
The walls are painted in emulsion at the top and gloss at the bottom, so they’re easy to wipe down.
Walls and doors painted in Calke Green, Farrow & Ball.
The flooring on the upper ground and first floors is engineered oak. “It runs throughout with no threshold plates or profiles breaking up the run of the wood in doorways,” Andrew says.
Window frame painted in Pontefract; door painted in Taupe, both Paint & Paper Library.
Window frame painted in Pontefract; door painted in Taupe, both Paint & Paper Library.
This photo looks into the guest bedroom on the first floor, with the bathroom door on the right. The cupboard on the left contains a washer-dryer and linen storage. The paint is the same as the shade used on the stairwell woodwork and walls.
“The brass handles are from a French company that sells fantastic bits and pieces for upcycling projects,” Andrew says.
Woodwork painted in Squid Ink, Paint & Paper Library. Brass handles, Superfront. Rug, Nordic Knots.
“The brass handles are from a French company that sells fantastic bits and pieces for upcycling projects,” Andrew says.
Woodwork painted in Squid Ink, Paint & Paper Library. Brass handles, Superfront. Rug, Nordic Knots.
One of the bedrooms was converted into a permanent home office when the pandemic hit. “The couple were keen to have a midcentury feel in here,” Andrew says, “a strong, feminine look without it being too pink. I’ve used shades of soft rose to create a sophisticated, grown-up and moody atmosphere.”
Walls painted in Sulking Room Pink; window frame painted in Pink Ground, both Farrow & Ball. Timber Strips wallpaper, Piet Hein Eek, available at Rockett St George. Chair, Thonet. Desk, Gubi. Blind fabric, Tibor. Wall light, Bert Frank.
Walls painted in Sulking Room Pink; window frame painted in Pink Ground, both Farrow & Ball. Timber Strips wallpaper, Piet Hein Eek, available at Rockett St George. Chair, Thonet. Desk, Gubi. Blind fabric, Tibor. Wall light, Bert Frank.
The master bedroom is at the top of the house in the roof space. Trees visible from the window inspired the colour choices in here.
The eaves make for an interestingly shaped room, but Andrew was careful that the angle of the roofline didn’t compromise the look. “This is not a big room,” he says, “and the brief here was to create a calm, relaxing, uncluttered space.”
Chest of drawers, Swoon. Window and skirting board painted in Card Room Green, Farrow & Ball.
The eaves make for an interestingly shaped room, but Andrew was careful that the angle of the roofline didn’t compromise the look. “This is not a big room,” he says, “and the brief here was to create a calm, relaxing, uncluttered space.”
Chest of drawers, Swoon. Window and skirting board painted in Card Room Green, Farrow & Ball.
Andrew designed bespoke wardrobes to look like wall panelling. There are no handles to break up the run of storage – the doors are push to open – and the cabinets fit perfectly into the awkward space.
Walls and carpentry painted in Green Smoke, Farrow & Ball.
Walls and carpentry painted in Green Smoke, Farrow & Ball.
Andrew also designed the dressing table with its tongue-and-groove detailing. The paint colour unifies the storage.
Inspiration for the bed began with the green of the treetops, as the owners were keen to have a connection to their surroundings. “For contrast, I suggested bringing in mustard to make the bed the big feature and focal point of the room,” Andrew says.
Inspiration for the bed began with the green of the treetops, as the owners were keen to have a connection to their surroundings. “For contrast, I suggested bringing in mustard to make the bed the big feature and focal point of the room,” Andrew says.
The headboard is a bespoke piece, as off-the-shelf designs would have been too large to get up the narrow staircase. “The dimensions had to be adjusted based on the journey the headboard had to take to the top of the house,” Andrew says.
A coral shade in the headboard fabric was picked out for the lampshade. The ceramic bedside table is a clever choice for such a snug space.
Headboard fabric, Linwood.
Tell us…
What do you think of this reimagined Georgian home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
A coral shade in the headboard fabric was picked out for the lampshade. The ceramic bedside table is a clever choice for such a snug space.
Headboard fabric, Linwood.
Tell us…
What do you think of this reimagined Georgian home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A professional couple and their dog
Location Highgate, north London
Property A four-storey Georgian house
Size Three bedrooms (formerly four) and two bathrooms
Designer Andrew Jonathan Griffiths of A New Day
Photos by Anna Stathaki
Andrew was struck by how the light fell in the property. “The hallway is light, but the lower ground floor and the stairwell are considerably darker,” he says. “And the kitchen is cosy rather than light-filled. The living room gets sunlight, but it’s filtered through trees.”
The architecture of the property and the orientation of its rooms inspired his colour choices. “I played into them with the interior design,” Andrew says. “The look also reflects the owners and how they wished the house to feel.” The result is a home saturated with pockets of rich colour that connect with the local surroundings.
Glazed door, Crittall. Walls painted in Celestial Blue, Little Greene. Pendant light shade, Caravan.