Houzz Tour: An Elegant Semi-detached Victorian Home in London
Traditional features and a light, open-plan layout bring elegance to this Victorian home, while contemporary finishes keep it current
For more than 30 years, this Victorian semi-detached home in southwest London had been divided into two separate flats, but as soon as interior designer Laura Butler-Madden saw it, she knew it could be taken back to its roots and become a large, luxurious home again.
Work took around nine months, finishing in June 2015, with a new extension added at the back and original features reinstated. Then all that remained was to decorate the rooms with a mix of Slim Aarons-inspired glamour* and traditional elegance.
Work took around nine months, finishing in June 2015, with a new extension added at the back and original features reinstated. Then all that remained was to decorate the rooms with a mix of Slim Aarons-inspired glamour* and traditional elegance.
“This is a very bright room,” says Butler-Madden. “It’s south-facing and has the amazing fireplace, too, so I wanted a scheme that was really elegant and slightly decadent to reflect the space.”
Madame Coco armchairs, Sofa Workshop. Nixon cocktail table, Jonathan Adler.
Madame Coco armchairs, Sofa Workshop. Nixon cocktail table, Jonathan Adler.
“I was inspired by this Slim Aarons image,” says Butler-Madden. “I would have loved to have been in Palm Springs in the 1970s, all that glamour and colour! So I wanted to make the room quite fun and glamorous, too.”
Delphine mirrored bar, Jonathan Adler. Claude love seat, Sofa.com.
*Is your home ready for a 1970s revival? Decide here (and find out more about 1970s photographer Slim Aarons)
Delphine mirrored bar, Jonathan Adler. Claude love seat, Sofa.com.
*Is your home ready for a 1970s revival? Decide here (and find out more about 1970s photographer Slim Aarons)
The original fireplace is wonderfully elaborate. “At first I thought it was a bit OTT, but now I think it’s fantastic,” says Butler-Madden. She stripped it back, removing layers of paint, to discover that it’s made mostly of metal, with a wooden mantel. “We sprayed it again and replaced the original tiles, as they weren’t a particularly nice colour, using tiles in the same Victorian style,” she adds.
Round brass and marble drinks trolley, Rockett St George.
Round brass and marble drinks trolley, Rockett St George.
The front living room has been opened up and connected with the rest of the ground floor with large double doors. “Friends in the area who haven’t opened up their homes like this call their front living rooms the Christmas room, because it only gets used once a year!” says Butler-Madden. “I didn’t want that to happen here. Now, you see it every day. It’s an occasional room, but I wanted it to also feel like a place to work or to enjoy sitting back with a magazine. I have my desk in here.”
Volières Bird Cage chandelier; Grey Maxi mother-of-pearl console table, both Graham & Green.
Volières Bird Cage chandelier; Grey Maxi mother-of-pearl console table, both Graham & Green.
A relaxed living space leads down into a spacious kitchen and dining area. “There was already an extension on the house here,” says Butler-Madden. “We removed that and then squared off the space.” The area from the steps down is all new.
Two roof lights and three Velux windows allow in lots of light. “It’s really open and spacious,” she says. “The level drop helps to define the area.” The parquet flooring is from Holland, and Butler-Madden then chose the colour for it.
Long Island sofa, sofa.com. Oak parquet, Marmorea. Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball.
About to start your own renovations? Take a look at this complete guide to managing an interior design project
Two roof lights and three Velux windows allow in lots of light. “It’s really open and spacious,” she says. “The level drop helps to define the area.” The parquet flooring is from Holland, and Butler-Madden then chose the colour for it.
Long Island sofa, sofa.com. Oak parquet, Marmorea. Walls painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball.
About to start your own renovations? Take a look at this complete guide to managing an interior design project
Unlike so many contemporary rear extensions, this one does not have glazing across the entire back wall. “We didn’t want to do that,” Butler-Madden says. “We chose beautiful doors instead that still let in lots of light. French doors feel more in keeping with the style of the house. It also means you can have the kitchen coming round onto the rear wall.”
Butler-Madden designed the kitchen and had it made. She designed the worktops to be extra deep, measuring 70cm rather than the standard 60cm. The worktops are a pale grey quartz, which is easier to maintain than real marble. The plate rack is made from walnut.
Cabinets painted in Manor House Gray, Farrow & Ball. Glass pendant lights, Graham & Green.
Cabinets painted in Manor House Gray, Farrow & Ball. Glass pendant lights, Graham & Green.
A vintage Danish sideboard, found on eBay, sits along the dining space wall. “I like to introduce some warm wood, if I can find the right piece,” the designer says. “This piece is still fairly modern, from the 1950s or 1960s, and not too fussy.”
Drop chairs, Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, available at Nest. Beatrice chandelier, Graham & Green. Standard lamp, Brissi.
Drop chairs, Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, available at Nest. Beatrice chandelier, Graham & Green. Standard lamp, Brissi.
“I like that flash of glamour you get with mirrors,” says Butler-Madden. “The house deserves it. Plus the tiling reflected in it works well.” The original tiling was too damaged to preserve, but these are similar in style.
Floor tiles, Fired Earth. Mirrored cabinet, Talisman.
Floor tiles, Fired Earth. Mirrored cabinet, Talisman.
On the first floor, a bedroom at the rear was converted to an en suite bathroom to make a large master suite with big double doors between the two rooms. “The space has the right kind of proportions to make these big doors work,” says Butler-Madden.
Porden wallpaper, Designers Guild.
Porden wallpaper, Designers Guild.
“I like to use upholstered headboards,” says Butler-Madden. “They’re more comfortable and elegant.” Soft tones keep the space feeling peaceful and a petite sofa provides a place to sit. “I love its shape,” says Butler-Madden. “It fits perfectly into the bay.”
Wall lights, Marks & Spencer. Valentin bed, Sofa.com. Chandelier, Verner Panton. Madame Coco sofa, Sofa Workshop.
Wall lights, Marks & Spencer. Valentin bed, Sofa.com. Chandelier, Verner Panton. Madame Coco sofa, Sofa Workshop.
A Danish cabinet, found on eBay, brings some warm wood to the pale scheme. The image of Kate Moss came from the Affordable Art Fair. “When you walk to the side, she winks at you!” says Butler-Madden.
There was already a small walk-in wardrobe in this bedroom, but Butler-Madden designed new shelves and wardrobes for it.
Betsy dressing table, Graham & Green.
Betsy dressing table, Graham & Green.
A huge wardrobe with mirrored doors was made bespoke for the bathroom to hold Patrick’s clothes. “I love the idea that this is not just a bathroom, it’s a dressing room, too,” says Butler-Madden. “It has a more decadent, luxurious feel. The mirrors also add light, which is useful, as this space is at the back of the house.”
She had the fireplace installed. “I love to reintroduce features that have been removed to make the space more Victorian and traditional,” she says. “You can then make it all feel contemporary with the finish.”
Parquetry flooring in Seashell, Fired Earth. Basin and bath by Heritage, Bathroom Discount Centre. Solid glass orb ceiling light, The White Company.
She had the fireplace installed. “I love to reintroduce features that have been removed to make the space more Victorian and traditional,” she says. “You can then make it all feel contemporary with the finish.”
Parquetry flooring in Seashell, Fired Earth. Basin and bath by Heritage, Bathroom Discount Centre. Solid glass orb ceiling light, The White Company.
The shower was designed to be really spacious, with marble tiles adding a touch of luxe.
Marble tiles, Fired Earth.
Marble tiles, Fired Earth.
Traditional-style sanitaryware in this bathroom references the house’s period heritage and Victorian roots.
Basin by Heritage, Bathroom Discount Centre.
Basin by Heritage, Bathroom Discount Centre.
“I love the calmness of this darker tone, which really sets off the white bed,” says Butler-Madden.
Walls painted in Lamp Room Gray, Farrow & Ball. Mirror, An Angel At My Table. Madame Butterfly II Delft fabric on blinds, Designers Guild.
Check out this practical guide to choosing the perfect blinds for your windows
Walls painted in Lamp Room Gray, Farrow & Ball. Mirror, An Angel At My Table. Madame Butterfly II Delft fabric on blinds, Designers Guild.
Check out this practical guide to choosing the perfect blinds for your windows
The floor tiles are part of a range of just two. Butler-Madden used one design from this range on the hallway floor and one design up in the guest bathroom.
Strap mirror, Hay. Metro tiles, Walls & Floors. Floor tiles, Fired Earth.
What do you like about this stylish home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Strap mirror, Hay. Metro tiles, Walls & Floors. Floor tiles, Fired Earth.
What do you like about this stylish home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here Laura Butler-Madden and her husband, Patrick
Property A Victorian semi-detached house
Size 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Location Southwest London
Interior designer Laura Butler-Madden
Photography Patrick Butler-Madden
Although the house had been converted into two flats when Laura Butler-Madden and her husband bought it, its basic structure was intact. “We had to take out some stud walls and remove a kitchen from the first floor, but the rest hadn’t been changed too much,” she says.
Some of the original features had gone, but there were some lovely fireplaces still in situ. Renovation work involved stripping these back and adding new cornicing and ceiling roses, to reinstate some of the house’s lost grandeur and style.
Hex side table, Graham & Green. Walls painted in Dimpse, Farrow & Ball.