Houzz Tour: A Grand New Build is Treated to a Sumptuous Makeover
Interior designer Louise Jones worked closely with the owner of this South Kensington home to create a unique, contemporary look
Louise Jones spent three years designing the interior of this spacious new build, but with 16,500 sq ft to work with, the challenge was to create a sumptuous yet contemporary scheme, that didn’t look like a hotel lobby!
‘I enjoy designing with my clients and this was very much a collaborative effort,’ says Louise. ‘The owner wanted the house to look modern, but still very welcoming. We decided to use a mixture of antique and bespoke pieces with a refreshing palette of greys, silvers and off-whites, which develops as you move through the house.’
Completed in 2010, the result is a voluminous open-plan family home with a unique, contemporary feel that, crucially, still manages to feel cosy.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A family with two daughters
Location South Kensington, London
Designer Louise Jones
Size 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms over 5 floors
‘I enjoy designing with my clients and this was very much a collaborative effort,’ says Louise. ‘The owner wanted the house to look modern, but still very welcoming. We decided to use a mixture of antique and bespoke pieces with a refreshing palette of greys, silvers and off-whites, which develops as you move through the house.’
Completed in 2010, the result is a voluminous open-plan family home with a unique, contemporary feel that, crucially, still manages to feel cosy.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A family with two daughters
Location South Kensington, London
Designer Louise Jones
Size 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms over 5 floors
Louise decided to use fabric on the walls of the main drawing room to give it a more formal look than the rest of the house. ‘We wanted this room to feel elegant, but still welcoming, so we chose a modern fabric from Donghia in a lovely shade of power blue,’ she says. ‘We were after a pretty look, with lots of textures and layering.’ The rooms in this house are very large, so Louise commissioned a lot of the furniture for them. ‘It meant we could get pieces that are much larger than standard designs made,’ she explains. The bespoke curved sofa is from The Upholstery Studio in London and the chandelier is from Dernier & Hamlyn.
The rooms in the house have grand proportions, so Louise decided to zone some of them to create smaller, more intimate sections. ‘This music area is an elegant spot and it breaks up the drawing room in a coherent way,’ she says. The bespoke chairs are from Christian Liaigre.
This seating area is adjacent to the dining room. ‘It is a space to gather in after dinner,’ says Louise, ‘so I wanted to make it feel homely and intimate, but a little bit serous, as well.’ The walls are polished plaster and Louise decided to make the colour scheme slightly heavier and darker than the drawing room, which has a more airy, ‘daytime’ feel. ‘The rooms are very big and we were frightened of the whole house ending up looking like a hotel!’ says Louise. ‘We needed good shapes and rich colours to make it feel cosy.’ Louise commissioned the sofa from The Upholstery Studio.
Louise had the oversized dining table made in California by specialist company, Nakashima, which was founded by American artist-craftsman George Nakashima. ‘There was a bit of a waiting list for it,’ says Louise, ‘but it’s a very special piece and was totally worth hanging on for.’ The chairs were created bespoke by Bampton Design in London to perfectly suit the table.
Downstairs, the kitchen-diner has a more modern, slightly Asian feel than the other interiors. ‘I have taken the colours from upstairs, but gone a bit more earthy with them here,’ says Louise. ‘This is designed to be a relaxed area where the family can gather for informal dining and to watch TV, but I didn’t want to compromise on style or have it looking too “kitcheny”,’ she says. The solution was a few luxurious touches like the walnut island overlaid with stone sourced from India. The monolithic style dining table is from Linda Bird in Richmond and the kitchen was designed by Candice Sevenus of Quantum Fitted Furniture in Twickenham.
Up in the eaves on the top floor are the two children’s rooms. ‘I wanted to make this part of the house feel different from the other rooms,’ says Louise, ‘so I gave it a lovely French feel with chalky paints in a light, fresh palette.’ She used a lime-based casein paint, which has a soft, chalky texture, and she found the large leather trunk from Guinevere Antiques in Chelsea.
‘The owner was quite specific about the master bedroom,’ says Louise. ‘She wanted it to be a grey and white boudoir.’ To give this room its unique charm, Louise used a cross-drag paint effect on the walls to create the textured look of linen. The chandelier is from Maison Artefact in Fulham and the wooden flooring, just seen, is walnut.
See creative lighting ideas for bedrooms
See creative lighting ideas for bedrooms
Louise chose taffeta curtains from Ralph Lauren and found the French chest of drawers at Maison Artefact. ‘I did not want this corner of the master bedroom to feel cluttered, so I kept it simple but sumptuous,’ she says. The white chair was commissioned from The Upholstery Studio.
‘We had a bit of fun with the guest bedroom,’ says Louise. ‘You don’t live in here every day so it’s a chance to be a bit more daring! I would describe this room as safari chic with a bit of Ralph Lauren, too.’ To get the look, Louise used natural woven grasscloth on the wall from Altfield and hung linen curtains with rope tab tops to complete the look.
The main bathroom has a luxurious feel and features a freestanding limestone bath from Limestone Gallery. ‘I wanted to create a lovely ambient effect in this room,’ says Louise, ‘so I have worked in a mixture of interesting lighting effects.’
Check out 10 more beautiful bath tubs
Which room is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments below.
Check out 10 more beautiful bath tubs
Which room is your favourite? Let us know in the Comments below.