Houzz Tour: A 1970s Family Home Gets a Modern Makeover
A brand new layout and a style update have transformed this property
When the owners of this three-storey, 1970s house in London moved in, it wasn’t long before they realised that their new home wasn’t set up for family life. “It was built in the late 1970s in a neo-Georgian style to replace a house that was destroyed in World War II,” explains Lindsey Roberts, interior designer and owner of Forrester Roberts, who was brought on board to work some magic. “The house was lovely, but it did not function as well as it could, so it required a full refurbishment, including extensive building works to rejig the layout, complete redecoration and bespoke joinery.”
The kitchen area of the ground floor’s open-plan living space is practical and family friendly. The owners’ oldest child can sit and draw at the breakfast bar while they cook, and the bar is two-tiered so any mess in the cooking zone can’t be seen from the living area.
The owners love the midcentury modern look, so they used accents of golden yellow, aqua and orange. “Their preference is for a midcentury modern aesthetic, but for the units we decided on a Shaker-style,” says Roberts.
Hex pendant lights, Mullan Lighting. Kitchen cabinets painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball.
The owners love the midcentury modern look, so they used accents of golden yellow, aqua and orange. “Their preference is for a midcentury modern aesthetic, but for the units we decided on a Shaker-style,” says Roberts.
Hex pendant lights, Mullan Lighting. Kitchen cabinets painted in Ammonite, Farrow & Ball.
To give the Shaker-style units a modern edge, Roberts chose bright blue tiles for the splashback and honeycomb-shaped tiles for the floor.
“Everyone loves the tiles, both on the splashback and on the floor. The floor tiles have a traditional feel, but are also very on-trend with the honeycomb pattern,” says Roberts.
Retro Metro wall tiles in Green Park, Fired Earth. Victorian floor tiles, Original Style.
Discover ways to add style with patterned tiles
“Everyone loves the tiles, both on the splashback and on the floor. The floor tiles have a traditional feel, but are also very on-trend with the honeycomb pattern,” says Roberts.
Retro Metro wall tiles in Green Park, Fired Earth. Victorian floor tiles, Original Style.
Discover ways to add style with patterned tiles
The Smeg fridge-freezer was the actual starting point for the kitchen’s design concept.
“The owners loved its retro charm and wouldn’t be swayed to look at any other models,” says Roberts. “I’m glad they didn’t, as it works really well.”
A built-in larder unit keeps this family kitchen orderly.
“The owners loved its retro charm and wouldn’t be swayed to look at any other models,” says Roberts. “I’m glad they didn’t, as it works really well.”
A built-in larder unit keeps this family kitchen orderly.
The dining area of the open-plan kitchen and living space is Roberts’ favourite part of the project. “It’s a small corner that was so cold, but now it’s a warm and inviting place to eat, and also a space where the little ones can play,” she says.
Feature wall painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball. Cluster pendant light, Dwell.
Feature wall painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball. Cluster pendant light, Dwell.
A built-in bench seat in the dining area, designed by Forrester Roberts, maximises every inch of space. “Loose furniture wouldn’t have worked so well, and the bench is also great for storing children’s toys,” says Roberts.
An eclectic mix of dining chairs in a midcentury modern style adds interest to the room.
Fjord dining table, Made.com.
Find out how to make the most of a kitchen-diner with smart seating
An eclectic mix of dining chairs in a midcentury modern style adds interest to the room.
Fjord dining table, Made.com.
Find out how to make the most of a kitchen-diner with smart seating
The ground-floor open-plan kitchen, dining and living space also has pull-out, understairs shoe storage – a boon for this busy family.
While downstairs on the ground floor a wall was knocked down to get an open-plan living space, this wall, complete with feature window, was added. Originally, this stairwell led directly into the second living room on the first floor.
“The circular window was the owners’ idea, but we helped to ensure that the right style and size was chosen,” says Roberts.
“The circular window was the owners’ idea, but we helped to ensure that the right style and size was chosen,” says Roberts.
It wasn’t just the wall with the circular window that was added to the living room on the first floor – the wall next to it was added to create an L-shaped room with an alcove for a home office. The functional, yet stylish work space is well-organised with a cork wall and shelving system for storage.
Cork tiles, Walls and Floors. Shelving system and desk, Ikea. White office chair, Miliboo. Grey Winona chair, Made.com.
Cork tiles, Walls and Floors. Shelving system and desk, Ikea. White office chair, Miliboo. Grey Winona chair, Made.com.
A blue sofa bed at the other end of the L-shaped living room, makes this smart space a part-time guest room.
The living room has a distinct midcentury modern aesthetic thanks to touches like the wood pendant and lithograph by John Hultberg – a wedding present from one of the owners’ parents.
Sofa bed covered in Fraser Teal fabric, John Lewis. Coffee table and chest of drawers, Made.com. Skipper pendant light by Tom Raffield, Heal’s.
The living room has a distinct midcentury modern aesthetic thanks to touches like the wood pendant and lithograph by John Hultberg – a wedding present from one of the owners’ parents.
Sofa bed covered in Fraser Teal fabric, John Lewis. Coffee table and chest of drawers, Made.com. Skipper pendant light by Tom Raffield, Heal’s.
Also on the first floor of the three-storey house is this shower room, which was originally an en suite connecting to the first-floor bedroom. “As the bedroom on the first floor is now a nursery for the owners’ youngest child, we decided that a separate shower room would be far more practical,” says Roberts.
The geometric tiles give the space a Moorish feel. “The tiles appealed to the owners’ taste for artisan crafts and they work well in a small space like this,” says Roberts. “The pattern draws the eye to the back of the room, making the tight space feel bigger.”
Walls painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball. Tiles, Walls and Floors.
The geometric tiles give the space a Moorish feel. “The tiles appealed to the owners’ taste for artisan crafts and they work well in a small space like this,” says Roberts. “The pattern draws the eye to the back of the room, making the tight space feel bigger.”
Walls painted in Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball. Tiles, Walls and Floors.
A loose orange and blue colour scheme flows throughout the house for a harmonious look.
The owners discovered they were expecting their second child during the course of the renovation, so the planned spare guest bedroom on the first floor was hastily changed into a nursery.
“The timing of the project became all the more important,” says Roberts. “And the end result is that a house became a home to a very happy family. Their home now reflects their personal style – light, fresh, warm and inviting.”
“The timing of the project became all the more important,” says Roberts. “And the end result is that a house became a home to a very happy family. Their home now reflects their personal style – light, fresh, warm and inviting.”
Wall stickers were used to decorate the nursery. They can easily be changed when a new look is required.
Wall stickers by Parkin Interiors, Notonthehighstreet.com
Wall stickers by Parkin Interiors, Notonthehighstreet.com
The main bedroom on the top floor has a completely different aesthetic to the rest of the house. “The owners had collected a number of beautiful and interesting pieces from around the world, some with deep sentimental value, so we tried to incorporate as many as we could,” says Roberts.
The focal point of the bedroom is the Japanese screen that the owners inherited from a grandmother who had brought it back from her travels in Japan.
Bedding and cushions, John Lewis.
The focal point of the bedroom is the Japanese screen that the owners inherited from a grandmother who had brought it back from her travels in Japan.
Bedding and cushions, John Lewis.
Bespoke wood veneered wardrobes provide lots of storage in the main bedroom and contribute to the Oriental style of the room.
“They are veneered in an olive-toned, stained ash and lacquered to highlight the beautiful deep grain,” says Roberts.
“They are veneered in an olive-toned, stained ash and lacquered to highlight the beautiful deep grain,” says Roberts.
Also on the top floor is the second kids’ room. Bright accents of vibrant colour create a welcoming space.
“The owners wanted a bedroom to match their little girl’s bright and sunny disposition, with a preference for strong colours,” says Roberts. “She needed a space to draw, to read and to play – the room also needed to adapt as she grows.”
“The owners wanted a bedroom to match their little girl’s bright and sunny disposition, with a preference for strong colours,” says Roberts. “She needed a space to draw, to read and to play – the room also needed to adapt as she grows.”
The cupboards were designed by Forrester Roberts and built by a local joinery firm the company uses time and time again.
Doorknobs from Anthropologie lift the neutral scheme, along with the eclectic edit of cushions.
Cushions, Wayfair and All Things Brighton Beautiful.
What do you think of this light and inviting family-friendly home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Doorknobs from Anthropologie lift the neutral scheme, along with the eclectic edit of cushions.
Cushions, Wayfair and All Things Brighton Beautiful.
What do you think of this light and inviting family-friendly home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here A professional couple with a young daughter and newborn baby
Location Greenwich, London
Property A three-storey, 1970s home built in a neo-Georgian style
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a cloakroom
Designer Lindsey Roberts, interior designer and owner of Forrester Roberts Interior Design
Photos by Nick White
A well-functioning home is key to managing a busy lifestyle, particularly, as the owners of this house discovered, when you have a young family’s growing needs to cater for. “Overall, the owners wanted a welcoming family home filled with natural light, lots of practical storage and also a quiet work space, as one of the owners works almost exclusively from home,’ says Roberts.
The house is set over three floors, and the first area to be tackled was the ground floor, which originally consisted of a small kitchen and a separate living room. “The original kitchen was cramped – not ideal with a small child – and the back of the house, where the kitchen is, faces northwest, which meant it was very dark in the mornings.”
The solution was to remove the wall between the two rooms and create an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space (around 40 sq m in total) and allow the south-easterly light to flood in, particularly in the mornings.