Houzz Tour: A Victorian Family Home With Clutter-busting Storage
Clever storage hides everything – including the hob – in this family home, so the beautiful materials and soothing colours can shine
Louisa Grey of House of Grey interior design was gutsy to live in her four-storey Victorian house while renovation work was going on: she gave birth to her son in the middle of the six-month project. But being a designer, she wanted to make sure that every single detail of the project was as she envisioned it. ‘I was definitely lacking in sleep,’ she laughs, ‘but there were a lot of things about the detailing that I wasn’t willing to let go of.’
When Grey took on the project, the plasterwork had to be completely redone and a whole new plumbing system needed to be installed. The house was stripped to its bones and, with the addition of four steel structures, the lowest level was extended into the garden by three metres. After playing with seven different potential layouts and incorporating clever closed storage ideas, Grey now has a clutter-free home – despite the assortment of vintage and custom-made items she’s collected along the way.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Louisa Grey, her partner and their 18-month-old son
Location Islington, north London
Property A Victorian house built in 1864
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms;2,800 sq ft
Project completed 2015
Total cost £360,000
Interior designer Louisa Grey ofHouse of Grey
Architect George Evennett
Kitchen Jamie Blake of Blakes London
When building work started, the house hadn’t been touched for many years. ‘We pulled off the wallpaper and it was like going back to the 1970s,’ Louisa Grey says. ‘It was wild! There was an avocado, a peach and a lemon-coloured bathroom. It was like you’d stepped onto a film set.’
Basin, Catalano. Mirror, vintage.
Who lives here Louisa Grey, her partner and their 18-month-old son
Location Islington, north London
Property A Victorian house built in 1864
Size 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms;2,800 sq ft
Project completed 2015
Total cost £360,000
Interior designer Louisa Grey ofHouse of Grey
Architect George Evennett
Kitchen Jamie Blake of Blakes London
When building work started, the house hadn’t been touched for many years. ‘We pulled off the wallpaper and it was like going back to the 1970s,’ Louisa Grey says. ‘It was wild! There was an avocado, a peach and a lemon-coloured bathroom. It was like you’d stepped onto a film set.’
Basin, Catalano. Mirror, vintage.
Upstairs there are four bedrooms and three bathrooms. This is the master bedroom. ‘There are lots of hidden cupboards. There’s an old joke between me and my friends about all the rubbish I collect by the side of my bed, so now it’s all hidden away,’ Grey laughs.
Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball. Berber rug, Berber Boutique. Handcrafted wooden Mop ladder, Sebastian Cox.
Walls painted in Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball. Berber rug, Berber Boutique. Handcrafted wooden Mop ladder, Sebastian Cox.
Grey and her family spend most of their time on the lower-ground floor. The combination of having lots of room for cooking, plenty of storage, a cloakroom and a utility room, as well as underfloor heating, makes this a cosy and practical family space.
‘We use the kitchen a lot; my partner does much of cooking. This spot is where we regroup at the end of every day,’ Grey says. ‘We love enjoying the warmth down here and you can easily access the garden, which is great through the summer. The light is beautiful.’
The sofas are from their old house. ‘We had a budget for buying new furniture, but that kind of dissolved, so we kept these,’ she says. ‘My friend was going to throw out this table, but it works perfectly here so I was thrilled!’
Rug, Zara. Induction hob (under chopping board), Fisher & Paykel.
‘We use the kitchen a lot; my partner does much of cooking. This spot is where we regroup at the end of every day,’ Grey says. ‘We love enjoying the warmth down here and you can easily access the garden, which is great through the summer. The light is beautiful.’
The sofas are from their old house. ‘We had a budget for buying new furniture, but that kind of dissolved, so we kept these,’ she says. ‘My friend was going to throw out this table, but it works perfectly here so I was thrilled!’
Rug, Zara. Induction hob (under chopping board), Fisher & Paykel.
The lower-ground floor was damp and split into a front and a back room, a bedroom, the lemon bathroom and a utility room. The door to the right in this photo leads to the updated utility room. ‘There’s a full wall of shelving for vases and other junk,’ Grey says. ‘There’s space for cleaning stuff in there; it’s all hidden. I just shut the door so there’s no need to listen to the washing machine!’
The dining area is in the extension. Grey likes open-plan living, so she opened up all three floors.
Spade chair, Faye Toogood.
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The dining area is in the extension. Grey likes open-plan living, so she opened up all three floors.
Spade chair, Faye Toogood.
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‘I’m really proud of the kitchen. Jamie Blake got the aesthetic really well,’ says Grey. She didn’t want just concrete and Corian surfaces in this room, so she mixed in 300mm-wide Douglas fir boards for the walls and cupboards, and colour-matched the island unit to Elephant’s Breath paint by Farrow & Ball.
Two dishwashers, a small fridge and a large fridge are hidden away in these cupboards and the ones on the opposite wall; Grey didn’t want to be able to see any appliances. Save for two next to the sink, electrical points are all in a cupboard next to the Aga.
On the Corian worktop, concealed under a slim chopping board, there’s an induction hob. This hob, in addition to the Aga, is perfect for when they have lots of guests. ‘My partner has eight brothers and sisters, so we can cater for that comfortably.’
The exposed light bulbs hang from ceramic bulb holders and linen flex. ‘I wanted to do something that was simple but not plastic,’ she explains.
Total Control electric range cooker, Aga.
Two dishwashers, a small fridge and a large fridge are hidden away in these cupboards and the ones on the opposite wall; Grey didn’t want to be able to see any appliances. Save for two next to the sink, electrical points are all in a cupboard next to the Aga.
On the Corian worktop, concealed under a slim chopping board, there’s an induction hob. This hob, in addition to the Aga, is perfect for when they have lots of guests. ‘My partner has eight brothers and sisters, so we can cater for that comfortably.’
The exposed light bulbs hang from ceramic bulb holders and linen flex. ‘I wanted to do something that was simple but not plastic,’ she explains.
Total Control electric range cooker, Aga.
The tall cupboards along the left side of this photo house a large American-style fridge-freezer. ‘The doors open up and slot into either side so I can leave it open without them getting in the way,’ Grey explains. There’s also a cupboard for a tea and coffee station. ‘It’s essentially a larder cupboard with a work surface. It’s handy when we don’t have time to clean up – we just shut the door and run out of the house,’ she laughs. ‘It’s another way I keep everything out of sight.’ One of these cupboards is filled with her son’s toys. ‘It’s plastic from floor to ceiling!’
The kitchen island sits on ‘enormous casters’ so it can be moved around. ‘I like being able to change the space. We plan to be here for 20 years,’ Grey says. ‘We once hosted an Easter lunch and moved it out of the way so we could have egg and spoon races in here.’ The 1m x 2m unit holds two rubbish bins as well as a recycling bin, pans, cutlery and crockery. It opens from both sides.
The garden is an ongoing project for Grey and her partner. ‘After 10 months of building, it’s a bit of a mud pit. We’re investing in plants and gardening.’
The kitchen island sits on ‘enormous casters’ so it can be moved around. ‘I like being able to change the space. We plan to be here for 20 years,’ Grey says. ‘We once hosted an Easter lunch and moved it out of the way so we could have egg and spoon races in here.’ The 1m x 2m unit holds two rubbish bins as well as a recycling bin, pans, cutlery and crockery. It opens from both sides.
The garden is an ongoing project for Grey and her partner. ‘After 10 months of building, it’s a bit of a mud pit. We’re investing in plants and gardening.’
There are three skylights in the new extension; the middle one opens electronically. You might have noticed there’s no cooker hood over the Aga. This model vents directly into the kitchen, so there’s no need for one. Grey managed to get approval for this from the building regulation office because of the combination of the openable skylight and 5m-wide glazed doors.
Another storage win comes in the form of these cardboard stools from Story Deli in east London, which hold her young son’s toys. ‘One contains a train set, one has a mini shopping kit… When you open up the boxes, it’s amazing – this becomes a really big family home and it’s easy to clean up,’ she says. ‘They’re really good – you can stand on them, sit on them and stack them.’
Pendant lights, Dowsing & Reynolds. Storage stools, Story Deli. Skylights, Glazing Vision.
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Another storage win comes in the form of these cardboard stools from Story Deli in east London, which hold her young son’s toys. ‘One contains a train set, one has a mini shopping kit… When you open up the boxes, it’s amazing – this becomes a really big family home and it’s easy to clean up,’ she says. ‘They’re really good – you can stand on them, sit on them and stack them.’
Pendant lights, Dowsing & Reynolds. Storage stools, Story Deli. Skylights, Glazing Vision.
Browse 11 of the globe’s most creative storage solutions
The upper-ground floor is sparsely furnished as it’s often hired out for photoshoots. The decorative plasterwork in here crumbled during the renovation, so Grey reinstated all of it. ‘It was covered in so many layers of paint that we decided to have a cornicing specialist come in.’
The decorative objects scattered throughout the house are pieces Grey has collected over time. She likes to buy random items as she moves around, although most of these are kept in the loft. ‘I really wanted to enjoy the space for what it is,’ she says. ‘The loft is really full with things from our old house. We didn’t want this place to feel like the old place. It’s like a cathartic restart!’
There were previously three rooms on this floor: the galley kitchen was where the bookcase is; there was a wall between the two windows to separate it from the dining room, where the day bed now is, and the area to the left of this was the living room.
The decorative objects scattered throughout the house are pieces Grey has collected over time. She likes to buy random items as she moves around, although most of these are kept in the loft. ‘I really wanted to enjoy the space for what it is,’ she says. ‘The loft is really full with things from our old house. We didn’t want this place to feel like the old place. It’s like a cathartic restart!’
There were previously three rooms on this floor: the galley kitchen was where the bookcase is; there was a wall between the two windows to separate it from the dining room, where the day bed now is, and the area to the left of this was the living room.
The day bed is made from old Hungarian sacks Grey found at an antiques fair. She worked with an upholsterer to design it so the stripes work together and follow on naturally. It turns into a double bed, which is handy for when they have guests. She found the bookcase in Cambridge. ‘My grandfather had a removal business there, so I love antique bits and pieces,’ she says. ‘My family have good eyes for those things. I really like older pieces.’
It may be counterintuitive, but she recommends having white painted walls if you have a young child because they’re easy to touch up. ‘I wanted something with a Scandi, Danish feel. It looks sparse because we spent most of the money on making the house good,’ she says. ‘We didn’t want to have to revisit it too soon.’
The limewashed floorboards are treated with Woca oils. Grey did this level herself; the builders did the treatment on the upper floors. ‘You rub the oil in by hand and let the wood absorb it,’ she explains. ‘I really wanted a soft, matt finish.’
Walls and skirting boards painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Floorboards, Lawsons. Berber rug, Berber Boutique.
It may be counterintuitive, but she recommends having white painted walls if you have a young child because they’re easy to touch up. ‘I wanted something with a Scandi, Danish feel. It looks sparse because we spent most of the money on making the house good,’ she says. ‘We didn’t want to have to revisit it too soon.’
The limewashed floorboards are treated with Woca oils. Grey did this level herself; the builders did the treatment on the upper floors. ‘You rub the oil in by hand and let the wood absorb it,’ she explains. ‘I really wanted a soft, matt finish.’
Walls and skirting boards painted in Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Floorboards, Lawsons. Berber rug, Berber Boutique.
Grey fitted shutters on all the front windows. ‘I’m not a big fan of other window treatments; I like the cleaner look of shutters,’ she says. ‘I’d really like more shutters, but due to the cost, we’ll have to wait until a later date to do the back of the house, too.’
There are fireplaces on each floor, but Grey has decided to wait until she has time to restore them after finding out how they used to be cleaned. ‘The man who used to live here would throw a brick down the chimney to dislodge the soot,’ she says. ‘It chipped the brickwork internally, so we have to repair the flues before we can use them.’
Table painted in Off-Black, Farrow & Ball. Chairs, antique. Radiator, The Sterlingham Company.
Get expert advice on the best way to dress your windows
There are fireplaces on each floor, but Grey has decided to wait until she has time to restore them after finding out how they used to be cleaned. ‘The man who used to live here would throw a brick down the chimney to dislodge the soot,’ she says. ‘It chipped the brickwork internally, so we have to repair the flues before we can use them.’
Table painted in Off-Black, Farrow & Ball. Chairs, antique. Radiator, The Sterlingham Company.
Get expert advice on the best way to dress your windows
Grey used Carrara marble and alabaster grout in the bathrooms. This bath has a glamorous mood. ‘I love it. It’s such a good size and it’s actually acrylic to keep water warmer for longer, because it has better insulation,’ she says.
Grey commissioned The Sterlingham Company (who also made all the radiators) to make the shower rail. She sourced the vintage glass doorknobs on eBay. ‘The ones on the upper floors are Edwardian; they’re slightly smaller than the Victorian ones on the ground floor,’ she says. ‘There were two original designs on the top floor, and we bought additional ones that would work with those.’
The house is an ongoing project for Grey, who stresses the importance of being particular with the details. ‘Some things that are standard aren’t necessarily right for the person living there, and this is the key to making the project work. When you’ve done a few projects, you find yourself saying, “No, I couldn’t actually do with that”,’ she says.
Acrylic bath, Adamsez. Shower rail, The Sterlingham Company.
TELL US…
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Grey commissioned The Sterlingham Company (who also made all the radiators) to make the shower rail. She sourced the vintage glass doorknobs on eBay. ‘The ones on the upper floors are Edwardian; they’re slightly smaller than the Victorian ones on the ground floor,’ she says. ‘There were two original designs on the top floor, and we bought additional ones that would work with those.’
The house is an ongoing project for Grey, who stresses the importance of being particular with the details. ‘Some things that are standard aren’t necessarily right for the person living there, and this is the key to making the project work. When you’ve done a few projects, you find yourself saying, “No, I couldn’t actually do with that”,’ she says.
Acrylic bath, Adamsez. Shower rail, The Sterlingham Company.
TELL US…
What do think of this clutter-free family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.