Houzz Tours
House Tours
My Houzz: A Fresh White London Town House With Playful Touches
White finishes strategically spiced up with colour give a newly renovated Victorian home graphic style
Faced with a neon blue upstairs and a dilapidated downstairs, design writer Kate Watson-Smyth surprisingly still saw the charm in this unloved 1860 Victorian townhouse. Set in London’s charming Crouch End neighborhood, the house had been divided into two apartments when she and her husband bought it. Tearing down dividing walls, sticking to classic finishes and using a simple white palette with playful accents restored some of the unique character the townhouse had lost.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Kate Watson-Smyth, husband Adam and sons Isaac and Noah
Location Crouch End, London
Size 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Photography by House of Locations
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Kate Watson-Smyth, husband Adam and sons Isaac and Noah
Location Crouch End, London
Size 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Photography by House of Locations
When the extension was being built, Watson-Smyth and her husband laid planks of wood on the ground to figure out exactly how big their island could be while still allowing for plenty of room to move around it.
Bar stools: vintage Singer sewing stools; cabinetry: Ikea; sink: Franke; refrigerator: Samsung
Bar stools: vintage Singer sewing stools; cabinetry: Ikea; sink: Franke; refrigerator: Samsung
Watson-Smyth liked the idea of a compact, restaurant-style kitchen that had everything within easy reach. The room is large, but the cooking and cleaning space is comparatively small. ‘I can unload the dishwasher and put everything away without moving my feet,’ she says. ‘Well, apart from the pans, which are one step away.’
Check out more cool and contemporary white kitchens
Check out more cool and contemporary white kitchens
A stainless steel worktop will develop a patina with knife scratches and daily use, but that’s a look she loves. To keep the kitchen from feeling too harsh, she purchased soft leather straps for the Ikea cabinetry handles. The full kitchen makeover cost about £35,000, but the Ikea cabinetry helped them cut down on the price.
A tin ceiling reflects light into the kitchen. Watson-Smyth found the dining table at an antiques shop nearby. Once an old art school table, it has two big drawers underneath, which now hold placemats and napkins.
When the family moved in, the entire upstairs was painted a bright, jarring blue, with carpet in every room. Their budget was given some respite when their builder brought in reclaimed floorboards, set to be thrown away, from another project.
A vintage coffee table - made with planks from 1750 - feels right at home with one of the home’s original fireplaces, painted in a rich Farrow & Ball black.
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Rugs: Fired Earth; pillows: H&M Home; chaise: antique; fireplace paint: Railings, Farrow & Ball
A vintage coffee table - made with planks from 1750 - feels right at home with one of the home’s original fireplaces, painted in a rich Farrow & Ball black.
Browse more rugs
Rugs: Fired Earth; pillows: H&M Home; chaise: antique; fireplace paint: Railings, Farrow & Ball
The family’s previous house felt very dark - with two young boys, the couple had chosen practical colours. With this house (and slightly older children), they were ready for a light and bright setup. Neutral colours allow their furniture and art to stand out.
A cheerful library nook behind the living area gets a burst of light from a clerestory window. Watson-Smyth thought about having one of the panels in the library act as a concealed door into the kitchen, but that proved to be too difficult.
Ottomans: Graham & Green; armchairs: Made.com; light fixture: John Lewis
Ottomans: Graham & Green; armchairs: Made.com; light fixture: John Lewis
Instead she used bookshelf wallpaper from Young & Battaglia to create a faux wall of books on the upstairs door to her youngest son’s room. Papering an area larger than the door and framing it made it look like a real bookcase.
Bannister paint: Brinjal, Farrow & Ball
Bannister paint: Brinjal, Farrow & Ball
Son Noah’s room was once a tiny kitchen in the upstairs unit. Since his room is so small, Watson-Smyth used bold colour, stencils and the playful bookcase doorway to make it fun.
An upstairs guest bedroom serves as a joint playroom too. Budget-friendly Ikea lamps add some playful coluor. Watson-Smyth found this carpet remnant on the cheap and had it edged in neon pink.
Many of the Victorian’s original features were eliminated through years of redecorating, but all of the fireplaces were preserved. Watson-Smyth painted this one’s mantelpiece bright pink to tie it in with the guest room’s other neon accents.
Accent wall paint: Downpipe, Farrow & Ball, mantel paint: Rock Candy, Dulux
Accent wall paint: Downpipe, Farrow & Ball, mantel paint: Rock Candy, Dulux
Once awful, the upstairs bathroom was transformed with white paint and pretty wall tiles, the same used on the pink fireplace.
Wall tile: Design Tegels; floor tile: rubber stud tiles; sink: Bathstore
Wall tile: Design Tegels; floor tile: rubber stud tiles; sink: Bathstore
Despite her love of white walls and floors, Watson-Smyth still brought in some color. ‘I can never resist color completely, so the purple wall in the bedroom was a break away from that [white].’ Although it’s a false wall that separates the bedroom from the wardrobe, coving and wall lights make it feel built in.
Wall covering: Persian Tulip, Zoffany; bed frame: Ikea; sconces: Garden Trading
Wall covering: Persian Tulip, Zoffany; bed frame: Ikea; sconces: Garden Trading
The master wardrobe sits just behind a door in the false wall, right behind the bed. Watson-Smyth had seen a similar idea in New York and wanted to re-create it. ‘The builder just kept raising his eyebrows as I kept showing him my bits of graph paper, but in the end it worked out beautifully,’ she says.
The en suite bathroom off the master wardrobe had been a bedroom. ‘I love a bathroom that doesn’t look like a bathroom,’ Watson-Smyth says. Keeping the fireplace and putting the bath in the middle of the floor helped accomplish that.
Take a look at 10 fantastic feature walls
Wall paint: Pelt, Farrow & Ball; sinks, bathtub: Bathstore
Take a look at 10 fantastic feature walls
Wall paint: Pelt, Farrow & Ball; sinks, bathtub: Bathstore
There’s little tiling throughout the rest of the master bathroom. Metallic tiles sit above his-and-her sinks. ‘Someone once told me that the secret to a happy marriage is two basins,’ says Watson-Smyth. ‘Seems to be working for us so far!’
Mirrors: Ikea
Mirrors: Ikea
Ceiling tiles: Andy Thornton; wall and floor paint: Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball