Houzz Tour: Texture and Colour Transform a Victorian Maisonette
The owners of this family flat wanted help to go beyond their decor comfort zone
The couple who own this Victorian maisonette had lived here for quite a few years with their two children before embarking on a loft conversion. Having had the plans for that drawn up, they asked interior designer Andrew Griffiths of A New Day to help them with the look and feel of the whole home.
Andrew designed a new kitchen and created lots of bespoke fitted storage to help the owners keep their newly renovated home tidy. Most prominently, he introduced a palette of gentle, earthy colours and soft textures to turn the flat into the warm and welcoming family home the owners wanted.
Andrew designed a new kitchen and created lots of bespoke fitted storage to help the owners keep their newly renovated home tidy. Most prominently, he introduced a palette of gentle, earthy colours and soft textures to turn the flat into the warm and welcoming family home the owners wanted.
In the living room, a tactile, deep mustard velvet sofa provides a counterpoint to the dark grey of the painted joinery. Warm wood tones are brought in via the engineered oak herringbone flooring, mango wood side table and open shelving.
The family needed a place to stash bulky things, such as sports equipment, so Andrew created this generous, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. “It’s very hard-working storage; it’s not just full of living room stuff, but designed to contain general life bits and pieces,” he says.
The open shelving higher up allows space for displaying treasured objects. Below this is an electric piano belonging to the older child. “She plays and it was important,” Andrew says, explaining that the joinery is designed around it.
The door and skirting boards are painted in the same colour as the cupboards.
Sofa, British Design Shop. Joinery painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Cushion, A Rum Fellow. Side tables, La Redoute. Wall light, Maisons du Monde.
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The family needed a place to stash bulky things, such as sports equipment, so Andrew created this generous, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. “It’s very hard-working storage; it’s not just full of living room stuff, but designed to contain general life bits and pieces,” he says.
The open shelving higher up allows space for displaying treasured objects. Below this is an electric piano belonging to the older child. “She plays and it was important,” Andrew says, explaining that the joinery is designed around it.
The door and skirting boards are painted in the same colour as the cupboards.
Sofa, British Design Shop. Joinery painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Cushion, A Rum Fellow. Side tables, La Redoute. Wall light, Maisons du Monde.
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On the other side of the living room, Andrew designed dark wood floating units at either side of the chimney breast. “There’s so much storage in the unit opposite, we kept shelves out of these alcoves, so they’re uncluttered,” he says. “It keeps things feeling light and open and gives the artwork some space.”
The artwork and wall-mounted mask were picked up by the owners on a trip to Africa. “We wanted to build on these with the lovely textures of the raffia in the mirror and lampshade,” Andrew says.
The midcentury vintage sofa was also something the owners already owned; Andrew had it reupholstered in this inky blue velvet.
Walls painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball.
The artwork and wall-mounted mask were picked up by the owners on a trip to Africa. “We wanted to build on these with the lovely textures of the raffia in the mirror and lampshade,” Andrew says.
The midcentury vintage sofa was also something the owners already owned; Andrew had it reupholstered in this inky blue velvet.
Walls painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball.
The choice of colours helps to lend the flat a calm feel. “There are pockets of colour against a backdrop of warm neutrals,” Andrew says. “The owners love colour, but were wary of going too colourful.”
The sheer linen blinds are great for filtering the sun’s rays in this south-facing room. “Because the room is up high and looks down a road rather than being directly opposite someone, we felt they didn’t need heavy window dressings. These soften the light rather than blocking out the glazing,” Andrew says.
Side table, La Redoute.
The sheer linen blinds are great for filtering the sun’s rays in this south-facing room. “Because the room is up high and looks down a road rather than being directly opposite someone, we felt they didn’t need heavy window dressings. These soften the light rather than blocking out the glazing,” Andrew says.
Side table, La Redoute.
You get a clear sense of the layout by looking at this shot. Down the stairs is street level and the front door. On the floor where the photo is taken, just where you can see a glimpse of door handle on the left, there’s a shower room. The main bedroom is on the left just before the living room.
There are three more bedrooms upstairs in the converted loft, along with another bathroom mainly used by the children, who sleep up there.
The balustrade and skirting boards are painted in the same deep grey as the joinery in the living room. “These provide a coherent thread of colour through the house,” Andrew says.
The flooring is the same engineered oak throughout; here, it’s in plank formation.
There’s restrained use of spotlights throughout the flat and, where they are used, they’re recessed to keep them subtle.
There are three more bedrooms upstairs in the converted loft, along with another bathroom mainly used by the children, who sleep up there.
The balustrade and skirting boards are painted in the same deep grey as the joinery in the living room. “These provide a coherent thread of colour through the house,” Andrew says.
The flooring is the same engineered oak throughout; here, it’s in plank formation.
There’s restrained use of spotlights throughout the flat and, where they are used, they’re recessed to keep them subtle.
The bespoke kitchen cabinets are painted in an elegant blue-grey. “The owners were originally adamant about having a gloss white or off-white kitchen,” Andrew recalls. “But as we progressed and started pulling the rooms together, whether or not to go neutral here became the biggest debate of the whole project. This [blue] was a push for them and they were really happy with it.”
The worktop is Silestone.
Cabinets painted in De Nimes, Farrow & Ball.
More: 32 Kitchen Handle Designs That Could Elevate Your Cabinets
The worktop is Silestone.
Cabinets painted in De Nimes, Farrow & Ball.
More: 32 Kitchen Handle Designs That Could Elevate Your Cabinets
The couple were keen on a clean, unfussy finish. Fluted oak cabinetry adds a touch of texture. “I wanted to mix in a richer, more natural texture, so it wasn’t just flat,” Andrew explains. “It softens things and balances out the blocks of colour.”
There are upper and lower doors, taking the cabinets up to the ceiling, with the harder-to-reach sections for storing items not in daily use.
The wall cabinetry also conceals an extractor fan over the gas hob.
Elsewhere, storage is mainly drawers, with two taller units by the oven (see previous image) and cupboards on the sink run.
There are upper and lower doors, taking the cabinets up to the ceiling, with the harder-to-reach sections for storing items not in daily use.
The wall cabinetry also conceals an extractor fan over the gas hob.
Elsewhere, storage is mainly drawers, with two taller units by the oven (see previous image) and cupboards on the sink run.
At the other end of the kitchen, the windows were altered as part of the structural work. Where there were two single windows, there’s now one single and one double sash. “It’s really flooded the place with light,” Andrew says.
Veneered oak Ercol dining table, eBay. Chairs, Ercol. Rug, A Rum Fellow.
Veneered oak Ercol dining table, eBay. Chairs, Ercol. Rug, A Rum Fellow.
The cabinetry turns into bench seating and storage at this end of the room. “It’s a nice spot to sit and look out of the window; it looks over the train tracks towards central London,” Andrew says.
It also adds extra seating for large dinners and makes this a really sociable space, which the family wanted. “The extending table seats eight comfortably, but you could probably squeeze in 10 to 12 with people bunched up on the bench,” he says.
The below-bench storage is accessed via doors; two sections are used as wine storage.
“The lights are lovely, handmade from clay,” Andrew says. “Again, it’s about natural textures and you can see the thumb prints in them. They’re absolutely beautiful.”
Handmade clay lamp shades, BaradaxCeramics.
It also adds extra seating for large dinners and makes this a really sociable space, which the family wanted. “The extending table seats eight comfortably, but you could probably squeeze in 10 to 12 with people bunched up on the bench,” he says.
The below-bench storage is accessed via doors; two sections are used as wine storage.
“The lights are lovely, handmade from clay,” Andrew says. “Again, it’s about natural textures and you can see the thumb prints in them. They’re absolutely beautiful.”
Handmade clay lamp shades, BaradaxCeramics.
The main bedroom features more storage, both bespoke and under the bed, which lifts up. Andrew also created a niche above the headboard to compensate for the lack of bedside table space. This is a useful spot for books, water and so on.
Bed, Furl. Wall lights, &Tradition. Pendant light, Pooky. Walls painted in Desert Rose, Paint & Paper Library.
Bed, Furl. Wall lights, &Tradition. Pendant light, Pooky. Walls painted in Desert Rose, Paint & Paper Library.
Andrew opted for a pinky-nude shade for the walls and woodwork to create a neutral but warm and cosy backdrop. Colour comes in rust and blue shades, the latter from some fabric the owners had picked up in Africa and had made into cushion covers.
The raised pattern on the bedspread and the rough linen blind again add texture to soften the scheme.
The raised pattern on the bedspread and the rough linen blind again add texture to soften the scheme.
“The owners wanted the first floor shower room to be quite neutral and to feel light and relaxed,” Andrew says. “We used terrazzo on the floor and matt ivory wall tiles that have a nice variation in colour.
“They then just wanted to have something a bit playful,” he says, “as it’s essentially the grown-up bathroom that also doubles as the guest toilet. It’s nice for it to have a bit of interest and feel a bit special, so we went for this lovely mint green cement basin with fluting.”
The unlacquered brass tap and shower fittings and the wooden-framed mirror, made to fit the space, soften the harder tiling. “The brass will age nicely and take on a patina over time,” Andrew says, adding, “The mirror has demister pads, as it’s such a small space.”
Basin, Kast. Brassware, Bespoke Taps.
“They then just wanted to have something a bit playful,” he says, “as it’s essentially the grown-up bathroom that also doubles as the guest toilet. It’s nice for it to have a bit of interest and feel a bit special, so we went for this lovely mint green cement basin with fluting.”
The unlacquered brass tap and shower fittings and the wooden-framed mirror, made to fit the space, soften the harder tiling. “The brass will age nicely and take on a patina over time,” Andrew says, adding, “The mirror has demister pads, as it’s such a small space.”
Basin, Kast. Brassware, Bespoke Taps.
Adjacent to the children’s rooms there’s a guest room/study, which is the smallest and darkest room on the top floor. “My advice to the owners was to lean into that and make it a rich, cosy space,” Andrew says. “We embraced the fact it doesn’t get much natural light and this was the darkest colour we used in the whole home.”
Walls painted in Renaissance Blue, The Pickleson Paint Co.
Walls painted in Renaissance Blue, The Pickleson Paint Co.
A textured rug and the West African-inspired textiles warm things up and balance the cool tones of the walls.
The small space works hard, too: the sofa can transform into a bed and the side tables can become bedside tables, as the owners have family to stay quite often.
Andrew designed the built-in walnut desk (previous photo) and a storage area (out of shot).
Blind and footstool fabric, Eva Sonaike. Desk chair, John Lewis.
The small space works hard, too: the sofa can transform into a bed and the side tables can become bedside tables, as the owners have family to stay quite often.
Andrew designed the built-in walnut desk (previous photo) and a storage area (out of shot).
Blind and footstool fabric, Eva Sonaike. Desk chair, John Lewis.
The youngest child, a boy of 12, is in another of the newly created top floor rooms.
“He was going into his teen years and needed the room to grow with him,” Andrew says. “He really wanted green, which we included, but we kept it subtle, so it didn’t feel too childish or risk becoming something he’d hate once he hit 16 or 17.”
Walls painted in Wattle II, Paint & Paper Library.
“He was going into his teen years and needed the room to grow with him,” Andrew says. “He really wanted green, which we included, but we kept it subtle, so it didn’t feel too childish or risk becoming something he’d hate once he hit 16 or 17.”
Walls painted in Wattle II, Paint & Paper Library.
A flash of pattern covers the children’s bathroom floor. There are also blue tiles on the side of the bath, which has a shower above it.
“It’s very small, so it had to be well-planned,” Andrew says. “It’s quite simple, clean and fresh – but we wanted a bit of colour, too.”
Tiles, Mandarin Stone.
“It’s very small, so it had to be well-planned,” Andrew says. “It’s quite simple, clean and fresh – but we wanted a bit of colour, too.”
Tiles, Mandarin Stone.
The couple’s teenage daughter wanted a pink room. Again, to keep things future-proofed, Andrew took the brief and softened it to create a grown-up backdrop that will work as she gets older.
The pink is tempered by sage green accents, including the padded headboard.
Woodwork painted in Setting Plaster; walls painted in Dimity, both Farrow & Ball.
Woodwork painted in Setting Plaster; walls painted in Dimity, both Farrow & Ball.
And how do the owners feel about their ‘new’ flat? “They love it,” Andrew says. “For me, it was about trying to reflect them and create a personal home that also felt exciting, characterful and like a busy family home – but in a way that brought them joy. And they felt I’d pushed them out of their comfort zone – but in a way they really loved.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite thing about this family home renovation? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite thing about this family home renovation? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family of four with a teen and pre-teen at the time of the project
Location West London
Property A Victorian terrace maisonette
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Andrew Griffiths of A New Day Design Studio
Project year 2021
Andrew recalls the first meeting he had with the owners of this family flat. “They told me, ‘If we do it ourselves, everything will just be grey; that’s our comfortable default and we don’t want to do that,’” he says. “They were also both busy and overwhelmed and wanted someone to guide them to make more interesting decisions that they’d be excited about.”
Andrew was keen to keep the palette soft with a neutral backdrop to create a welcoming family home. The colours and varied textures in the flat were partly influenced by the owners’ African heritage.
“They wanted to subtly weave in some references – patterns, textures and colours – that reflected them and their history,” he says. “They didn’t want it to feel themed or like a pastiche, so it’s more of a gentle nod.”
It was a very collaborative process, Andrew explains, and together he and the owners settled on warm, earthy tones, varied textiles and materials, and lots of plants.