Houzz Tour: Style and Function Combine in a Beautiful Family Home
A soft palette, practical storage and plenty of light helped to create an elegant, cosy home for a mother and daughter
The owner of this Victorian terraced house wanted to transform her rundown property into a beautiful home for herself and her young daughter, so she asked Emilie Mauran of EMR Architecture to help.
The property required a full refurbishment, which involved taking it back to brick and rebuilding it to create a home that’s not only stylish, but functional, too. “It’s really important to me that the owner can make the most of every square metre of her space,” Emilie says, “and that she uses every single room.”
The property required a full refurbishment, which involved taking it back to brick and rebuilding it to create a home that’s not only stylish, but functional, too. “It’s really important to me that the owner can make the most of every square metre of her space,” Emilie says, “and that she uses every single room.”
The owner chose solid marble for the worktops and splashback, which was sealed before installation. Marble requires a little more maintenance than other surfaces, but Emilie explains, “If you spill something, wipe it up immediately and don’t leave it overnight. The owner was so in love with the marble, she was happy to be careful.”
The hob is positioned between two doorways at the end of the kitchen; behind here is the cloakroom. To the left are two integrated ovens and a fridge-freezer.
A rooflight was fitted along the length of the kitchen and another above the dining area. “They have a 5 degree pitch to help with self-cleaning,” Emilie says.
Floor tiles, European Heritage. Marble worktop, Moonlight Marbles.
The hob is positioned between two doorways at the end of the kitchen; behind here is the cloakroom. To the left are two integrated ovens and a fridge-freezer.
A rooflight was fitted along the length of the kitchen and another above the dining area. “They have a 5 degree pitch to help with self-cleaning,” Emilie says.
Floor tiles, European Heritage. Marble worktop, Moonlight Marbles.
“I prefer not to have a hob or sink on an island,” Emilie says. “It’s nice to leave it completely clear for entertaining and food preparation – and a bunch of flowers in the middle can work as a centrepiece.”
Beneath this clear surface are pull-out bins, which make it easy for the owner to wipe things away as she cooks or her daughter eats.
Find an architect in your area and read reviews from previous clients.
Beneath this clear surface are pull-out bins, which make it easy for the owner to wipe things away as she cooks or her daughter eats.
Find an architect in your area and read reviews from previous clients.
The living room is accessed from the hallway through wood-framed glazed doors. “Wood works well for a fire door, as it’s OK for them to be single glazed,” Emilie says. “You must use hardwood, such as oak, as it’s 30 minutes’ fire-resistant.”
The glass doors are perfect for providing privacy while still bringing the light in.
Oak-framed doors painted in Railings; upper walls painted in Cornforth White; lower walls painted in Down Pipe, all Farrow & Ball.
The glass doors are perfect for providing privacy while still bringing the light in.
Oak-framed doors painted in Railings; upper walls painted in Cornforth White; lower walls painted in Down Pipe, all Farrow & Ball.
For the north-facing living room, the owner chose shutters rather than curtains to ensure light could stream through while offering privacy.
Emilie added a dado rail and fitted new coving in the same style as the original would have been. Herringbone oak flooring was laid throughout the ground floor.
Emilie added a dado rail and fitted new coving in the same style as the original would have been. Herringbone oak flooring was laid throughout the ground floor.
The area below the stairs was converted into a cloakroom. “The idea was to create a powder room look,” Emilie says.
She chose small-scale sanitaryware and a slim, pink vanity unit. As the cistern was boxed in behind the toilet, Emilie made use of the false wall to incorporate a useful shelving niche.
Wallpaper, Cole & Son. Door handles (used throughout the house), Door Handle Company. L-Cube vanity unit, Duravit.
She chose small-scale sanitaryware and a slim, pink vanity unit. As the cistern was boxed in behind the toilet, Emilie made use of the false wall to incorporate a useful shelving niche.
Wallpaper, Cole & Son. Door handles (used throughout the house), Door Handle Company. L-Cube vanity unit, Duravit.
The wall to the right of the front door was knocked down as part of the full renovation. Emilie took advantage of this to rebuild it further to the side, creating a useful niche for hooks.
The oak staircase has been stained to match the herringbone flooring and the banister is painted in dark grey-blue for a modern twist.
Emilie installed LED lights along the stair treads to create a pretty glow at night, and to guide the owner’s daughter if she comes downstairs in the evening.
Banister painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball.
The oak staircase has been stained to match the herringbone flooring and the banister is painted in dark grey-blue for a modern twist.
Emilie installed LED lights along the stair treads to create a pretty glow at night, and to guide the owner’s daughter if she comes downstairs in the evening.
Banister painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball.
In the master bedroom, wall-to-wall wardrobes provide plenty of storage. “The doors are spray-painted MDF and the cornicing above makes them look integrated into the room,” Emilie says.
Another cabinet between the two doorways has created a dressing table on the way to the en suite bathroom. The wide pocket door provides a view of the stylish washspace and allows light to spill into the bedroom.
Natural wool carpet has been laid throughout the top floors.
Walls and cabinets painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
Another cabinet between the two doorways has created a dressing table on the way to the en suite bathroom. The wide pocket door provides a view of the stylish washspace and allows light to spill into the bedroom.
Natural wool carpet has been laid throughout the top floors.
Walls and cabinets painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball.
Emilie chose a crisp monochrome palette for the en suite, with a black lacquered bath and bespoke, floor-to-ceiling, black-framed shower screens.
“I always make sure the shower mixer is as close to the entrance of the shower as possible,” Emilie says. “It allows someone to activate it without getting wet.”
Bathroom furniture, Alternative Bathrooms. Floor tiles, Fired Earth. Wall tiles, European Heritage. Walls painted in Brilliant White, Dulux.
“I always make sure the shower mixer is as close to the entrance of the shower as possible,” Emilie says. “It allows someone to activate it without getting wet.”
Bathroom furniture, Alternative Bathrooms. Floor tiles, Fired Earth. Wall tiles, European Heritage. Walls painted in Brilliant White, Dulux.
The lacquered bath reflects the beautiful patterned floor tiles, and the black window frame ties in with the scheme.
“We chose simple beading rather than a skirting board in here to keep the look slick,” Emilie says.
“We chose simple beading rather than a skirting board in here to keep the look slick,” Emilie says.
A pair of moulded composite basins are fitted into a wall-hung vanity unit. Above is a bespoke mirrored cabinet. “The back is located inside the 25cm recessed wall, so the cupboard is quite deep,” Emilie says.
She installed LED lighting both above and below the wall cabinet to create an ambient glow when the owner wants to relax in the bath.
She installed LED lighting both above and below the wall cabinet to create an ambient glow when the owner wants to relax in the bath.
Emilie made sure there was a rooflight on the second floor landing to pull daylight down into the home’s corridors.
The daughter’s bedroom is located on the second floor. The roof is sloped at 70 degrees to ensure the neighbour’s access to light isn’t blocked.
The soft pink walls give the room a calm, cosy feel and bespoke joinery provides plenty of space for her to store her things.
Walls painted in Peignoir, Farrow & Ball.
The soft pink walls give the room a calm, cosy feel and bespoke joinery provides plenty of space for her to store her things.
Walls painted in Peignoir, Farrow & Ball.
The pale pink is continued in the loft bathroom and complemented by patterned porcelain floor tiles.
“As the bath sits beneath the eaves, we put a tiled surface at the end to display plants,” Emilie says. “Below is hidden storage, accessed via a door at the side.”
“As the bath sits beneath the eaves, we put a tiled surface at the end to display plants,” Emilie says. “Below is hidden storage, accessed via a door at the side.”
Tongue-and-groove panelling on the bath and soft grey rippled tiles add more warmth and texture to the room.
Walls painted in Peignoir, Farrow & Ball. Wall and floor tiles, European Heritage.
Walls painted in Peignoir, Farrow & Ball. Wall and floor tiles, European Heritage.
The loft had been converted previously, but Emilie reconfigured the space slightly to make it more functional. By lowering the floor, she could create a playroom and office in an area that used to be eaves storage.
Walls painted in Pavilion Gray, Farrow & Ball.
Tell us…
What do you like about this elegant home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Walls painted in Pavilion Gray, Farrow & Ball.
Tell us…
What do you like about this elegant home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A woman and her daughter
Location West London
Property A Victorian terraced house
Size Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Architect Emilie Mauran of EMR Architecture
Photos by Juliet Murphy
“The kitchen was the main focus of the house,” Emilie says. “We had to ensure it had maximum storage and all the cooking elements.” She designed the units and commissioned her cabinet-maker to construct them. “The carcasses are oak veneer, and the doors are spray-painted MDF,” she says.
As well as plenty of base cupboards and drawers, Emilie included a useful breakfast pantry and floor-to-ceiling cabinets, which house laundry appliances and the boiler. The double stainless-steel sink is roomy to avoid a stack of dishes on the worktop.
Sliding glazed doors open up to the outdoor space. “I like pale grey rather than darker anthracite for the frames, as it makes them more invisible, so you focus on the garden,” Emilie says.
Pendants, Holloways of Ludlow. Kitchen cabinets painted in Stiffkey Blue; tall units painted in Cornforth White, both Farrow & Ball. Cabinet handles, Buster + Punch. Sink, Kohler. Linus pull-out mixer tap, Blanco. Sliding doors, Maxlight.