Houzz Tour: Eclectic Art and Punchy Interiors Revive a London Home
A light-filled extension and an eclectic mix of styles breathe new life into a rundown family house
Interior designer Megan Oliver and creative director Ed Godrich of Godrich Interiors had a challenge on their hands when they took on the renovation of this three-storey London home.
‘The house was in a pretty horrible state when the owners bought it,’ says Megan. ‘It was the amazing garden that sold it to them, but the house itself was rundown and very dark inside. The challenge was to transform it into a beautiful home that would incorporate the owners’ eclectic art collection, but also be hard-wearing and cope with day-to-day family life.’
At the time of the build, the couple had two young children and wanted to create an inspirational environment for them to grow up in. Almost two years, a new basement and an extension later, Megan recalls the owners were ‘blown away’ when they finally moved into their new home. ‘When they saw it, they were lost for words,’ she says. ‘It was an amazing moment.’
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A family with three children
Location London
Designer Godrich Interiors
Size 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
‘The house was in a pretty horrible state when the owners bought it,’ says Megan. ‘It was the amazing garden that sold it to them, but the house itself was rundown and very dark inside. The challenge was to transform it into a beautiful home that would incorporate the owners’ eclectic art collection, but also be hard-wearing and cope with day-to-day family life.’
At the time of the build, the couple had two young children and wanted to create an inspirational environment for them to grow up in. Almost two years, a new basement and an extension later, Megan recalls the owners were ‘blown away’ when they finally moved into their new home. ‘When they saw it, they were lost for words,’ she says. ‘It was an amazing moment.’
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here A family with three children
Location London
Designer Godrich Interiors
Size 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Christian Lacroix for Designers Guild curtains make a dazzling feature at the other end of the living room. ‘The clients were so much fun – they were up for anything,’ says Megan. ‘They’re not afraid to be daring and these curtains really offset the midcentury-style home office furniture and the traditional piano,’ she says. This part of the original house can feel a little dark, so the team gave the parquet flooring a whitish wash to lift the space.
The kitchen forms part of the extension and is designed to capture as much natural light as possible. The owners wanted this to be a stylish but livable part of the house, as this is where they spend a lot of family time. ‘We made a feature of the island in the kitchen so there’s plenty of space for family and friends to sit around while the couple are cooking. Again, we’ve gone for a mix of styles, so it’s based on a 1950s look, but we’ve hardened it up with an industrial-style vibe, hence the pendant lights,’ says Megan. The island was given a distressed finish by Rock ’n’ Rolf to lend it a vintage look in keeping with the rest of the kitchen. The pendant lights are French vintage and the kitchen cabinetry is bespoke. Megan painted the walls in Clunch by Farrow & Ball for a neutral finish.
Megan painstakingly sourced many of the vintage pieces from reclamation yards and specialist shops. The delicate glass pendant lights in the dining area were a bargain find and were originally designed for a church. ‘We’ve deliberately kept this area quite informal,’ says Megan. ‘There’s lots of space for the children, but the lights can also be dimmed so, in the evening, it can be transformed into a more formal dining area,’ she says. The chairs are vintage Ercol, and the wall lights are also a vintage find.
Wood panelling and traditional accessories create a formal feel in the hallway. ‘The owners like panelling, so we wanted to incorporate it somewhere, and the hallway seemed like the perfect spot,’ says Megan. ‘The original fireplace was stripped back and waxed so it has an unfinished look, which we echoed in the windows – we painted them in a flat varnish so they don’t have a shiny finish. It gives this formal space a more contemporary edge,’ she says. The 1960s Italian pendant light was bought from a vintage store and the cushions are by Fine Cell Work, a charity that pays and teaches fine needlework to prisoners.
‘This is one of my favourite rooms in the house,’ says Megan. The glamorous master bathroom features a double shower and steam room, decked out in beautifully handcrafted ceramic tiles by Craven Dunnill. The vintage roll-top bath has sentimental value for the owners, so they brought it with them from their previous home.
‘I found these basins in a reclamation yard and had them restored,’ says Megan. ‘They’re absolutely stunning, so we decided to base the scheme in this room around them. We opted for dark walls as they would have been lost against a white backdrop and we wanted them to really pop out. We also customised the 1960s Italian mirrors with a medicine cabinet built on the back, so they’re beautiful, but useful too!’ says Megan. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue.
See more dark blue schemes
See more dark blue schemes
‘The high, beamed ceiling in the master bedroom makes this a really light and spacious room,’ says Megan. ‘It’s an incredibly beautiful space, so we transformed it into a sanctuary where the owners can escape at the end of the day.’ This hallway leading to the master bedroom features an eye-catching runner by vintage rug specialist Golran.
The daughter’s pretty bedroom features bespoke, 3D wallpaper with ribbons and buttons popping out. ‘This bedroom is in the old part of the house and has quite an interesting shaped ceiling, which we papered over to draw attention to it,’ says Megan. The panelling is new, but the original fireplace has been stripped back and waxed. ‘It’s such a pretty space,’ says Megan, ‘but not too girlie, as the owners wanted their children’s rooms to have longevity. Megan chose Liberty fabric for the blind.
The children’s bathroom has a subtle coastal theme. Megan customised the vintage basins to remove the original glass shelves, replacing them with decoupage shelves, and kept the area around the bath simple and elegant with white metro tiles. The wall lights are vintage ship lanterns.
It’s the finishing touches and attention to detail that make this home so special, and the children’s bathroom is no exception. ‘The splashback tiles and mirrors are vintage, and we added little stools so the children can reach the basins,’ says Megan.
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