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My Houzz: A Stylishly Industrial London Flat With Vintage Charm
Rachel Christie has cleverly used her design eye and insider knowledge to create an open and inviting home with a cool edge
Being an interiors stylist and writer can have serious advantages when it comes to renovating your home. With insider knowledge and a great eye for a bargain, Rachel Christie has managed to create a cool and relaxed vibe in the north London home she shares with partner Ben and miniature dachshund Dexter.
Before moving in, their first-floor flat in a Victorian house was, in her words, ‘unloved’. They went for a total renovation and moved in with Rachel’s parents for a couple of months while they did it all. ‘There was a lot of wood chip, brown carpet covering lovely floorboards, and an uncomfortable layout,’ says Rachel.
As Ben is studying building surveying, he was able to undertake much of the work himself with help from Rachel’s stepfather. The bulk of the project took around six months. After swapping the bedroom and kitchen so the kitchen now sits on the flat’s upper level, next to the living room, they got to work pulling up floorboards to lay soundproofing, plumbing, exposing fireplaces and plastering the walls. Finally, it was time for the best bit – adding all the lovely finishing touches.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Rachel Christie, her partner, Ben, and her dachshund, Dexter
Location North London
Era built Victorian
Size 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Before moving in, their first-floor flat in a Victorian house was, in her words, ‘unloved’. They went for a total renovation and moved in with Rachel’s parents for a couple of months while they did it all. ‘There was a lot of wood chip, brown carpet covering lovely floorboards, and an uncomfortable layout,’ says Rachel.
As Ben is studying building surveying, he was able to undertake much of the work himself with help from Rachel’s stepfather. The bulk of the project took around six months. After swapping the bedroom and kitchen so the kitchen now sits on the flat’s upper level, next to the living room, they got to work pulling up floorboards to lay soundproofing, plumbing, exposing fireplaces and plastering the walls. Finally, it was time for the best bit – adding all the lovely finishing touches.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Rachel Christie, her partner, Ben, and her dachshund, Dexter
Location North London
Era built Victorian
Size 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
The colour scheme is based on greys and natural woods, with colour added through a few key pieces of furniture. ‘I’ve given the dining area a vintage vibe, with old school-style chairs I found in a vintage shop in Crouch End,’ says Rachel. She actually found the black one on the street.
A framed Tube map hints at Rachel’s love of London. ‘Our flat is in a central and young part of town, so I wanted it to feel part of the city,’ she says.
Dining table; Broadway Arrow lamp; both Made.com. Tube map, Paperchase. Tube map frame; yellow filing cabinet; both Ikea.
A framed Tube map hints at Rachel’s love of London. ‘Our flat is in a central and young part of town, so I wanted it to feel part of the city,’ she says.
Dining table; Broadway Arrow lamp; both Made.com. Tube map, Paperchase. Tube map frame; yellow filing cabinet; both Ikea.
The couple covered one wall in blackboard paint so they’d have space to write down shopping lists and recipes. ‘When we first moved in, all our friends were quite excited about it, and scribbled all over it,’ Rachel says.
She was set on having exposed shelving. ‘I didn’t want to close in the kitchen with lots of wall cabinets. Open shelving is quite a nice way of relaxing a kitchen,’ she explains.
Bar stools, Cult Furniture. Toaster, Dualit.
She was set on having exposed shelving. ‘I didn’t want to close in the kitchen with lots of wall cabinets. Open shelving is quite a nice way of relaxing a kitchen,’ she explains.
Bar stools, Cult Furniture. Toaster, Dualit.
Rachel isn’t a fan of traditional bins, so she opted for these reinforced paper ones. ‘I saw them and thought they were a really good idea. They’re very soft and are bigger than they look, so you can fit a lot in there,’ she says.
The metro tiles are crackle glazed for a slightly different take on the classic white brick tile.
Recycling bags, Future & Found. Bastille Crackle Metro Tiles, Walls & Floors.
The metro tiles are crackle glazed for a slightly different take on the classic white brick tile.
Recycling bags, Future & Found. Bastille Crackle Metro Tiles, Walls & Floors.
The bike was a recent present for Rachel from Ben. ‘I’ve only ridden it once so far, but I plan to get out on it quite a lot.’ They have a bike rack in the hall, but there’s only room for Ben’s bike, so this one’s found a home in the kitchen, where it fits right in.
Fridge, Smeg. Bicycle, eBay. Wall painted in Blackened, Farrow & Ball.
Fridge, Smeg. Bicycle, eBay. Wall painted in Blackened, Farrow & Ball.
In the living room, Rachel wanted a relaxed and homely vibe. The fireplace was boarded over with wood and breeze blocks, so they ripped all that out. In the process, big chunks of plaster started coming off the wall, revealing the brickwork. It looked so nice they decided to leave it bare.
The bright pink deer head was a present from Ben that the couple spray painted themselves. They found the old chest the TV sits on in a junk shop in Finsbury Park. The rug has a thick pile and is incredibly soft and cosy. ‘It’s so warm, and it lightens up the brown floorboards and exposed brick,’ says Rachel.
White antlers, Graham & Green. Small antlers, Pedlars Friday Vintage. Rug, Joss & Main. Shelves, Ikea.
The bright pink deer head was a present from Ben that the couple spray painted themselves. They found the old chest the TV sits on in a junk shop in Finsbury Park. The rug has a thick pile and is incredibly soft and cosy. ‘It’s so warm, and it lightens up the brown floorboards and exposed brick,’ says Rachel.
White antlers, Graham & Green. Small antlers, Pedlars Friday Vintage. Rug, Joss & Main. Shelves, Ikea.
The dark grey wall is the perfect complement to the brickwork in the living room, cooling down the warm tones. Rachel has softened it with cushions and lighting.
Wall painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Floor lamp, Ikea. Sofa, Loaf.
See why dark colours can work in any room
Wall painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Floor lamp, Ikea. Sofa, Loaf.
See why dark colours can work in any room
The nesting tables add a shot of bright colour to the living room. ‘I saw them and thought they were really practical,’ says Rachel. ‘They’re great for having friends over for a takeaway and film night.’
Kilo nesting tables, Habitat. Table lamp, B&Q.
Kilo nesting tables, Habitat. Table lamp, B&Q.
Rachel has added masses of cushions to the sofa, for comfort as well as colour and pattern. It’s a collection she’s accumulated over the years from places such as Heal’s and Habitat. It’s a favourite reading spot for everyone, including Dexter.
In the hallway, a metal locker from eBay continues the vintage theme of the home. It holds small bits and bobs, such as the iron and shoes.
The suitcases are also used for storage. The bigger one is from a second-hand shop in Finsbury Park, and the little one is inherited from family. The couple installed the banisters and painted the spindles with paint leftover from the living room.
Vintage locker, eBay. Wall painted in Blackened, Farrow & Ball. Balusters painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Cage pendant light, Rockett St George.
The suitcases are also used for storage. The bigger one is from a second-hand shop in Finsbury Park, and the little one is inherited from family. The couple installed the banisters and painted the spindles with paint leftover from the living room.
Vintage locker, eBay. Wall painted in Blackened, Farrow & Ball. Balusters painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Cage pendant light, Rockett St George.
A series of Polaroid photos run up the stairs, giving guests a warm welcome. The Polaroid camera was a Christmas present from Ben to Rachel last year, and some of the photos are printed from her mobile phone using the Printit app.
Rachel and Ben’s bedroom is a relaxed and inviting room with a cool edge. Lighting is important to Rachel, who likes lots of mood lighting. ‘One of my old university friends is from Helsinki,’ says Rachel. ‘She knows I love Christmas and anything Scandinavian, so she brought me back the star pendant light as a gift.’ It’s teamed with origami lanterns across the bedhead.
Rachel painted the shelf with emulsion leftover from the living room. The two posters give away her love of London – one is from the Transport Museum, and the other is actually wrapping paper depicting a map of the city.
Fairy lights, Rockett St George. Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. Bed, Feather & Black. Grey and white throw, Joss & Main. Bed linen, John Lewis. Shelf, Ikea.
Rachel painted the shelf with emulsion leftover from the living room. The two posters give away her love of London – one is from the Transport Museum, and the other is actually wrapping paper depicting a map of the city.
Fairy lights, Rockett St George. Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. Bed, Feather & Black. Grey and white throw, Joss & Main. Bed linen, John Lewis. Shelf, Ikea.
The couple put in the fireplace themselves. The chimney had been boarded up, so they exposed it and added the decorative surround, which a friend happened to have going spare.
The bottles and ornaments on the mantelpiece are vintage. On one of the couple’s trips to collect something from Suffolk they’d bought on eBay, the seller had an antiques shop and Rachel found the vintage bottles in there. ‘I also collect stuff on my travels and when I’m shopping for shoots,’ she says.
The bottles and ornaments on the mantelpiece are vintage. On one of the couple’s trips to collect something from Suffolk they’d bought on eBay, the seller had an antiques shop and Rachel found the vintage bottles in there. ‘I also collect stuff on my travels and when I’m shopping for shoots,’ she says.
The industrial theme is continued in the en-suite bathroom. ‘We actually kept the original bath and just tiled around it in plain white metro tiles, and then added new taps,’ Rachel says. The toilet is fixed to a unit that Rachel painted, again in Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball, giving the home continuity.
Bath taps, Bristan. Shower head, Mira. Tiles, Johnson Tiles. Toilet, Victoria Plumb.
Check out 10 different ways to use metro tiles
Bath taps, Bristan. Shower head, Mira. Tiles, Johnson Tiles. Toilet, Victoria Plumb.
Check out 10 different ways to use metro tiles
Rachel chose shutters in both the bedroom and bathroom. ‘I don’t like anything too fussy around windows, and shutters are a bit smarter than blinds. They work really well in a bathroom, because they’re waterproof,’ she explains.
The couple use the crate to store towels and shampoo bottles to prevent any clutter building up. Above the basin hangs a vintage mirror. ‘I do like an Art Deco mirror,’ Rachel admits.
Shutters, Shutterly Fabulous. Stool, Rose & Grey. Crate, Baileys. Basin, Victoria Plumb. Tap, Bristan.
Check out more white metro tile bathrooms like this one.
The couple use the crate to store towels and shampoo bottles to prevent any clutter building up. Above the basin hangs a vintage mirror. ‘I do like an Art Deco mirror,’ Rachel admits.
Shutters, Shutterly Fabulous. Stool, Rose & Grey. Crate, Baileys. Basin, Victoria Plumb. Tap, Bristan.
Check out more white metro tile bathrooms like this one.
The leftover blackboard paint was used on the back of the front door and serves as a useful checklist.
They’ve chosen a beautiful exposed bulb as a ceiling light, which Rachel loves. ‘I don’t want anything too fussy in terms of lampshades. These decorative bulbs are so great, it would be a shame to cover them up,’ she says.
Bulb, Plumen.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. If you would like your home to be featured, please send information and photos to ukeditor@houzz.com.
They’ve chosen a beautiful exposed bulb as a ceiling light, which Rachel loves. ‘I don’t want anything too fussy in terms of lampshades. These decorative bulbs are so great, it would be a shame to cover them up,’ she says.
Bulb, Plumen.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. If you would like your home to be featured, please send information and photos to ukeditor@houzz.com.
They opted for steel cabinets to create a soft industrial look that would complement the wooden floorboards, which run throughout the flat. ‘We didn’t have a massive budget, so we bought the kitchen from Ikea,’ says Rachel. ‘I really like the cabinets, and wanted the wooden worktop to warm them up,’ she says. The cabinet doors are no longer available, but Ikea’s Grevsta range is a close match. The tap, which she found on eBay for just £30, reinforces the industrial vibe.
Cabinets; worktop; sink; all Ikea. Tap, eBay.
Read expert advice on how to choose the perfect kitchen worktop