Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Tour: Restored Features and Earthy Colours in a Period Gem
Revived period details create an elegant backdrop for rich textures and a warm palette in this Victorian home
The family moving into this Victorian house knew the decor wasn’t quite right for them – they wanted a much warmer feel – but they did want to preserve the beautiful period features that made the building special.
Step forward Marius Juncu of design and build company Progressive Design London – who the couple contacted when they saw the firm’s previous projects on Houzz and read the many glowing reviews – and interior designer Sai Siddique of Sai Interiors, brought in by Marius.
From the herringbone flooring and intricate cornices to traditional wooden shutters and ornate fireplaces, Marius has restored or refreshed as many features as possible while subtly weaving in automated lighting and audio to create a comfortable, up-to-date family home. Sai, meanwhile, brought in the much-wanted warmth and personality while enhancing those gorgeous period details.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
Step forward Marius Juncu of design and build company Progressive Design London – who the couple contacted when they saw the firm’s previous projects on Houzz and read the many glowing reviews – and interior designer Sai Siddique of Sai Interiors, brought in by Marius.
From the herringbone flooring and intricate cornices to traditional wooden shutters and ornate fireplaces, Marius has restored or refreshed as many features as possible while subtly weaving in automated lighting and audio to create a comfortable, up-to-date family home. Sai, meanwhile, brought in the much-wanted warmth and personality while enhancing those gorgeous period details.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The owners were keen for the new scheme to be soft and calm. They felt the original kitchen, seen here, was too modern for the house.
The couple also wanted all the rooms to have different personalities, so Sai’s challenge was to achieve that while making sure there was a thread running throughout. She’s done it using a simple colour palette with a repeated burnt orange accent, as well as replicating the arch shape established by the new glazed hallway door.
The wooden flooring throughout also gives continuity. Marius removed the tiled area under the island, seen here, and matched a new section of parquet to the old wood, so it was uniform. Sai built on that with lots of timber and natural textures in warm, earthy colours in all the rooms.
The couple also wanted all the rooms to have different personalities, so Sai’s challenge was to achieve that while making sure there was a thread running throughout. She’s done it using a simple colour palette with a repeated burnt orange accent, as well as replicating the arch shape established by the new glazed hallway door.
The wooden flooring throughout also gives continuity. Marius removed the tiled area under the island, seen here, and matched a new section of parquet to the old wood, so it was uniform. Sai built on that with lots of timber and natural textures in warm, earthy colours in all the rooms.
The new kitchen has softer, walnut doors. The units are in front of a chimney breast, so Marius was able to use the alcoves (visible in the previous photo) to house the air conditioning.
Sai designed a new island with seating. “We wanted this ground floor space to be somewhere the family could entertain, so there are several different seating arrangements throughout,” she says.
Worktop, Dekton. Tap, Quooker.
Sai designed a new island with seating. “We wanted this ground floor space to be somewhere the family could entertain, so there are several different seating arrangements throughout,” she says.
Worktop, Dekton. Tap, Quooker.
The cornices in the kitchen-diner and living room are original, restored by specialists brought in by Marius.
Apart from the new section under the island, the herringbone oak flooring was also restored.
The lighting is all new. “There are lots of different lighting options in here, from the kitchen cabinets to the island pendants, the chandelier and the wall lights,” Sai says, “so the couple can play around with the lighting, depending on what they’re using the space for.”
Table, Denelli Italia. Chairs, Royal Design. Cloud pendant light, Liang & Eimil. Walls painted in Crispy Crumble, Dulux.
Apart from the new section under the island, the herringbone oak flooring was also restored.
The lighting is all new. “There are lots of different lighting options in here, from the kitchen cabinets to the island pendants, the chandelier and the wall lights,” Sai says, “so the couple can play around with the lighting, depending on what they’re using the space for.”
Table, Denelli Italia. Chairs, Royal Design. Cloud pendant light, Liang & Eimil. Walls painted in Crispy Crumble, Dulux.
Sai has created a stunning feature wall in the dining area. “I wanted it to be in keeping with the era of the house, so I set the mural in panelling, almost creating three huge artworks,” she says. “They’re full of interest, but still in calming shades.”
The design is the source of the burnt orange accents that feature as a thread throughout the house. “There are actually burnt orange touches on the cranes’ heads, and I followed that with the burnt orange bench in the hallway and the sofa in the living room to tie the whole space together,” she says.
A balcony outside the window, which leads to steps down to the main garden, means the family can easily open up the room to the outdoors.
Cranes mural, Wallism.
The design is the source of the burnt orange accents that feature as a thread throughout the house. “There are actually burnt orange touches on the cranes’ heads, and I followed that with the burnt orange bench in the hallway and the sofa in the living room to tie the whole space together,” she says.
A balcony outside the window, which leads to steps down to the main garden, means the family can easily open up the room to the outdoors.
Cranes mural, Wallism.
The living room is open to the kitchen-diner, creating a sociable space. Soft seating makes the room inviting. “It feels very calm in here,” Sai says.
Marius restored the original shutters and windows throughout, apart from those in the loft. “We tried to retain as many of the original features of the house as possible,” he says.
Chloe sofa, Domkapa. Puppet Ring pendant and wall lights, Vistosi. Walls painted in Crispy Crumble, Dulux.
Chloe sofa, Domkapa. Puppet Ring pendant and wall lights, Vistosi. Walls painted in Crispy Crumble, Dulux.
Here’s the arched door seen from the hallway, revealing the view through to the garden and the perfectly positioned table and chandelier.
Marius fitted new parquet in here, but in a traditional style.
Nordic Style metal pendant light, available at LitFad. Versailles flooring, Havwoods. Walls painted in Crispy Crumble, Dulux.
Marius fitted new parquet in here, but in a traditional style.
Nordic Style metal pendant light, available at LitFad. Versailles flooring, Havwoods. Walls painted in Crispy Crumble, Dulux.
A row of cupboards has been fitted under the stairs, including this coat storage and a section for the electrics.
The first floor sitting room is where the family spend most of their evenings. The lighting, all on dimmers, helps to balance out the proportions of the tall room. The wall lights in particular are large enough – at 45cm wide – that they don’t look lost in the space.
The original walnut flooring and fireplace were restored by Marius’s team. The walnut unit to the left of the window was built to discreetly hide the air conditioning.
The original walnut flooring and fireplace were restored by Marius’s team. The walnut unit to the left of the window was built to discreetly hide the air conditioning.
As this sitting room is a floor up from the kitchen, Marius fitted in a little drinks station, including a coffee-maker, kettle and crockery. “We made a marble top that can slide out to prevent the steam from damaging the shelves when the kettle is on,” he says.
The rattan in the cabinet and air con unit doors is a design Sai has repeated throughout the house. “For me, it was very much about textures,” she says.
Coral chandelier, Heal’s. Walls painted in Wishbone, Dulux Heritage.
The rattan in the cabinet and air con unit doors is a design Sai has repeated throughout the house. “For me, it was very much about textures,” she says.
Coral chandelier, Heal’s. Walls painted in Wishbone, Dulux Heritage.
The guest bedroom is also on the first floor at the back of the house. The walnut floorboards and ornate fireplace are original.
Sai designed a walnut wardrobe with woven rattan panels. Note how the panels and dressing table mirror bring in the arch shape.
She added a blue feature wall “to create a different vibe”.
Feature wall painted in Below Deck; remaining walls painted in Modest, both Coat Paints.
Sai designed a walnut wardrobe with woven rattan panels. Note how the panels and dressing table mirror bring in the arch shape.
She added a blue feature wall “to create a different vibe”.
Feature wall painted in Below Deck; remaining walls painted in Modest, both Coat Paints.
The original family bathroom on the first floor.
Rather than the hard line of the old shelf, Sai designed an arch backed in wood-look tiles, which adds warmth to the room. “As the ceiling is so high, the arch brings it down a bit visually,” she says.
The glass shower enclosure, vanity unit and wall tiles are all fluted to add texture, while the remaining walls are a soothing sandstone-coloured microcement.
Microcement, Decorative London. Bathroom suite, Lusso Stone. Fluted wall tiles, European Heritage.
The glass shower enclosure, vanity unit and wall tiles are all fluted to add texture, while the remaining walls are a soothing sandstone-coloured microcement.
Microcement, Decorative London. Bathroom suite, Lusso Stone. Fluted wall tiles, European Heritage.
The new ground and first floors, which have changed little in terms of layout.
On the second floor, Marius created a bedroom suite for the couple. The music system visible in the ceiling here runs through all four floors. “The house is fully automated – the air con, heating, lighting and blinds are all controlled by a Lutron system,” he says.
The walnut herringbone parquet is new, but in keeping with what would have been here.
The burnt orange accent and arch motif feature again in the bed, while textures, including panels of fabric wallpaper, are layered throughout for a soft feel.
Walls painted in Beige 01, Lick.
Loom Stories wallpaper (in panels), Omexco. Bespoke bed, Sai Interiors.
The walnut herringbone parquet is new, but in keeping with what would have been here.
The burnt orange accent and arch motif feature again in the bed, while textures, including panels of fabric wallpaper, are layered throughout for a soft feel.
Walls painted in Beige 01, Lick.
Loom Stories wallpaper (in panels), Omexco. Bespoke bed, Sai Interiors.
This bedroom, next to the main bedroom at the front of the house, has now been split in two and turned into an en suite bathroom and dressing room.
In the en suite bathroom, there are fluted wood-effect tiles as in the family bathroom, but this time in a chevon pattern that echoes the parquet in the adjoining bedroom.
Sai has woven in an arch again, this time in the form of a mirror, which opens to reveal cabinets.
Larchwood Ipe Zig Slat Wood wall tiles, Royale Stones. Arch mirror cabinet, The Style Haus.
Sai has woven in an arch again, this time in the form of a mirror, which opens to reveal cabinets.
Larchwood Ipe Zig Slat Wood wall tiles, Royale Stones. Arch mirror cabinet, The Style Haus.
In the other half of the repurposed bedroom, Sai designed a dressing room and Marius commissioned a joiner to make the wardrobes to measure.
On the second floor at the rear of the house, Sai was tasked with creating a bedroom the daughter would enjoy. “The little girl loves pink and green,” she says.
Sai had the clever idea of turning this wallpaper upside down, so the foliage and flowers appear to trail from the ceiling.
The joiners built the bed to Sai’s design and incorporated lots of tiny lights into the underside of the top to mimic a starry night sky.
She’s used rattan again in here for organic texture and also brought in arched features – in the wardrobe doors and bunk bed.
Floral mural, Hovia.
Sai had the clever idea of turning this wallpaper upside down, so the foliage and flowers appear to trail from the ceiling.
The joiners built the bed to Sai’s design and incorporated lots of tiny lights into the underside of the top to mimic a starry night sky.
She’s used rattan again in here for organic texture and also brought in arched features – in the wardrobe doors and bunk bed.
Floral mural, Hovia.
Next to the daughter’s bedroom is a playroom. She loves cats, so this wallpaper had her name on it.
“This is a space to do crafts or hang out with friends,” Sai says.
Salem cat wallpaper, Hovia.
“This is a space to do crafts or hang out with friends,” Sai says.
Salem cat wallpaper, Hovia.
Marius also made space for a utility room on the second floor. “In a multistorey house, we find it’s more convenient to have the laundry near the bedrooms, so no one has to go up and down with a laundry basket,” he says.
Cabinets, Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery.
Cabinets, Benchmarx Kitchens & Joinery.
Marius changed the layout of the loft. The stairs originally ran through the middle (seen here), so the family couldn’t utilise it fully.
Now the stairs have been reorientated and are set to the side.
The room is designed as a grown-up chill-out area, with a New York loft vibe the couple really liked. It wasn’t possible to expose the bricks, so these are brick slips.
The Crittall panel also adds to the loft vibe, and zones the seating and TV area. “The couple both like gaming, so this is a space where they can hang out,” Sai says.
Shelving, Roche-Bobois. Wall lights, Buster & Punch. Flooring, Havwoods.
The room is designed as a grown-up chill-out area, with a New York loft vibe the couple really liked. It wasn’t possible to expose the bricks, so these are brick slips.
The Crittall panel also adds to the loft vibe, and zones the seating and TV area. “The couple both like gaming, so this is a space where they can hang out,” Sai says.
Shelving, Roche-Bobois. Wall lights, Buster & Punch. Flooring, Havwoods.
The repositioned staircase now takes your eye straight to the outdoors. The female owner really likes stargazing, so this area has been left free for her telescope, which can easily be moved out onto the little terrace.
The bookcases in the eaves wall seen here and in the previous photo swing out to give access to the air-conditioning equipment and storage space.
The bookcases in the eaves wall seen here and in the previous photo swing out to give access to the air-conditioning equipment and storage space.
As it’s so far from the kitchen up here, Marius has included a kitchenette, so the couple can easily make hot or cold drinks.
The original second floor and loft plans.
The new second floor and loft plans showing the daughter’s little suite, the couple’s suite and the changed staircase in the loft.
Not surprisingly, the owners are delighted. In fact, they love it so much, they’ve hired Progressive Design London again to renovate the home’s facade and front garden – the highest praise.
Tell us…
What do you like about the new design of this period home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Not surprisingly, the owners are delighted. In fact, they love it so much, they’ve hired Progressive Design London again to renovate the home’s facade and front garden – the highest praise.
Tell us…
What do you like about the new design of this period home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Sponsored
Reload the page to not see this specific ad anymore
Who lives here? A family with one primary school-age daughter
Location North-west London
Property A four-storey, Victorian, end-of-terrace house
Size Three bedrooms and three bathrooms
Design & Build Marius Juncu of Progressive Design London
Interior designer Sai Siddique of Sai Interiors
Photos by Standout Photography Services
Initially, the couple just wanted the house to be decorated, but Marius found there were some structural issues to be resolved first. “We realised the top two floors weren’t working as the owners wanted them to, and the staircase was leaning quite badly, as the house had had issues in the past, so we ended up having to replace the staircase and rework the loft altogether,” he says.
The process was made easier thanks to his company using Houzz Pro tools. As well as the CRM for initial communication, they use the Floor Planner to create 3D floor plans, helping homeowners to see proposed layouts and photorealistic images of the rooms. “That’s a really useful tool,” Marius says.
For Sai, the starting point for the project was a standard door connecting the hallway and dining area. “It was set slightly off-centre,” she says. “Straight away, I could see we should create a big arch with glass doors, so you could see right through to the back. Everything flows from there.”
The symmetry was important. “The arch is central and the oval dining table sits central to that as you walk in, then the pendant light is centred over the table,” she explains.