Houzz Tour: A Victorian Semi That’s been Modernised for Family Life
With its clever mix of practical utility areas and flowing, open-plan living spaces, this elegant home is ideal for laid-back family living
‘First and foremost, this is a family home,’ says Fiona Parke, who designed the interior of this four-storey property in Oxford. ‘The house had to be comfortable and practical for family life with three girls and a dog.’ Parke had worked with the owners before on a previous home in Barnes, London, and was excited to tackle this Victorian semi. ‘It was a little bit tired, but not in bad shape,’ she says.
Three rooms were knocked through to create the large, L-shaped kitchen and living space, which has bay windows at either end and access to the garden. The island is the chief work area and contains the sink, an induction hob and the dishwasher. The cupboards facing the living area feature fine wire mesh fronts. ‘It gives the look of a traditional larder,’ says Parke. The worktop is made of tough Super White granite. ‘It looks like marble, but has the properties of granite, so it’s very hard-wearing,’ the designer adds.
Two vintage pendant lights hang over the island. ‘They give the space a bit more edge and a slightly industrial feel,’ says Parke. ‘We decided not to hang pendants over the table, as it would block the view through the bay window. Hanging them here works and also brings the island into focus.’
A wall of floor-to-ceiling cabinets contains a fridge, freezer and larder-style storage. ‘I tried to keep all the full-height storage together along one side of the space,’ says Parke.
Kitchen cabinets painted in Purbeck Stone; kitchen island painted in Mole’s Breath, both Farrow & Ball. Pendant lights, Skinflint Design.
Two vintage pendant lights hang over the island. ‘They give the space a bit more edge and a slightly industrial feel,’ says Parke. ‘We decided not to hang pendants over the table, as it would block the view through the bay window. Hanging them here works and also brings the island into focus.’
A wall of floor-to-ceiling cabinets contains a fridge, freezer and larder-style storage. ‘I tried to keep all the full-height storage together along one side of the space,’ says Parke.
Kitchen cabinets painted in Purbeck Stone; kitchen island painted in Mole’s Breath, both Farrow & Ball. Pendant lights, Skinflint Design.
When the ground floor was knocked into one space, it made sense to have the kitchen at the back, overlooking the garden. ‘I would have loved to have put Crittall-style doors in, but the cost was astronomical, so we just painted the existing French windows and they look lovely,’ says Parke.
A family dining space was designed in the bay, with a mix of bright, contemporary chairs and banquette seating running around the window. ‘The owners like to cook, but don’t do a lot of formal dining, so we just created this relaxed area,’ explains Parke.
French windows painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball.
Read expert advice on choosing your perfect kitchen cupboards
A family dining space was designed in the bay, with a mix of bright, contemporary chairs and banquette seating running around the window. ‘The owners like to cook, but don’t do a lot of formal dining, so we just created this relaxed area,’ explains Parke.
French windows painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball.
Read expert advice on choosing your perfect kitchen cupboards
‘We chose quite clean lines and cool colours for the whole house,’ says Parke, who used the same mellow grey shade on the walls in all the key, sociable spaces. Oak flooring flows throughout, again unifying the open-plan space, but Parke has also introduced bright colours to punctuate the grey. ‘I’m slightly obsessed with the teal colour of the footstool!’ she says. ‘I didn’t want the house to be too grey. It’s nice to bring in a bolt of colour.’
Oak flooring, Waxed Floors.
Oak flooring, Waxed Floors.
‘The kitchen has three zones,’ says Parke. ‘There’s the practical island with dishwasher, sink and hob, the wall of storage, and this area, which has the wine cooler and glasses for making drinks when friends come over.’ This space has an oak worktop instead of a granite one to differentiate it from the more practical side of the kitchen.
The newly converted basement is now home to a relaxed TV room. ‘This is also a playroom and it’s very much for the girls,’ says Parke. ‘The cupboards can store their toys and we used a range of colours to give it a more playful feel.’ In addition to this area, there’s also a large utility room and cloakroom.
Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball.
Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball.
Generous in size, the utilty room can be accessed from a door at the side of the house. ‘The family can come straight in here, kick off their boots and sort the dog out before going upstairs,’ says Parke.
The chic patterned flooring – a vinyl designed by Neisha Crosland – adds a smart touch.
Cabinets painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball. Vinyl flooring, Harvey Maria.
The chic patterned flooring – a vinyl designed by Neisha Crosland – adds a smart touch.
Cabinets painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball. Vinyl flooring, Harvey Maria.
At the back of the house is the master bedroom, which features a bay window overlooking the garden. A wall divided this room from a guest room next door, but was knocked through to create one large space.
‘We put in some folding doors between the two areas, so the front space can still function as a guest room – it has a daybed that pulls out to become a double,’ says Parke. ‘The folding doors are usually open, though, and the owners use the front area as a dressing room.’
Throw, Jonathan Adler.
‘We put in some folding doors between the two areas, so the front space can still function as a guest room – it has a daybed that pulls out to become a double,’ says Parke. ‘The folding doors are usually open, though, and the owners use the front area as a dressing room.’
Throw, Jonathan Adler.
Matching chests of drawers stand either side of the bed. ‘They have a lacquer finish, which is rather lovely,’ says Parke. ‘It gives the traditionally shaped chest a more contemporary feel.’ A bold, zigzag cushion adds some pattern and also enhances the modern feel.
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. Gustavian bureau, Chelsea Textiles. Camilla lamp, Brissi. Cushion, Sofa.com.
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. Gustavian bureau, Chelsea Textiles. Camilla lamp, Brissi. Cushion, Sofa.com.
This section of the master bedroom is typically used as a dressing room by the owners, but it can also be closed off to function as a guest room. It features fitted wardrobes for easy storage. The upholstered chair is a vintage nursing seat.
Curtains in Gazebo Lavender, GP & J Baker. Chest of drawers, Julian Chichester.
Curtains in Gazebo Lavender, GP & J Baker. Chest of drawers, Julian Chichester.
The en suite bathroom flowing off the main bedroom at the back of the house contains a walk-in shower and a neat bath. ‘It was originally a little boxroom at the back,’ says Parke, ‘so we had to find a tiny bath for it. This design is only 1500mm long, but it’s really comfortable because it’s high-sided.’
A large mirror adds depth and breaks up the tiling. ‘I don’t like to over tile a bathroom,’ says Parke. ‘Tiling everywhere can work in a small room, but in a larger space, it’s nice to have more finishes, bring in a paint colour and add a mirror for variety.’
Formoso Piccolo bath, Clearwater Baths. East Hampton tiles, Fired Earth.
Browse 12 contemporary tile styles
A large mirror adds depth and breaks up the tiling. ‘I don’t like to over tile a bathroom,’ says Parke. ‘Tiling everywhere can work in a small room, but in a larger space, it’s nice to have more finishes, bring in a paint colour and add a mirror for variety.’
Formoso Piccolo bath, Clearwater Baths. East Hampton tiles, Fired Earth.
Browse 12 contemporary tile styles
All the girls’ bedrooms are on the top floor, and this one features an original fireplace. Parke used the same warm neutral palette upstairs for unity, and added soft carpets for a cosy, comfy feel. ‘The owners already had the bed, so we just repainted it to match the new scheme,’ says Parke.
Walls painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Bedside unit and birdcage lamp, both Graham & Green.
Walls painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Bedside unit and birdcage lamp, both Graham & Green.
‘The youngest daughter’s bedroom is really small,’ says Parke, ‘so we built in a bed with drawers underneath for extra storage. We basically built this room out of a cupboard!’
Walls painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Enchanted Wood cushions, Hibou Home.
TELL US…
What do you think of this stylish family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Walls painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Enchanted Wood cushions, Hibou Home.
TELL US…
What do you think of this stylish family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A couple and their three young daughters
Location Central Oxford
Property A four-storey, late Victorian semi-detached house
Size 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 shower room
Designer Fiona Parke of Johnstone Parke Interiors
‘We opened up the ground floor and did a lot of work in the basement to make it usable,’ says designer Fiona Parke of the various structural changes made to this Victorian home. In fact, the entire house was overhauled – and quickly, too. ‘The family needed to move in, so it was a really fast project! But the owner is fantastic to work with,’ says Parke. ‘She’s great at making her mind up and also happy to leave decisions to me, saying, “Do what you think will work.”’
There’s no TV in this ground-floor living space, which flows off the kitchen, and instead the fireplace and dramatic pendant light are the key features. ‘The owner fell in love with this chandelier and that became the focal point,’ says Parke. ‘We wanted to give this space a slightly more formal feel, so we added a smart new fire surround, but we also fitted a wood-burner, so it still feels cosy.’
The room is furnished with a mix of existing pieces, including a small sofa and a reupholstered footstool, artefacts from the owners’ time in Hong Kong, family heirlooms, such as the elegant bureau, and a smattering of new finds.
Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball. Arctic Pear chandelier, Ochre. Fire surround, Chesney’s. Small sofa, George Smith. Large sofa and cushions, Sofa.com. Blinds in Kaleidoscope 67210 Smoke, Schumacher.