Houzz Tour: A Period Home Gets an Era-appropriate Upgrade
When a design professional really clicks with a client, a special type of design magic can happen
“The homeowners had a really great input into this project and worked very closely with our interior designer, which I think is why it’s such a success,” designer Trevor Brown says.
He and his team undertook a complete renovation of this large, characterful house, but were careful to build the design around the property and the furniture and accessories the family already owned. An extension was added, but not to expand the footprint, only to replace a conservatory with a design more in keeping with the building and to improve the ground floor layout.
He and his team undertook a complete renovation of this large, characterful house, but were careful to build the design around the property and the furniture and accessories the family already owned. An extension was added, but not to expand the footprint, only to replace a conservatory with a design more in keeping with the building and to improve the ground floor layout.
The living room bay window facing the garden is positioned so the sofa back is level with the planting, giving a lovely sense of being part of the garden even when indoors.
“The sofa was pre-owned, so we designed the bay around it,” Trevor explains. “This was a big theme of the project – the owners had lots of lovely stuff, so it made sense to give it a better home.”
The window seat under the other bay seen here is also a lidded storage area. The grille stops the contents from getting musty.
Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
“The sofa was pre-owned, so we designed the bay around it,” Trevor explains. “This was a big theme of the project – the owners had lots of lovely stuff, so it made sense to give it a better home.”
The window seat under the other bay seen here is also a lidded storage area. The grille stops the contents from getting musty.
Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
This part of the new extension sits on the area that was previously a conservatory.
“The height of the living room [seen right, here] is defined by an existing bathroom above,” Trevor says. “It was low and cosy, so we wanted the contrast of a dramatic and tall dining room. We designed a roof lantern rather than a rooflight, which we felt would have looked too contemporary. This pitched wooden structure is in keeping with the period of the house.”
The family already owned the large dresser and this was factored into the design.
Originally, there was a wall between this space and the lounge. The plastered vertical in the back right of the room is the support.
Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
“The height of the living room [seen right, here] is defined by an existing bathroom above,” Trevor says. “It was low and cosy, so we wanted the contrast of a dramatic and tall dining room. We designed a roof lantern rather than a rooflight, which we felt would have looked too contemporary. This pitched wooden structure is in keeping with the period of the house.”
The family already owned the large dresser and this was factored into the design.
Originally, there was a wall between this space and the lounge. The plastered vertical in the back right of the room is the support.
Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
“The kitchen was relocated into the heart of the building, so that, from the island, you can see the front door, but also everyone in the dining and living rooms,” Trevor says.
“We find that dark [central] space in a house, where the kitchen now is, can get left behind, so it’s useful to put something functional there, because you need artificial light to use the room,” he says.
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“We find that dark [central] space in a house, where the kitchen now is, can get left behind, so it’s useful to put something functional there, because you need artificial light to use the room,” he says.
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Trevor worked closely with a kitchen designer appointed by the owners for this part of the house, shaping their plans to fit the space perfectly.
The two units that flank the chimney breast are storage; one is a breakfast cupboard. Almost out of sight here, on the right-hand wall, are units housing the fridge, freezer and larders. The mantel conceals an extractor fan.
Kitchen, Higham Furniture. Carrara marble splashback, Mandarin Stone. Walls, doors, skirting boards and architraves painted in China Clay Dark, Little Greene, and Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
The two units that flank the chimney breast are storage; one is a breakfast cupboard. Almost out of sight here, on the right-hand wall, are units housing the fridge, freezer and larders. The mantel conceals an extractor fan.
Kitchen, Higham Furniture. Carrara marble splashback, Mandarin Stone. Walls, doors, skirting boards and architraves painted in China Clay Dark, Little Greene, and Elephant’s Breath, Farrow & Ball.
The lights are attached to ceilings of different heights. “In an open plan space, one of the things you can do to create separation of spaces is [to vary] the ceiling heights,” Trevor explains. “In the kitchen, you don’t want to feel cramped, so we kept the ceiling as high as possible, then used the pendant lights to connect the spaces.”
Trevor introduced the glazed door and fanlight here to add another layer of openness.
“Because the front door faces north, we knew the entrance hall was unavoidably dark,” he says. “We suggested painting it a really rich, deep colour to indulge that – but then we also made all the openings as big as possible to get in some lovely views through the house and as much shared light as possible.”
“Because the front door faces north, we knew the entrance hall was unavoidably dark,” he says. “We suggested painting it a really rich, deep colour to indulge that – but then we also made all the openings as big as possible to get in some lovely views through the house and as much shared light as possible.”
The other side of the doors between the kitchen and hallway.
Gatsby floor tiles, Martin Moore Stone. Walls painted in Inchyra Blue, Farrow & Ball.
Gatsby floor tiles, Martin Moore Stone. Walls painted in Inchyra Blue, Farrow & Ball.
This boot room is on the left as you come in through the front door. Bespoke cabinetry conceals shoes, coats and so on.
The fireplace was originally in the chimney breast where the range cooker now sits and Trevor salvaged it for here.
Walls and woodwork painted in Charleston Gray, Farrow & Ball.
The fireplace was originally in the chimney breast where the range cooker now sits and Trevor salvaged it for here.
Walls and woodwork painted in Charleston Gray, Farrow & Ball.
On the opposite side of the hall, also at the front of the house, there’s a cosy reading room.
“We renovated this room completely and put in all the bespoke joinery to house the owners’ books,” Trevor says. “Because the room is north-facing – and taking into account the colour palette in the hall – we discussed with the owners how to make it really rich. It’s a room they use in the evenings, so it’s very cosy with the curtains pulled.”
The chevron parquet flooring seen here runs through the whole of the downstairs apart from the tiled hallway. “The owners chose a worn, organic finish and a rustic grain. It’s oak finished with a stain,” Trevor says. Underfloor heating warms the whole of the ground floor.
Chevron Antique Parquet Block floor, The Solid Wood Flooring Company. Walls, doors, skirting boards and joinery painted in Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball.
“We renovated this room completely and put in all the bespoke joinery to house the owners’ books,” Trevor says. “Because the room is north-facing – and taking into account the colour palette in the hall – we discussed with the owners how to make it really rich. It’s a room they use in the evenings, so it’s very cosy with the curtains pulled.”
The chevron parquet flooring seen here runs through the whole of the downstairs apart from the tiled hallway. “The owners chose a worn, organic finish and a rustic grain. It’s oak finished with a stain,” Trevor says. Underfloor heating warms the whole of the ground floor.
Chevron Antique Parquet Block floor, The Solid Wood Flooring Company. Walls, doors, skirting boards and joinery painted in Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball.
This study room/library is between the boot room and the living room. It’s predominantly for the children to use for homework. It has a big table and a great space to store all their books. The owners wanted a private space for them that retained some connection, so it also has a glazed door.
Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath; joinery painted in Green Smoke, both Farrow & Ball.
Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath; joinery painted in Green Smoke, both Farrow & Ball.
Trevor also created storage and a generous utility room in the basement, which doubles as an art room for the children, as it contains a large table (out of shot), where they can make lots of mess.
Upstairs, a newly configured master suite runs across the front of the house. Trevor’s team combined the original layout of two bedrooms and a bathroom to create a dressing room, an en suite and this room.
The entrance from the landing opens into the dressing room, which is in the middle of the suite. “What’s lovely about this,” Trevor says, “is that if someone gets up early, they can leave the bedroom and get dressed without disturbing the person still sleeping.”
Woodwork and walls painted in Inchyra Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The entrance from the landing opens into the dressing room, which is in the middle of the suite. “What’s lovely about this,” Trevor says, “is that if someone gets up early, they can leave the bedroom and get dressed without disturbing the person still sleeping.”
Woodwork and walls painted in Inchyra Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The dressing room is behind the headboard wall.
Wood flooring in the master bed, guest and children’s rooms, Nature Grey Oiled Oak, The Solid Wood Flooring Company.
Wood flooring in the master bed, guest and children’s rooms, Nature Grey Oiled Oak, The Solid Wood Flooring Company.
The en suite has marble-topped double basins and a walk-in shower. The design is in keeping with the look of the rest of the house.
Monastir Dove Gloss wall tiles, Mandarin Stone. Washstand, Neptune.
Monastir Dove Gloss wall tiles, Mandarin Stone. Washstand, Neptune.
The house has a half-level side to side, so the children’s rooms are broadly on the same floor, but just a few steps up.
Trevor worked very closely with the couple and their children to style these spaces.
Walls painted in Brassica, Farrow & Ball.
Trevor worked very closely with the couple and their children to style these spaces.
Walls painted in Brassica, Farrow & Ball.
This little guest room is tucked beneath the eaves of the house and the design very much references the richness of the whole scheme. “To paint a room like this white would be a missed opportunity,” Trevor says. “The richness of the materials and colours elsewhere would have made it feel odd to have a minimalist room up here.”
Wandle wallpaper, Morris & Co. Walls and woodwork painted in Dove Tale, Farrow & Ball.
Wandle wallpaper, Morris & Co. Walls and woodwork painted in Dove Tale, Farrow & Ball.
This is the family bathroom. “Because of the age of the house, we were looking to reference the era, so a freestanding bath felt natural,” Trevor says.
The details in the rest of the room also subtly echo this aim – for example, the floor tiles have a border. “It’s quite contemporary to have patterned tiles right up to the wall,” he says.
Similarly, the tiles on the wall are topped by a dado rail. “It’s not reproduction, but it references traditional details,” Trevor explains. “This is what brings it to life.”
Taps and shower sets in here and en suite, Just-Perrin. Basin; bath, both Burlington Edwardian range at QS Supplies. Walls and woodwork painted in Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball. Darwin Oxford Bone floor tiles; Monastir Dove Gloss wall tiles, all Mandarin Stone. Giralda Dado trim, Fired Earth.
The details in the rest of the room also subtly echo this aim – for example, the floor tiles have a border. “It’s quite contemporary to have patterned tiles right up to the wall,” he says.
Similarly, the tiles on the wall are topped by a dado rail. “It’s not reproduction, but it references traditional details,” Trevor explains. “This is what brings it to life.”
Taps and shower sets in here and en suite, Just-Perrin. Basin; bath, both Burlington Edwardian range at QS Supplies. Walls and woodwork painted in Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball. Darwin Oxford Bone floor tiles; Monastir Dove Gloss wall tiles, all Mandarin Stone. Giralda Dado trim, Fired Earth.
The garden was also redesigned. It contains multiple level changes, including a patio for outside dining and a series of gentle steps leading up to the garden studio/writing room, commissioned by Trevor. The steps are almost integrated with the adjacent flowerbeds, giving a real sense of connection between the different elements in the space.
Garden Studio, Malvern Garden Buildings.
Garden Studio, Malvern Garden Buildings.
From the front of the house, the half bay window is the boot room; the window on the right-hand side is the reading room.
Tell us…
Which details do you like best about this family home? Let us know in the Comments section.
Tell us…
Which details do you like best about this family home? Let us know in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A professional couple – one works in the City, the other is a writer – and their two teenage children
Location Muswell Hill, north London
Property A double-fronted Victorian terrace
Size Five bedrooms and three bathrooms
Architect Trevor Brown of Trevor Brown Architect
Contract works CR Building Contractors
Soft garden landscaping Alfie Bins Gardens
Photos by Adelina Iliev
“Like many older houses, the spaces downstairs were all separate. There wasn’t a good flow suitable for modern family living,” Trevor says.
The connection between inside and outside was also weak. “Just outside the original house, there was a really tall retaining wall, which completely separated the house from the garden,” he says. “Quite a lot of the project involved making a better connection between the reconfigured internal and external spaces.”
As such, the new extension added two bay windows to the back of the house, seen here.