Houzz Tour: A Home Revamped for a Family’s Changing Needs
Updated designs, added storage and accessible features give a Victorian house a new lease of life
Before they found interior designer David Massingham of Decorbuddi on Houzz, the owners of this Victorian house had a dilemma – should they renovate or should they move? Their home had last been renovated when their children were young, but 10 years on and their needs had changed. With elderly grandparents who visit frequently, a teen at home and one at university, a husband who now works from home, and a wife who’s semi-retired, the house required some rethinking.
After speaking with David, they decided to stay and renovate. “The term ‘new era’ came to mind when I was planning the project,” David says, “and a couple of weeks in, the main client [the wife] said it, too.” Clearly on the same page, the owners and David worked together to transform the family’s house to make it a place they felt happy to stay in for the next phase of their lives.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
After speaking with David, they decided to stay and renovate. “The term ‘new era’ came to mind when I was planning the project,” David says, “and a couple of weeks in, the main client [the wife] said it, too.” Clearly on the same page, the owners and David worked together to transform the family’s house to make it a place they felt happy to stay in for the next phase of their lives.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The existing kitchen cabinet veneers were tired and dirty, so David had them sanded and bleached.
Find the perfect pro for your renovation in the Houzz Professionals Directory and read reviews from previous clients.
Find the perfect pro for your renovation in the Houzz Professionals Directory and read reviews from previous clients.
An ochre wall beside the stairs complements a green wall opposite. The owners had lots of beautiful artwork in storage, so David curated some of their favourite pieces around the home. The colours in these two London paintings work perfectly with the yellow backdrop.
It was important for the owners that the home felt like their own, rather than just an interior designed project, so he made sure their treasured objects and personalities shone through.
Ochre wall painted in Bassoon, Little Greene.
It was important for the owners that the home felt like their own, rather than just an interior designed project, so he made sure their treasured objects and personalities shone through.
Ochre wall painted in Bassoon, Little Greene.
Another painting in the living room helps to bring the yellow hues into this space and is toned with green and yellow cushions on the sofa below.
David cleaned up the existing cabinetry above and to the side of the fireplace, then used materials and textures around the room, such as wood, metal and leather, to make the concrete fireplace feel part of the space.
“Materiality was very important in the house, and I used wood, leather, glass and stone throughout,” he says. The shelves, for example, have been backed with leather to give them a lovely depth and texture.
An ottoman was made bespoke and covered in a pale blue fabric, and David had two side tables sanded and painted to match.
Genesis rug in Fog / Soft Mint, Jaipur Rugs. Rambler leather (behind books) in Seaweed, Edelman. Walls painted in Portland Stone, Little Greene.
“Materiality was very important in the house, and I used wood, leather, glass and stone throughout,” he says. The shelves, for example, have been backed with leather to give them a lovely depth and texture.
An ottoman was made bespoke and covered in a pale blue fabric, and David had two side tables sanded and painted to match.
Genesis rug in Fog / Soft Mint, Jaipur Rugs. Rambler leather (behind books) in Seaweed, Edelman. Walls painted in Portland Stone, Little Greene.
The husband loves cycling, so David designed some storage for his bikes in the basement. “This is now an activity area with plenty of storage and space for pilates,” David says. “He can wheel his bikes straight through the snug [out of shot] and into the street.”
Clug bike clips, Hornit.
Clug bike clips, Hornit.
The hallway walls were originally painted in a seaside blue and the stairs and woodwork were gloss white. David wanted to restore the room’s Victorian character and highlight the gorgeous front door and tiles, so chose a complementary colour for the walls.
Wall below dado rail painted in Etruscan Red, Farrow & Ball. Remaining walls painted in Mochi, Little Greene.
Wall below dado rail painted in Etruscan Red, Farrow & Ball. Remaining walls painted in Mochi, Little Greene.
David sanded back the stairs and tried six different stain shades before finding the right one – a dark oak colour that adds depth to the space. He had runners made for all the stairs in the house.
Woodville stair runner, Woven & Woods. Console, One World.
Woodville stair runner, Woven & Woods. Console, One World.
The teenage son’s bedroom has a cubism theme. “I interviewed all the family and asked them what they wanted in their rooms,” David says. “I showed the son the wallcovering and he really liked it.”
Ascain fabric on headboard, Pierre Frey. Kirigami wallpaper, Osborne & Little. Bedding, H&M. Cushions, John Lewis & Partners.
Ascain fabric on headboard, Pierre Frey. Kirigami wallpaper, Osborne & Little. Bedding, H&M. Cushions, John Lewis & Partners.
The son needed a lot of storage for all his activity equipment, so David designed a wall of bespoke cabinetry around the bed. The padded headboard fits exactly into the space, while LED strips add a modern touch.
Joinery designed in collaboration with Digital Furniture.
Joinery designed in collaboration with Digital Furniture.
In the spare room, a large piece of joinery was completely clogging up the space, so David removed it and designed bespoke storage instead. He also moved the bed from where it was positioned by the chimney breast to the opposite wall.
Wallcoverings were framed to add pattern without overwhelming the space, and David picked out those colours in the room’s textiles.
Swahili Grand wallcovering, Pierre Frey. Ottoman upholstered in Varese Lambusa fabric in Cobalt, Designers Guild.
Wallcoverings were framed to add pattern without overwhelming the space, and David picked out those colours in the room’s textiles.
Swahili Grand wallcovering, Pierre Frey. Ottoman upholstered in Varese Lambusa fabric in Cobalt, Designers Guild.
In the husband’s office David chose a bamboo-weave wallpaper to give it a luxurious mood and had a rug made bespoke.
Armchair, Vinterior; reupholstered in Milano fabric, Dedar. Ruban wallpaper, Arte. Bespoke rug, Sacco.
Armchair, Vinterior; reupholstered in Milano fabric, Dedar. Ruban wallpaper, Arte. Bespoke rug, Sacco.
David designed a curved desk and shelf in MDF and had it sprayed with metal paint by a specialist company. By doing it this way, there are no joins in the piece and it looks lovely and smooth.
Desk designed in collaboration with Digital Furniture. Liquid metal surface, Revelare.
Desk designed in collaboration with Digital Furniture. Liquid metal surface, Revelare.
The main bedroom is a large space, so David wanted to make the most of it. The artwork above the fireplace was already there, so he used that and the fireplace tiles as the starting point for the room’s colour scheme.
“I decided to put in a huge floor-to-ceiling headboard covered in a patterned fabric,” he says. “It’s like a piece of artwork.”
The walls are lined with a woven wallcovering, which adds another layer of luxury to the space.
Nongo wallpaper in warm white, Arte. Headboard covered in Sinop fabric in turquoise, Pierre Frey. Wall lights, John Lewis & Partners. Bedside lamps, Dunelm. Bespoke rug, Sacco.
“I decided to put in a huge floor-to-ceiling headboard covered in a patterned fabric,” he says. “It’s like a piece of artwork.”
The walls are lined with a woven wallcovering, which adds another layer of luxury to the space.
Nongo wallpaper in warm white, Arte. Headboard covered in Sinop fabric in turquoise, Pierre Frey. Wall lights, John Lewis & Partners. Bedside lamps, Dunelm. Bespoke rug, Sacco.
The beautiful bay window was the perfect place for a window seat, so David designed one to match the existing Victorian wardrobes. The couple can now open the shutters, which were previously hard to access.
Window seat painted in Teresa’s Green, Farrow & Ball. Seat pad covered in Chenille Saint Germain fabric in Tempete, Pierre Frey.
Window seat painted in Teresa’s Green, Farrow & Ball. Seat pad covered in Chenille Saint Germain fabric in Tempete, Pierre Frey.
As the couple’s elderly parents often come to stay, they were keen to make the bathroom accessible. “We found this walk-in bath from a company in Italy,” David says.
The owner chose the tiles, so David worked with the design to turn them into a feature. “It would have been overpowering to have them everywhere, so I created a pattern within the plain tiles,” he says. “I then did the floor as a reverse of the wall.”
Iris walk-in bath, Novellini. Vanity unit, Scudo. Akara Geo tiles in white and blue, Victorian Plumbing.
More: How to Futureproof Your Bathroom
The owner chose the tiles, so David worked with the design to turn them into a feature. “It would have been overpowering to have them everywhere, so I created a pattern within the plain tiles,” he says. “I then did the floor as a reverse of the wall.”
Iris walk-in bath, Novellini. Vanity unit, Scudo. Akara Geo tiles in white and blue, Victorian Plumbing.
More: How to Futureproof Your Bathroom
The daughter’s bedroom is on the top floor. She’s at university, so David included a desk in the room so she can study when she’s home. “She said she’d like a shabby chic look and loves green,” he says.
The green textured wallpaper and blind frame the leafy view outside, and work well with the pink hues elsewhere.
Tangram Bounty wallcovering, Arte. Ashfield blind fabric in Pear, Linwood. Bespoke rug, Sacco. Desk made in collaboration with Digital Furniture. Storage bed, Loaf.
The green textured wallpaper and blind frame the leafy view outside, and work well with the pink hues elsewhere.
Tangram Bounty wallcovering, Arte. Ashfield blind fabric in Pear, Linwood. Bespoke rug, Sacco. Desk made in collaboration with Digital Furniture. Storage bed, Loaf.
David designed a wardrobe with curved doors and extended these into the en suite, creating a “world within a world”. The curves are also replicated on the headboard. “All the curves are the exact same circumference of a circle, so it feels harmonious and satisfying to look at,” he says.
The en suite pocket door is covered in the same wallpaper as the rest of the room, so it disappears when closed.
So how do the owners feel about their newly renovated house? “They love it and said they felt instantly comfortable in it,” David says. “The wife told the joinery company ‘David has transformed my home’.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite room in this Victorian house? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The en suite pocket door is covered in the same wallpaper as the rest of the room, so it disappears when closed.
So how do the owners feel about their newly renovated house? “They love it and said they felt instantly comfortable in it,” David says. “The wife told the joinery company ‘David has transformed my home’.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite room in this Victorian house? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family with two children
Location North London
Property A late Victorian townhouse
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer David Massingham of
Decorbuddi
Photos by KT1 Photography
The living areas in the house are on two levels, plus there’s a basement level.
There was a wallcovering already in place in the dining area, which the owners wanted to keep. It felt a little alone, so David used the colours as inspiration for the rest of the space, which helped to bring it into the room. He picked out the green tones in the design with an olive skirting board, and added more green and yellow elsewhere.
Skirting boards painted in Bancha, Farrow & Ball.