See Inside This Calm, Cool Victorian Family Home
The Property
The property is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom Victorian home in Stoke Newington, unfolding over five floors. It had undergone a substantial architectural remodelling by the previous owners, who extended the home and thoughtfully reinstated period details, leaving a strong architectural framework in place.
What remained, however, was a largely blank canvas. Many of the spaces felt pared back to the point of neutrality and a few functional elements didn’t quite suit the rhythm of life for a family with a young child. The clients wanted spaces with more light, softness and personality, and a layout that supported the way they actually lived.
There were practical shifts to make, such as swapping a shower for a bathtub in the toddler’s en-suite and doing the reverse in their own, as well as refining the layouts on the ground floor – but the deeper brief was atmospheric. They wanted to reimagine the house as a calm, cultured home that felt brighter and more inviting. A place where they could entertain, unwind and feel at ease.
The Brief
At the very start of the project, the clients described their dream home in their own words: elegant, soft, earthy, playful, chic, tactile and baby proof. As new parents, they were keen to create a home that reflected their cosmopolitan lifestyle and appreciation of art, travel, and design, while remaining nurturing and practical for life with their curious toddler.
They liked the simplicity of Japanese and mid-century Scandinavian design (the couple honeymooned in Tokyo and have made many trips to Scandinavia), but also appreciated the classic charm and colour of English country hotels – Beaverbrook being a favourite. One of the most important aspects was to meld the contemporary with the classic in a way that felt natural and cohesive.
Art and craft became the unifying threads. Working with Gilly Thorne at leading art consultancy Cramer & Bell, an array of thoughtful artworks that reflect the couple’s love of travel and storytelling, including a couple of custom commissions, were chosen. Bespoke cabinetry also played a pivotal role, and we collaborated with London cabinetmakers Jacob Alexander and Stuart Indge to create one-of-a-kind pieces that add unique character to the spaces.
The resulting aesthetic is layered and elegant, with a palette of soft neutrals and warm earth tones, punctuated with deeper moments of rust, green and blue. Natural materials such as oak, linen, sheepskin and honed marble provide warmth and tactility, while a mix of bespoke, vintage and contemporary furniture creates a home that feels considered and personal.
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TAKE THE TOUR
The Kitchen
The brief was to re-centre the dining area within the kitchen, creating a more intimate and convivial heart to the home. With space at a premium, we designed a custom banquette and a slimline island that gave the room flow without sacrificing comfort. The glass extension then became a new, sociable seating nook, a place to pause with a cup of tea or gather casually with friends and family.
To deepen the connection to the garden and bring a sense of openness, we replaced the previous fixed floor-to-ceiling panes with ultra-slim sliding doors. This single move transformed the energy of the space, allowing the boundary between inside and out to soften. The garden also informed the palette. We chose a verdant green for the base units, pairing them with natural wood grain and warm brass accents that add patina and tactility.
Wall Paint: School House White By Farrow & Ball
Terrazzo Flooring: Diespeker
Kitchen: Bespoke Cabinetry Stuart Indge In Ash With A Contrasting Brushed Green Grain
Hardware: Corston
Island Pendant: Bert Frank
Banquette Fabric: Afua Walnut By Sister By Studio Ashby
Dining Table: Saarinen Tulip Table By Knoll
Dining Chairs: Client’s Existing Wishbone Chairs By Hans J. Wegner
Garden Furniture: Cove 2 Seat Sofa By Indian Ocean
Artwork: Over Drinks Cabinet, Stephen Chambers Curated By Cramer & Bell
The Sitting Room
The first step to unlocking the design lay in finding a way to bring more light into the double reception room. With a brief specifying softness and tactility, a glass partition wasn’t quite right, yet curtains not substantial enough. Inspired by the serene architecture of Aman Tokyo, we worked with cabinetmaker Jacob Alexander to create a shoji-style room divider with traditional rice paper panels, giving the room a gentle, diffused glow.
From there, the custom sofa set the tone – deep, indulgent, understatedly glamorous. A Murano-esque 1970s chandelier introduced a grown-up shimmer overhead and the bespoke, marble topped alcove units are perfect for displaying books and décor. One of the most transformative touches came from Gilly, who suggested a tapestry behind the sofa. Sussy Cazalet’s custom piece became the final, anchoring layer of the room, drawing everything together through colour, form and texture.
Wall Paint: Lilac Pink By Edward Bulmer
Sofa: Custom Talitha By Trove
Ceiling Light: Pure White Lines
Curtain Fabric: Khalahari By De Le Cuona
Tapestry: Sussy Cazalet Curated By Cramer & Bell
The Snug
The bamboo wall lights were one of the first pieces we chose for this snug-meets-playroom. Their Italian mid-century lines, with an Asian inflection, bring a sculptural warmth to the space and echo the spirit of Ingo Maurer’s work.
We reupholstered the clients’ existing sofa in a deep, tonal ochre linen, pairing it with a tribal-patterned rug and a striped ottoman to create a playful, expressive mix of pattern and colour.
Inspired by the artistic spirit of Scarfes bar at the Rosewood, the gallery wall and statement artwork inject further personality and invite curiosity and conversation in both adults and children alike.
Wall Paint: Clove By Edward Bulmer
Wall Lights: Parana Studio
Sofa: Client’s Existing Conran Shop Sofa Recovered In De Le Cuona Linen
Side Table: Ceruado
Ottoman: Melimeli
Gallery Wall: Works By Kate Boxer, Chantal Joffe, Victoria Achache, Caroline Isgar & Anne Griffiths Curated By Cramer & Bell
Artwork: Between Wall Sconces, Maarten Van Den Bos
The Main Bedroom
In the main bedroom we set out to create a grown-up escape. Somewhere to unwind with tactile materials, one-off pieces and a dash of flair in the bespoke details and vintage gems.
To me, the room has a sensual, Venusian energy, from the soft, curved shapes of the headboard and love seat to the sweeping curvilinear dressing table. While some of the home’s more functional rooms lean toward clean lined mid-century clarity, in here, we wanted to evoke some of the nostalgia of the golden era of cinema, without pastiche or glitz. To do so, we chose a 1930s-style fanned headboard in dusky mohair velvet, paired with not-quite-matching, mid-century Swedish birch bedside cabinets. The tactile armchair brings the organic silhouettes of post-war Nordic design into the space, rounding out a room that straddles timelessness and decadence.
Wall Paint: Stirabout By Farrow & Ball
Bedside Tables: Similar 1stdibs
Armchair: Karu Chair By Dagmar
Love Seat: Gypsy Sofa By Trove
Dressing Table: Bespoke By Jacob Alexander
Dressing Table Stool: Tiger Mountain Pouffe By Six The Residence
Curtain Fabric: Bandana By Lewis & Wood
Art: Over Bedside Tables, Albarran Cabrera Curated By Cramer & Bell
The Main En-Suite
Bathrooms are one of my favourite spaces to design and we had a lot of fun in this one. We wished to conjure a sensual, romantic mood. Continuing the subtle Aphrodite influence from the adjoining bedroom, we chose rose marble, alabaster wall scones and a custom scallop window pelmet. Above, an opal glass pedant hangs like a suspended pearl drop, bringing a soft, luminous glow to the room at night.
Paint: Tailor Tack By Farrow & Ball
Brassware: Drummonds
Mirror: Countess Mirror By Julian Chichester
Wall Tiles: Mosaic Factory
The Children’s En-Suite
This little bathroom is small but perfectly formed. Children’s spaces are always a joy to design, offering a chance to tap into one’s inner child and see the room from a different perspective. Because this space will grow with the clients’ son, we selected fixtures with an enduring quality, layered with colour and pattern that bring a warm, youthful energy.
Wall Paint: Quaker By Edward Bulmer
Bathtub: The Petite Milbrook By Cast Iron Bath Company
Shower Curtain Rail: Oval Rail By Balineum
Wall Tiles: Mosaic Factory
The Staircase
The staircase is something of a deliberate anomaly. While many of the surrounding rooms are wrapped in soft neutrals and warm sandy tones, we wanted the hallway and stairwell to feel distinct, almost a visual breath of fresh air. The contrast brings a subtle drama to the transition between floors. The effect is most striking on the top-floor landing, where two stunning canvases by Anne Griffiths mirror the view of London’s skyline beyond the picture window to create a sense of expansion.
Wall Paint: Kittiwake By Farrow & Ball
Wall Light: Shell Uplighter By Rose Uniacke
Artwork: Anne Griffiths Diptych Curated By Cramer & Bell
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Photographer credit: Rachael Smith
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