Houzz Tour: A Triumphant Mix of Old and New Revives a Family Townhouse
Contemporary furniture and modern fixtures blend with period architecture in this large, open-plan family home
Lara Sargent
1 November 2015
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience writing for national magazines, newspapers and websites.
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience... More
When the owners of this large Victorian townhouse moved in, they had to decamp to the basement for two years while the upper floors underwent extensive building work to get the property looking and functioning exactly how they wished. And this was no mean feat, especially with three young children in tow.
Apart from the basement, the four-storey house had been empty for the previous few years and every floor was in desperate need of a complete overhaul. ‘The back-to-brick refurbishment included structural work, new windows and external doors, new electrics and plumbing, internal finishes, fitted furniture, interior decoration, external chemical clean, repointing and decoration,’ says designer Hannah Atcheson. Check out the stunning results for yourself.
Apart from the basement, the four-storey house had been empty for the previous few years and every floor was in desperate need of a complete overhaul. ‘The back-to-brick refurbishment included structural work, new windows and external doors, new electrics and plumbing, internal finishes, fitted furniture, interior decoration, external chemical clean, repointing and decoration,’ says designer Hannah Atcheson. Check out the stunning results for yourself.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A couple with three children
Location Kilburn, north London
Property A four-storey Victorian townhouse
Size 7 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a basement floor
Designer Hannah Atcheson
Builder Elgin & Ellis Limited
‘The house had many fantastic original features, but also many elements that needed replacing,’ explains designer Hannah Atcheson, who worked for many years with prestigious companies such as Ron Arad Associates and Foster + Partners before going solo.
Who lives here A couple with three children
Location Kilburn, north London
Property A four-storey Victorian townhouse
Size 7 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a basement floor
Designer Hannah Atcheson
Builder Elgin & Ellis Limited
‘The house had many fantastic original features, but also many elements that needed replacing,’ explains designer Hannah Atcheson, who worked for many years with prestigious companies such as Ron Arad Associates and Foster + Partners before going solo.
‘The open-plan ground floor, with a kitchen, dining area and living space, was the most important part of the brief,’ continues Atcheson. The project involved extensive structural work, including two, large-scale wall openings (between the kitchen and dining area, and the dining area and living room) to make it open-plan, and the strengthening of the walls flanking the staircase. ‘We had to gain both planning permission and building control approval,’ she adds.
The walls in the hall and on the stairway are painted in an off-white. The original banister simply needed sanding and revarnishing to bring back all its glory.
Paint, Little Greene.
Paint, Little Greene.
‘We tried to retain the fabric of the building,’ explains Atcheson, ‘and had the new windows, front door, cornicing and fireplaces designed to be in keeping with the period style. The furniture and fittings are modern to make an interesting juxtaposition with the traditional architectural elements.’
Dining table, West Elm. Children’s chairs, Tripp Trapp.
Dining table, West Elm. Children’s chairs, Tripp Trapp.
The furniture is a mix of contemporary design classics and good-looking high street buys. This clever combination creates an interesting and family-friendly space within the Victorian house.
Sofa, Espacio. Floor lamps, Ikea. Componibili side tables, Kartell.
Sofa, Espacio. Floor lamps, Ikea. Componibili side tables, Kartell.
‘The biggest challenge for the client was living with the construction and having to walk through the building site to the shower in the morning during the winter months,’ says Atcheson. ‘For me, it was arranging the party wall negotiations with five different neighbours (which is incredibly tedious and time intensive), and getting the desired result within budget.’
The living room curtains were handmade by the client, who is quite nifty on the sewing machine and saved thousands of pounds in the process. The chaise longue was a gift from friends. The flooring is smoked oak, from a company that has now closed.
Paint, Little Greene. Rug, Ikea.
The living room curtains were handmade by the client, who is quite nifty on the sewing machine and saved thousands of pounds in the process. The chaise longue was a gift from friends. The flooring is smoked oak, from a company that has now closed.
Paint, Little Greene. Rug, Ikea.
‘There had been a very ugly, tiled fireplace with an electric fire in the living room,’ says Atcheson, ‘so we removed it and chose a fireplace in keeping with the original period of the house.’
The client has been collecting art since her schooldays, and many of the pieces seen here were gifts from her friends in the art world.
Discover how to style a period fireplace
The client has been collecting art since her schooldays, and many of the pieces seen here were gifts from her friends in the art world.
Discover how to style a period fireplace
‘We wanted to give the client’s art collection a neutral backdrop,’ says Atcheson. ‘But we did need a few dots of colour. Funnily enough, it was the colour that found us rather than vice versa. A lot of the client’s paintings have traces of orange in them, so we chose that colour for the cupboard doors under the bookshelves.’
The freestanding bookcase with orange base units is from Ikea, and fits perfectly into the space, while the green of the curtains came as a counterbalance to this, bringing the colours from the garden inside. The original Thonet chairs were found by the client in a skip.
See 10 reasons to work woodland tones into your home
Ceiling pendant light, Prandina.
The freestanding bookcase with orange base units is from Ikea, and fits perfectly into the space, while the green of the curtains came as a counterbalance to this, bringing the colours from the garden inside. The original Thonet chairs were found by the client in a skip.
See 10 reasons to work woodland tones into your home
Ceiling pendant light, Prandina.
Still in its original location, the kitchen used to be accessed from the hallway. Now, it’s part of the ground floor open-plan space, with plain white units from Ikea offset with quartz worktops and an olive green, back-painted glass splashback.
‘As with many families, the kitchen is the heart of the house,’ says Atcheson. ‘And the clients love to cook, bake and entertain, spending a considerable amount of time in here. We wanted to give the cook the experience of looking out while preparing food rather than facing a wall, so we positioned the hob on the island facing the window. We also wanted to leave space around this old window with its lovely panelling. It has simply been re-sashed with new, double-glazed units.’
‘As with many families, the kitchen is the heart of the house,’ says Atcheson. ‘And the clients love to cook, bake and entertain, spending a considerable amount of time in here. We wanted to give the cook the experience of looking out while preparing food rather than facing a wall, so we positioned the hob on the island facing the window. We also wanted to leave space around this old window with its lovely panelling. It has simply been re-sashed with new, double-glazed units.’
This modest-sized kitchen was carefully planned to make it as functional as possible. ‘The double-height units are great in tall rooms for increasing storage. And a little slot for a stepladder was integrated into the island, so the tallest cabinets can easily be reached,’ says Atcheson. ‘The island allows the cook to speak to people in the dining area from the kitchen, and it works very well for when the children are helping with biscuit decorating, as they can sit around three sides.’
A beautiful stained glass window on the landing is original to the house and brings masses of light into the stairwell. The stair treads have been finished with Treatex hardwax oil and contrast with the risers, which have been painted in a white eggshell.
In the main bedroom, the owners wanted a calm, light-filled and fresh look. Touches of olive green with the homemade curtains and bedspread echo the earthy palette elsewhere in the house.
Throughout the upper levels, the flooring consists of the original pine boards, sanded and treated with hardwax oil.
Shelves, Ikea.
Throughout the upper levels, the flooring consists of the original pine boards, sanded and treated with hardwax oil.
Shelves, Ikea.
‘This fireplace is not original to the house, but was retiled to match the master bedroom’s palette,’ says Atcheson. The customised bed is made up of two Ikea beds fitted together to create a 160cm-wide design.
Bed; bedside tables, all Ikea. Tray table, WMF.
Discover ways to add 21st-century lighting to a period property
Bed; bedside tables, all Ikea. Tray table, WMF.
Discover ways to add 21st-century lighting to a period property
The spacious bathroom can be accessed from both the master bedroom and the landing. It’s a lovely, relaxing space with a huge tub to soak in and a sleek shower for an invigorating wash. The William Morris wallpaper behind the bath adds a vintage touch to the scheme.
Fruit wallpaper by Morris, Wallpaper Direct.
Fruit wallpaper by Morris, Wallpaper Direct.
Made up of an Ikea console table with a sheet of glass and basin on top, this customised unit creates a wonderful focal point in the bathroom.
‘I designed everything, including the customised pieces, which the builders then built,’ says Atcheson. ‘The mirrored wall cabinet is another custom-made design, with integrated LED lighting behind the edges of the mirror. This means the space can be gently lit without the main ceiling lights being turned on.’
Basin, Duravit. Shower screen, Vessini. Tiles, Pietra di Fiandra.
‘I designed everything, including the customised pieces, which the builders then built,’ says Atcheson. ‘The mirrored wall cabinet is another custom-made design, with integrated LED lighting behind the edges of the mirror. This means the space can be gently lit without the main ceiling lights being turned on.’
Basin, Duravit. Shower screen, Vessini. Tiles, Pietra di Fiandra.
One of the younger girl’s bedrooms is on the first floor and is pretty without being too ultra-feminine. ‘It is predominantly white with touches of pink, but only in items that can easily be exchanged,’ says Atcheson. ‘Little girls change their minds on a whim!’ There are two additional bedrooms on this floor, one of which is currently being used as a study.
Bed; rug, both Ikea.
Bed; rug, both Ikea.
Four further bedrooms and a bathroom are on the second floor, and the children’s rooms all feature clean white walls and Ikea furniture, with splashes of colour in the accessories. In this room, the cushions and curtains are all homemade from Ikea fabrics.
Rug, Ikea.
Rug, Ikea.
‘We wanted to keep the guest room neutral so it would appeal to many different people,’ says the designer.
Bed; desk; chair; bedside table; wardrobe, all Ikea.
Bed; desk; chair; bedside table; wardrobe, all Ikea.
A fun-filled girl’s bedroom includes the Lovely Rita shelf by Kartell and homemade curtains. It has the same white walls as the other rooms, with accessories used to add character.
Rug, Ikea. Shelf by Kartell, available from Nest.
Rug, Ikea. Shelf by Kartell, available from Nest.
The children’s bathroom is a neat, stylish and functional space on the second floor.
Wall-hung sink and toilet, Duravit. Bath, Kaldewei. Mirrored cabinets, Ikea.
TELL US…
What do you think of the renovation of this Victorian townhouse? Tell us in the Comments below.
Wall-hung sink and toilet, Duravit. Bath, Kaldewei. Mirrored cabinets, Ikea.
TELL US…
What do you think of the renovation of this Victorian townhouse? Tell us in the Comments below.
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From what I see, the only old element is the house and piano; the furnishings are all quite modern.
Good potential and well designed space. The real decoration will come with the time! Enjoy!
Old and new mix really well here !