Houzz Tour: A Small Victorian Garden Flat Gains Space and Light
From a damp, dark basement to a beautiful, warm home with lots of light-flooded space, this London flat has been on quite a journey…
‘When you came into this flat before, you sensed you were in a basement,’ says Lisette Voûte, who redesigned this ground-floor apartment in south London to make it bigger, brighter and more efficient. ‘It felt dark and there was damp. I knew I needed to lighten it all up massively.’
Voûte increased the flat’s footprint with an extension at the back and across the side return that now contains a bedroom and bathroom. Then she treated the space to a complete overhaul, investing in luxury fabrics and quality materials, but cleverly saving funds here and there, too, with ingenious upcycling and smart design. ‘The main aim of this build was to get rid of the damp and extend the place to make it feel so much lighter,’ says Voûte. ‘I then picked a look that had the country feel the owner liked, but was more crisp and fresh.’
Voûte increased the flat’s footprint with an extension at the back and across the side return that now contains a bedroom and bathroom. Then she treated the space to a complete overhaul, investing in luxury fabrics and quality materials, but cleverly saving funds here and there, too, with ingenious upcycling and smart design. ‘The main aim of this build was to get rid of the damp and extend the place to make it feel so much lighter,’ says Voûte. ‘I then picked a look that had the country feel the owner liked, but was more crisp and fresh.’
Voûte built this window seat in the living room’s bay. ‘It creates a handy dining nook,’ she says. ‘The bench lifts up and there’s storage inside.’
Blinds made with fabric from Robert Allen. Seats covered in fabric from Schumacher.
Why every home can benefit from a space-saving bench or banquette
Blinds made with fabric from Robert Allen. Seats covered in fabric from Schumacher.
Why every home can benefit from a space-saving bench or banquette
The kitchen used to be accessed via the corridor, but now double doors connect it to the living room. ‘It’s a better use of space and you get more kitchen out of it,’ says Voûte. ‘Light flows from the bay window at the front right through to the kitchen now.’
The doors are a sliding, pocket design. ‘Doors can steal space,’ says Voûte, ‘and doors through to a kitchen are rarely closed, so it made sense to fit sliding ones.’
To save money and make the space completely personal, Voûte sourced an inexpensive sofa, which she had reupholstered in beautiful fabric. ‘It’s a relaxed corduroy,’ she says, ‘a modern version of a traditional fabric.’ The cushions are a contemporary take on the typical country look. ‘The patterns are painterly florals with a slightly abstract feel, not chintzy or traditional,’ Voûte adds.
Sofa, Sofas & Stuff; upholstered in Munro fabric, Zoffany. Green cushion covered in fabric from Colefax & Fowler. Small cushions covered in fabric from Robert Allen.
The doors are a sliding, pocket design. ‘Doors can steal space,’ says Voûte, ‘and doors through to a kitchen are rarely closed, so it made sense to fit sliding ones.’
To save money and make the space completely personal, Voûte sourced an inexpensive sofa, which she had reupholstered in beautiful fabric. ‘It’s a relaxed corduroy,’ she says, ‘a modern version of a traditional fabric.’ The cushions are a contemporary take on the typical country look. ‘The patterns are painterly florals with a slightly abstract feel, not chintzy or traditional,’ Voûte adds.
Sofa, Sofas & Stuff; upholstered in Munro fabric, Zoffany. Green cushion covered in fabric from Colefax & Fowler. Small cushions covered in fabric from Robert Allen.
‘The owner spent most on the renovation work and quality fabrics,’ says Voûte. ‘We saved on other things.’ She found the second-hand chest of drawers, for example, online for about £200, then had it revived by a French polisher.
Voûte had a radiator cover built, which now fulfils two functions. ‘It covers an ugly radiator,’ she says, ‘but it also acts as a console table. I was going to put a console here, but in the end I just got a slightly deeper cover fitted. It’s 45cm wide, so it acts like a table, providing a place for lamps while concealing the radiator, too.’
Discover 10 stylish ways to incorporate radiators
Discover 10 stylish ways to incorporate radiators
The kitchen was really dated and had mismatched worktops when Voûte first saw this flat. ‘We decided to save on the kitchen,’ she says. ‘I sourced plain, untreated wooden cabinets and then the builders painted them, so it’s a hand-painted kitchen. Suddenly, the quality leaps!’
Voûte chose smart polished nickel knobs and then ramped up the luxe factor with a beautiful Carrara marble splashback and worktop.
Kitchen, Homebase. Wall units painted in Lead III; base units in Lead IV; walls in Lead II, all Paint & Paper Library.
Voûte chose smart polished nickel knobs and then ramped up the luxe factor with a beautiful Carrara marble splashback and worktop.
Kitchen, Homebase. Wall units painted in Lead III; base units in Lead IV; walls in Lead II, all Paint & Paper Library.
The spare bedroom is warmed by a soft raspberry and coral scheme. The antique chest of drawers was another of Voûte’s canny buys, costing just £80 online and not requiring any renovation.
Walls painted in Matchstick, Farrow & Ball. Bed, Ikea. Lamp, Vaughan. Bed linen, The White Company.
Walls painted in Matchstick, Farrow & Ball. Bed, Ikea. Lamp, Vaughan. Bed linen, The White Company.
Double French windows open off the spare bedroom onto a light well in what used to be the side return. The chair belongs to the same set as those in the dining nook. ‘I bought two extra chairs and put one in here and one in the hallway, so if the owner has friends over for dinner, she can pull them in,’ says Voûte.
‘Plain fabric tends to be cheaper than patterned, so I chose a plain for the curtains, as I was sticking to a more modest budget for this room,’ says Voûte. ‘I then added pattern through the cushions.’
Curtains made from Linara fabric in Raspberry, Romo. Seat and cushion covered in fabric from Kravet.
‘Plain fabric tends to be cheaper than patterned, so I chose a plain for the curtains, as I was sticking to a more modest budget for this room,’ says Voûte. ‘I then added pattern through the cushions.’
Curtains made from Linara fabric in Raspberry, Romo. Seat and cushion covered in fabric from Kravet.
Voûte teamed a simple divan bed with a custom-made headboard. The headboard is covered with a soft wool fabric, with antique brass studwork.
Voûte bought the bedside table unfinished, then had it stained and polished by a French polisher for an antique look.
Divan bed, John Lewis. Wool fabric on headboard, Nobilis. Bedside table, Scumble Goosie. Walls painted in Bone China Blue Mid, Little Greene. Geometric cushions covered in fabric from Schumacher. Floral cushion covered in fabric from Travers Collection, Zimmer + Rohde.
Voûte bought the bedside table unfinished, then had it stained and polished by a French polisher for an antique look.
Divan bed, John Lewis. Wool fabric on headboard, Nobilis. Bedside table, Scumble Goosie. Walls painted in Bone China Blue Mid, Little Greene. Geometric cushions covered in fabric from Schumacher. Floral cushion covered in fabric from Travers Collection, Zimmer + Rohde.
The master bedroom was expanded by extending into the side return. Velux windows above the bed, just seen in the mirror, allow in masses of natural light. They are fitted with blackout blinds and controlled with a remote. ‘So you don’t have to stand on the bed to shut the blinds!’ says Voûte.
Chest of drawers, The Cotswold Company. Mirror, Oka.
Chest of drawers, The Cotswold Company. Mirror, Oka.
French windows open onto the garden at the back of the flat and allow in lots of light. ‘We replaced all the door knobs and handles with beautiful designs in materials such as brass,’ says Voûte. ‘It gives a feeling of quality to the flat, and looks warm and lovely.’
Curtains in fabric from Travers Collection, Zimmer + Rohde.
Curtains in fabric from Travers Collection, Zimmer + Rohde.
Voûte designed floor-to-ceiling storage for the master bedroom, and added curved shelves to prevent it looking too solid. ‘Now the wardrobes don’t darken the entrance to the room or appear to block it,’ she says.
The master bathroom was built into the new extension and has a frameless shower for a wet room feel. Voûte used the same Carrara marble tiles as in the kitchen for a touch of luxe. ‘They are very light and easy to work with,’ she says.
Shower, Lefroy Brooks.
Shower, Lefroy Brooks.
Voûte had the basin unit made to fit the master bathroom, with a marble top and space for big baskets underneath. She also chose quality taps. ‘It makes such a difference to the room to have decent brassware,’ she says.
Taps, Lefroy Brooks. Baskets, The White Company. Basin unit painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
Taps, Lefroy Brooks. Baskets, The White Company. Basin unit painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
The oval-shaped bathroom window adds quirky charm to the rear of the property.
The second bathroom, which opens off the hallway, originally had a pedestal basin in this alcove. ‘It was a bit useless, as there was no storage,’ says Voûte. Instead, she had a basin unit containing a cupboard built in, while a tall, slim cupboard behind, just visible in the mirror, provides additional storage.
Tap, Lefroy Brooks. Basin unit painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
Tap, Lefroy Brooks. Basin unit painted in Light Blue, Farrow & Ball.
There’s a shower over the bath in the second bathroom, and the same luxury marble tiles and quality brassware as used in the master bathroom.
Shower, Lefroy Brooks.
Shower, Lefroy Brooks.
TELL US…
What do you like about this serene garden flat? Add your thoughts to the Comments below.
What do you like about this serene garden flat? Add your thoughts to the Comments below.
Who lives here A professional woman
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Location Fulham, south London
Designer Lisette Voûte of Lisette Voûte Designs
Photography Nick George
‘Before, everything in this flat was beige,’ says Lisette Voûte. ‘I wanted to use some colour to make it feel fun, bright and warm, but also to keep the space really light.’
Voûte chose pale green for the walls with touches of slate blue throughout. She kept the tongue and groove that ran around the living space, continuing it out into the hallway, but painted it crisp white. ‘It elevates the room, making it feel lighter and providing a break in the wall and another feature in the room,’ she says. Voûte also painted the fireplace fresh white and installed a solid slab of limestone as a hearth to replace broken black tiles. ‘It looks much cleaner now,’ she says.
The only piece of furniture the owner brought to this house was a chest that had belonged to her grandmother. ‘It was quite pale, so I took it to my French polisher and he polished it up,’ says Voûte. It now works as a beautiful coffee table.
Walls painted in Willow II, Paint & Paper Library. Rug, Alternative Flooring. Mirror, Out There Interiors.