Houzz Tour: An Elegant Victorian Family Home Evolves Gently Over Time
Roland and Johanna Hartmann wanted their home to reflect the needs of their busy family as well as their heritage
‘I knew immediately that we could make this house work for us,’ says interior designer Roland Hartmann, recalling the moment he and wife Johanna first saw the property that is now their home in Brockley, southeast London. With one young son and more children planned, the couple were keen to upscale their home and find an all-important garden for their young family to enjoy. ‘The house was actually in relatively good condition and had been simply refurbished,’ says Roland, ‘so we were able to live there and renovate it gradually as time and budget allowed.’
After addressing immediate concerns, such as the damp cellar, Roland began renovating the first floor with his trademark clean, unfussy palette, peppered with artefacts that reflect the couple’s eclectic heritage: Roland hails from South Africa and Johanna is Swedish.
Five years on, the house is complete. ‘Long term, we may sell the property, so we definitely had that in mind,’ says Roland, ‘but in the meantime, it’s a wonderful, hard-working family home with a nod to Scandi design and my passion for travelling. I’ve amassed quite a collection of bits and pieces over the years…’
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Roland and Johanna Hartmann and their three young children
Location Brockley, Southeast London
Designer Hartmann Designs
Size 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
After addressing immediate concerns, such as the damp cellar, Roland began renovating the first floor with his trademark clean, unfussy palette, peppered with artefacts that reflect the couple’s eclectic heritage: Roland hails from South Africa and Johanna is Swedish.
Five years on, the house is complete. ‘Long term, we may sell the property, so we definitely had that in mind,’ says Roland, ‘but in the meantime, it’s a wonderful, hard-working family home with a nod to Scandi design and my passion for travelling. I’ve amassed quite a collection of bits and pieces over the years…’
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Roland and Johanna Hartmann and their three young children
Location Brockley, Southeast London
Designer Hartmann Designs
Size 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
‘Johanna’s from Sweden and we’ve spent a lot of time there, so my style is naturally very influenced by Scandi design,’ admits Roland. The pared-back furniture and clean palette in the living room are testament to this, but it is, says Roland, a very practical house, too. ‘The sofas are custom-made with bomb-proof fabric – with three young children in the house, we couldn’t have anything too delicate.’ Pale oak flooring, from The Natural Wood Floor Company, and neutral walls are a common thread throughout the house, while natural fibre blinds from Conrad (an America company) dress the windows in this relaxing space.
Roland opened up the existing fireplace and incorporated a wood-burning stove from Chesney’s into the space. Dark Indian slate on the hearth and rear wall creates an arresting feature in the room, and contrasts with the otherwise neutral palette. Roland carried the candlesticks back from northeast Sweden. ‘I love collecting things,’ he admits.
Skimming Stone paint by Farrow & Ball creates a gentle backdrop for the soft lines of Roland’s furniture. ‘It’s a clean scheme, but it’s very much a functioning living room and playroom for the children.’ The picture hanging above the sofa is another one of Roland’s travel buys, this time picked up in Uganda.
Given the couple’s love of light, bright interiors, it’s a surprise to find the cloakroom painted in a much darker hue. ‘I like cloakrooms to be quite dramatic,’ Roland explains. ‘It’s a tight space, so it’s nice to have a bit of fun with it and create a slightly more quirky room.’
Discover more ways to create a statement cloakroom
Discover more ways to create a statement cloakroom
‘If we ever move, we’ll have to take the front door with us, it’s such a special piece,’ says Roland. The couple asked artist Sophie Hussain to create the wonderful textured stained glass panels, which reference their Swedish and South African roots. ‘Sophie spent six months refining this design for us,’ he says. ‘It’s like a precious piece of art.’
See more stylish hallways
See more stylish hallways
Roland favoured an open-plan approach to the ground floor, so opened up the space wherever he could. A new doorway through to the living room and hall allows diners to gaze through to the glittering stained glass in the front door. The dining room ‘riempie’ chairs are another nod to Roland’s heritage and hail from a small region in South Africa, where they are handmade from local timber and treated leather.
The Alno kitchen introduces contemporary, clean lines into this part of the house. ‘Again, the greys and white oak are a Scandinavian influence, but there’s lots of texture here, too,’ says Roland.
A small extension at the rear of the kitchen, which didn’t require planning permission, is flooded with sunshine via the skylight, and makes the perfect spot for a compact home office.
Check out inventive ways to squeeze in a home office
Check out inventive ways to squeeze in a home office
‘My daughter’s bedroom is simple, but very charming,’ explains Roland. ‘We’ve used a combination of Ikea furniture and more special pieces, such as the cot from Stokke, which is a genius piece of furniture. It can be converted into a regular bed as she gets older and then into two armchairs.’
This beautiful cupboard was custom-made and is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White.
Floor-to-ceiling Portuguese marble tiles adorn the family bathroom, which comes in handy with messy children, says Roland. A CP Hart basin and lots of mirrors provide plenty of reflective surfaces in the room, keeping the scheme bright and fresh.
A traditional Ethiopian basket adds a pop of colour on the landing. Roland lived there for four years and brought back a number of artefacts, which are dotted around the house.
The master bedroom was previously two separate rooms that the couple converted into one airy room at the top of the house. ‘We have two large windows, so it’s a lovely bright space and I’ve tried to keep it as light as possible,’ says Roland of the white scheme.
A classic Gubi lamp makes a beautiful bedside light. The artwork on the chimney breast is by Matthew Webber and an eclectic arrangement of Ethiopian pieces on the shelves adds depth to the pared-back scheme.
‘I worked in Italy for a while, which is where I picked up this Ceccotti chair,’ explains Roland. ‘It weighs a ton, but although it’s not a practical piece of furniture, it provides a quite interesting feature in this corner of the bedroom.’ Roland paired the chair with an art deco lamp he found in Covent Garden market almost 20 years ago. ‘It’s one of the first purchases I made when I came to England,’ he says.
Loved this? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Loved this? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.