Houzz Tours
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My Houzz: A Classic Victorian Home in London Gets a Colourful Makeover
One creative couple have transformed this traditional Victorian home with bold colour and eclectic finds
Step inside this characterful Victorian home in south London and you’re immediately surrounded by colour and pattern. But while the house is bold and beautiful now, it was a very different space when Icelandic singer-songwriter Heidrun Anna Bjornsdottir and her husband, Jamie Lawson, moved in six years ago. ‘It was very neutral when we first saw it,’ Bjornsdottir says. ‘As a space it was fine, but we wanted to add our own personality to it.’
Fast forward six years and the space has been transformed. Jewel-coloured walls, bold artwork, patterned tiles and cosy textures have brought the space to life, creating a fun and vibrant home for the whole family to enjoy.
Fast forward six years and the space has been transformed. Jewel-coloured walls, bold artwork, patterned tiles and cosy textures have brought the space to life, creating a fun and vibrant home for the whole family to enjoy.
Once the floor and ceiling were in place, the couple were then able to bring in colour and furniture. Bjornsdottir did much of the research for the project online. ‘Thanks to the internet, there’s now inspiration everywhere,’ she says. After spotting the strong blue wall colour in a photo and falling in love with it, she tracked down the Belgian paint company that makes it and ordered it for the living room.
Noticing a trend online for painting woodwork the same colour as the walls, Bjornsdottir says she decided to do the same in this room, ‘even though I was a bit scared’. She asked the builder to paint the skirting boards, door frames and doors the same blue as the walls and is really happy with the result. ‘The room did get a little bit smaller thanks to the darker wall colour,’ she admits, ‘but as the space is quite tall, it just makes it feel cosy.’
Walls painted in Peacock, Flamant.
Noticing a trend online for painting woodwork the same colour as the walls, Bjornsdottir says she decided to do the same in this room, ‘even though I was a bit scared’. She asked the builder to paint the skirting boards, door frames and doors the same blue as the walls and is really happy with the result. ‘The room did get a little bit smaller thanks to the darker wall colour,’ she admits, ‘but as the space is quite tall, it just makes it feel cosy.’
Walls painted in Peacock, Flamant.
Much of the art dotted around the home was picked up by the couple at the Affordable Art Fair over several years. The large canvas above the sofa (seen here reflected in the mirror) is particularly special to the couple. ‘We bought it in Amalfi while on our honeymoon,’ says Bjornsdottir.
Manhattan chandelier, Villaverde.
Manhattan chandelier, Villaverde.
An unexpected side effect of the strong wall colour is that it makes art and accessories really stand out. ‘People ask if we’ve got new things,’ says Bjornsdottir, ‘but they are the same things as before – they just look completely different against the dark blue backdrop.’
Montague armchair and footstool, Andrew Martin.
Montague armchair and footstool, Andrew Martin.
A velvet-covered sofa adds a touch of luxury and glamour to the room, but it wasn’t an off-the peg purchase. The couple knew they wanted a velvet sofa, but didn’t like the modern shapes of the ones they looked at. They found and loved this traditional design at The Sofa & Chair Company, but it wasn’t available in the exact shade of velvet they wanted. Undeterred, Bjornsdottir tracked down the dark grey velvet she was after and The Sofa & Chair Company used this to upholster it.
Several of the accessories in this room were finds from Jonathan Adler. ‘It’s my favourite place,’ says Bjornsdottir. ‘I could live in that shop!’
Side table and lamp, Jonathan Adler. Sofa, The Sofa & Chair Company.
Several of the accessories in this room were finds from Jonathan Adler. ‘It’s my favourite place,’ says Bjornsdottir. ‘I could live in that shop!’
Side table and lamp, Jonathan Adler. Sofa, The Sofa & Chair Company.
In the hallway, Bjornsdottir has added colour and interest by using a soft grey paint colour below the dado rail and a patterned wallpaper above. As well as making a design statement, this was also a practical choice. ‘The kids are always running up and down the stairs,’ says Bjornsdottir, ‘so wallpaper would get messy with little fingerprints; paint is much easier to clean!’
Lower walls painted in Lamp Room Gray; upper walls papered in Tessella wallpaper, both Farrow & Ball.
Lower walls painted in Lamp Room Gray; upper walls papered in Tessella wallpaper, both Farrow & Ball.
The kitchen has an open and sociable layout, with a wall of units and a central island. The curved worktop doubles up as a breakfast bar, and zinc bar stools tuck neatly underneath it.
The kitchen didn’t need as much work as the other rooms. ‘It was quite new when we moved in,’ says Bjornsdottir, ‘so while it wasn’t exactly our style, it was too good to just rip out and replace. We’ve made a few small changes to update it.’
Tour this Victorian kitchen with an open-plan layout
The kitchen didn’t need as much work as the other rooms. ‘It was quite new when we moved in,’ says Bjornsdottir, ‘so while it wasn’t exactly our style, it was too good to just rip out and replace. We’ve made a few small changes to update it.’
Tour this Victorian kitchen with an open-plan layout
The couple painted the units in a dark grey and added shelves above the worktop to display colourful books and jars. They also tiled the wall above the sink with crisp white metro tiles and used a dark grey grout for a contemporary feel.
Connected to the kitchen is a light and airy lounge area with bifold doors opening onto the garden.
Connected to the kitchen is a light and airy lounge area with bifold doors opening onto the garden.
An L-shaped sofa is a good choice for a large family and the dark grey colour is practical and smart. Crisp white walls keep the space feeling light and airy, and a wall-mounted TV is a neat addition above the fireplace.
‘The things that make me happiest at home are the people in it,’ says Bjornsdottir, pictured here with two of her children.
On the first floor is a large and bright master bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling sash windows, a polished wood floor and an ornate ceiling rose give the space period character, while a colourful and contemporary decorating scheme adds warmth and interest.
‘This was the first room we decorated when we moved in,’ says Bjornsdottir, ‘so we could then have a base from which to decorate all the other rooms.’
Balleroy wallpaper, Manuel Canovas at Colefax and Fowler. Henrietta bed, Feather & Black.
‘This was the first room we decorated when we moved in,’ says Bjornsdottir, ‘so we could then have a base from which to decorate all the other rooms.’
Balleroy wallpaper, Manuel Canovas at Colefax and Fowler. Henrietta bed, Feather & Black.
The room was decorated in a neutral colour palette before, so Bjornsdottir chose a dark grey colour for the walls and wardrobes, and plumped for a vibrant orange and pink feature wallpaper behind the bed to liven up the space.
Walls and cabinetry painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball.
Walls and cabinetry painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball.
Also on the first floor is this bold and bright family bathroom. The brief for this room was simple: the couple needed a bigger bathroom to cater for the growing family’s needs and it had to reflect Bjornsdottir’s love of vintage style and rich Mediterranean colour.
Joining two existing rooms created enough space for a walk-in shower, classic roll-top bath and elegant vanity unit.
‘The house is old Victorian, so this look fitted in with everything else in the property,’ explains Bjornsdottir. ‘It just worked and felt like the right way to go: live modern, but keep traditional.’
Take the full tour of this colourful bathroom
‘The house is old Victorian, so this look fitted in with everything else in the property,’ explains Bjornsdottir. ‘It just worked and felt like the right way to go: live modern, but keep traditional.’
Take the full tour of this colourful bathroom
On the top floor of the house, the couple have transformed the attic room into a fun and colourful guest bedroom. Bold wallpaper adds interest to the space, while built-in shelving offers practical storage for overnight guests.
The wallpaper is the same Balleroy print as in the master bedroom, but Bjornsdottir picked a pink and grey colourway for this room to ring the changes.
The wallpaper is the same Balleroy print as in the master bedroom, but Bjornsdottir picked a pink and grey colourway for this room to ring the changes.
The velvet upholstered sleigh bed in the guest room is also the same as the one in the master bedroom. ‘It’s the best bed in the world!’ says Bjornsdottir.
Henrietta bed, Feather & Black.
Henrietta bed, Feather & Black.
Connected to the guest bedroom is a compact but stylish en suite bathroom.
‘The room was originally even smaller than this, as the built-in wardrobe from next door encroached on the space,’ says Bjornsdottir. So, to increase the footprint, she removed the wardrobe and extended the wall back to make space for the walk-in shower. She also removed the existing bath.
‘The room was originally even smaller than this, as the built-in wardrobe from next door encroached on the space,’ says Bjornsdottir. So, to increase the footprint, she removed the wardrobe and extended the wall back to make space for the walk-in shower. She also removed the existing bath.
By using a soft palette of whites and and pale pinks, Bjornsdottir ensured the compact room feels light and bright. A slim and unobtrusive glass shower screen also contributes to the feeling of space.
Illuminated mirror, Oakley Illuminations.
Illuminated mirror, Oakley Illuminations.
‘I was trying to choose between a couple of wall colours for this room,’ says Bjornsdottir ‘and a friend suggested I go with this pale pink.’
Walls painted in Calamine, Farrow & Ball.
Walls painted in Calamine, Farrow & Ball.
The children’s rooms were all given a creative and colourful makeover, too. In this room, bunk beds are a fun and practical choice, while a colourful patchwork rug adds warmth and interest.
The bunk beds in this room were built bespoke for the space when the couple moved in. The dark grey woodwork and bright green accents are fun and practical.
Heidrun’s latest single is out now
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What do you love about this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Heidrun’s latest single is out now
TELL US…
What do you love about this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here Heidrun Anna Bjornsdottir, her husband, commodity broker Jamie Lawson, and their children
Location Clapham, London
Size 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; a four-storey Victorian house (3,000 sq ft)
The main living room didn’t need any major structural changes, as the two reception rooms had already been knocked through to make one large space by the previous owners. However, Bjornsdottir and Lawson did need to refurbish the ceiling plasterwork and install a new wooden floor before they could start their redecoration plans.
Moroccan rug, BlueGiGi. Mirror, Overmantels.