My Houzz: A Period Home Transformed by Bold Colour
Swapping magnolia for moodier shades and introducing an eclectic mix of pieces turned this home from dull to dashing
Lara Sargent
1 April 2018
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
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan of Studio Duggan loves to create spaces with a touch of the unexpected and a dash of drama – and nowhere is this more evident than in her own family home. “The common thread in my projects is that there’s always a degree of eclecticism, plus a little old and new, and this is probably more pronounced in my own home, where I had free rein,” she says. “Funnily enough, though, I found it very disconcerting to have no brief.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Interior designer Tiffany Duggan, her husband, James, and their two sons, Jefferson and Finlay, along with cats Rocco and Lola and rescue dog Tanya
Location Queen’s Park, London
Property A three-storey Edwardian terraced house
Size Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Designer Tiffany Duggan, founder of Studio Duggan
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan and her husband, James, spent six months refurbishing the house. “Beforehand, we lived in a charming but compact Victorian workman’s cottage and, with two young boys, we needed more space,” Tiffany explains. “We loved the grand proportions, high ceilings and period features here, but it was very neutral – full of magnolia walls and lacking in character. It was crying out for an injection of personality and a little love.”
1920s Bulgarian bench, Phoenix on Golborne.
Who lives here Interior designer Tiffany Duggan, her husband, James, and their two sons, Jefferson and Finlay, along with cats Rocco and Lola and rescue dog Tanya
Location Queen’s Park, London
Property A three-storey Edwardian terraced house
Size Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Designer Tiffany Duggan, founder of Studio Duggan
Interior designer Tiffany Duggan and her husband, James, spent six months refurbishing the house. “Beforehand, we lived in a charming but compact Victorian workman’s cottage and, with two young boys, we needed more space,” Tiffany explains. “We loved the grand proportions, high ceilings and period features here, but it was very neutral – full of magnolia walls and lacking in character. It was crying out for an injection of personality and a little love.”
1920s Bulgarian bench, Phoenix on Golborne.
Black is a favourite colour for Tiffany, and the blue-black in the hallway creates an enveloping space. “I’m a big fan of dark paint tones and think they work excellently in transitory areas, such as halls, by grounding the space,” she says. “In my house, the kids are always running up and down the stairs with messy fingers, so it works especially well to hide a multitude of sins!”
Branching off the moody hallway are rooms painted in lush khakis, dusky pinks and mercurial greys.
“The colour scheme throughout has lots of green, pink, mustard, deep blue and, most importantly, black – I think every room needs a little black,” she says.
Walls painted in Basalt, Little Greene.
Branching off the moody hallway are rooms painted in lush khakis, dusky pinks and mercurial greys.
“The colour scheme throughout has lots of green, pink, mustard, deep blue and, most importantly, black – I think every room needs a little black,” she says.
Walls painted in Basalt, Little Greene.
The large, double reception room on the ground floor stretches from the front of the house to the kitchen at the back. It’s furnished in a considered mix of old and new and painted in a sludgy khaki colour.
“It’s so warm and enveloping and it’s an easy transition from the moody hallway,” says Tiffany.
“The ceiling is painted in the same colour as the walls to give the room a cohesive and comforting feel, and also to allow for a calming base on which to layer interesting textures and patterns.”
Rich velvet and embroidered linens invigorate the seating, and the glass and stitched red leather side tables add colour.
Walls and ceiling painted in Cobble, Fired Earth. Liberty chesterfield sofa upholstered in Amazone Faune velvet by Créations Métaphores. Toulouse side tables, Julian Chichester.
“It’s so warm and enveloping and it’s an easy transition from the moody hallway,” says Tiffany.
“The ceiling is painted in the same colour as the walls to give the room a cohesive and comforting feel, and also to allow for a calming base on which to layer interesting textures and patterns.”
Rich velvet and embroidered linens invigorate the seating, and the glass and stitched red leather side tables add colour.
Walls and ceiling painted in Cobble, Fired Earth. Liberty chesterfield sofa upholstered in Amazone Faune velvet by Créations Métaphores. Toulouse side tables, Julian Chichester.
The living room is Tiffany’s look in a nutshell: a careful edit of old and new with a dash of humour. “I call it considered eclecticism – a mix of classic and vintage finds, punctuated by edgy, surprising pieces,” she says. “Contemporary lines mix with a few, well-chosen antiques and lots of varied textures – and above all a touch of humour, which I love!”
Animal skull, vintage. Drinks trolley, Swoon Editions. Vintage armchair upholstered in Milas embroidered linen, Vaughan.
Animal skull, vintage. Drinks trolley, Swoon Editions. Vintage armchair upholstered in Milas embroidered linen, Vaughan.
For a busy family trying to balance work and life, the living room needed to be a multi-functional space: a warm, family hub where children and adults alike could spend quality time, and also an area where Tiffany could work and respond to emails after hours.
“I hate feeling banished to a designated study when I’m working, and I also didn’t have space for this, so the idea was to create a desk I would actually want to spend time at without feeling isolated from the goings-on of the house,” she explains.
Onegin desk, Julian Chichester. Vintage desk chair, Jensen & Ballantine. Articulated wall light, Felix Lighting.
“I hate feeling banished to a designated study when I’m working, and I also didn’t have space for this, so the idea was to create a desk I would actually want to spend time at without feeling isolated from the goings-on of the house,” she explains.
Onegin desk, Julian Chichester. Vintage desk chair, Jensen & Ballantine. Articulated wall light, Felix Lighting.
The smart, monochrome kitchen is at the back of the house on the ground floor. “The entrance hall and reception room lead separately into the kitchen, and both are cosier, darker areas. I wanted the kitchen to feel lighter and fresher than these spaces, but it was really important that it still had a link to the rest of the ground floor,” says Tiffany.
“The drama and connection to the moodier, adjacent spaces was created with a full wall of black Moroccan zellige tiles and a black Aga,” she adds.
Tiffany boxed off the extractor fan and finished it with a pretty zinc trim she found at a French market.
Zellige tiles, Emery & Cie. Molecular ceiling light, Rockett St George.
“The drama and connection to the moodier, adjacent spaces was created with a full wall of black Moroccan zellige tiles and a black Aga,” she adds.
Tiffany boxed off the extractor fan and finished it with a pretty zinc trim she found at a French market.
Zellige tiles, Emery & Cie. Molecular ceiling light, Rockett St George.
Tiffany kept the original location of the kitchen, but did swap the units and add in an island. “The ceiling height in the kitchen is lower than in the rest of the house, so I painted it, the walls and the units in the same tone [a very pale taupe] to unite the space and blur the edges,” she explains.
“The concrete worktop offsets the sleek, matt lacquer units and provides balance.”
Mobalco kitchen and polished concrete worktops, Intervari. Units, walls and ceiling painted in Ceviche, Little Greene.
“The concrete worktop offsets the sleek, matt lacquer units and provides balance.”
Mobalco kitchen and polished concrete worktops, Intervari. Units, walls and ceiling painted in Ceviche, Little Greene.
The light-filled dining area is open-plan to the kitchen. “A timber floor and table softens the edges and offers a natural element, which is so important in any scheme,” Tiffany says. “The vintage chairs were once black, but I spray-painted them pink.”
For a cohesive, flowing backdrop, parquet flooring is used seamlessly throughout the living room and kitchen.
Wooden parquet flooring, Cheville Parquet.
Discover how to use texture to zone an open-plan home
For a cohesive, flowing backdrop, parquet flooring is used seamlessly throughout the living room and kitchen.
Wooden parquet flooring, Cheville Parquet.
Discover how to use texture to zone an open-plan home
The master suite at the front of the first floor is a luxurious space, home to a custom-made, four-poster bed and a freestanding bath.
“I wanted a bit of luxury and serenity to create a space that feels like a sanctuary,” says Tiffany. “The bath was chosen at the beginning of the project, so the plumbing worked around it.”
Bespoke Paramount four-poster bed, available from Vielle + Frances. Bath, The Cast Iron Bath Company.
“I wanted a bit of luxury and serenity to create a space that feels like a sanctuary,” says Tiffany. “The bath was chosen at the beginning of the project, so the plumbing worked around it.”
Bespoke Paramount four-poster bed, available from Vielle + Frances. Bath, The Cast Iron Bath Company.
The bedroom leads seamlessly into the large en suite bathroom past built-in, floor-to-ceiling wardrobes in bleached white oak.
The bespoke, trough-style basin is clad in a Béton Ciré micro-concrete finish. It’s flanked by ribbed-glass, steel-framed doors, which lead to a separate shower and toilet.
19th century French, oeil-de-boeuf zinc window mirror, Anton & K.
19th century French, oeil-de-boeuf zinc window mirror, Anton & K.
Clashing prints and weathered hues create a laid-back ambience in the master bedroom.
Armchair upholstered in leopard-cut velvet, Colefax and Fowler. Chest of drawers, Jensen & Ballantine.
Armchair upholstered in leopard-cut velvet, Colefax and Fowler. Chest of drawers, Jensen & Ballantine.
A charming guest bedroom at the back of the first floor is painted in a restful shade of light pink and furnished with Tiffany’s signature blend of old and new.
Walls painted in Dorchester Pink, Little Greene. Pineapple pendant, Rockett St George. Palm cushions, House of Hackney.
Walls painted in Dorchester Pink, Little Greene. Pineapple pendant, Rockett St George. Palm cushions, House of Hackney.
The first-floor bathroom, which is next to the guest bedroom, is decorated in a sophisticated monochrome palette and a mix of natural materials.
The elegant vanity unit is made up of a new basin and a hand-painted vintage French chest of drawers picked up on eBay.
Basin, Mandarin Stone.
Find out which basin you should choose for your traditional bathroom
The elegant vanity unit is made up of a new basin and a hand-painted vintage French chest of drawers picked up on eBay.
Basin, Mandarin Stone.
Find out which basin you should choose for your traditional bathroom
Tiffany’s attention to detail continues in the compact bathroom. “I wanted to make the most of the small space, so I continued the stone slabs into the shower to maximise the floor area,” she explains.
“I also like to create bathrooms that don’t feel too cold or ‘bathroomy’ by bringing in softer, more decorative elements. The repurposed antique drawers, rustic side table and Roman blind were all chosen to create a warm and welcoming vibe that didn’t jar with the rest of the house.”
Roman blind fabric, Soane Britain. Classic Paris Blue tumbled limestone flooring, Mandarin Stone. Shower, Catchpole & Rye.
“I also like to create bathrooms that don’t feel too cold or ‘bathroomy’ by bringing in softer, more decorative elements. The repurposed antique drawers, rustic side table and Roman blind were all chosen to create a warm and welcoming vibe that didn’t jar with the rest of the house.”
Roman blind fabric, Soane Britain. Classic Paris Blue tumbled limestone flooring, Mandarin Stone. Shower, Catchpole & Rye.
The charcoal-coloured walls and woodwork continue onto the landing and up to the second floor. The dark shade is punctuated by the quirky amber glass tassel lights.
Tassel lights, Rothschild & Bickers.
Tassel lights, Rothschild & Bickers.
The second floor is given over to the children, with a bedroom, playroom and twin bathroom.
“The layout works really well for us as a family,” Tiffany says. “The top floor isn’t a loft conversion, as it was built as a three-storey house, so we have three really great floors and no low ceilings.
“I wanted to create a tropical holiday vibe, hence the jungle-feel wallpaper, whitewashed treehouse-style bunks, and rattan shade.”
“The layout works really well for us as a family,” Tiffany says. “The top floor isn’t a loft conversion, as it was built as a three-storey house, so we have three really great floors and no low ceilings.
“I wanted to create a tropical holiday vibe, hence the jungle-feel wallpaper, whitewashed treehouse-style bunks, and rattan shade.”
The tropical-print wallpaper makes a punchy statement. “I wanted something fun and a touch of the unexpected,” Tiffany says. “I always loved the [1940s] original massive banana leaf paper in the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA – and it seems I wasn’t the only one to be inspired, as I’ve seen this used extensively.”
La Havane wallpaper, Nobilis.
La Havane wallpaper, Nobilis.
The green and white colour scheme continues into the boys’ bathroom.
Hexagonal black and white mosaic tiles, Topps Tiles. Wall-mounted bucket sinks, Alape.
Hexagonal black and white mosaic tiles, Topps Tiles. Wall-mounted bucket sinks, Alape.
One side of the playroom is covered in blackboard paint, which is also magnetic, so the children can stick up their artwork.
“The boys get a floor to themselves where they can play with their toys and make a mess – and we get a little sanctuary in the master suite below,” Tiffany says.
Vintage chaise longue upholstered in Las Salinas fabric, Andrew Martin.
“The boys get a floor to themselves where they can play with their toys and make a mess – and we get a little sanctuary in the master suite below,” Tiffany says.
Vintage chaise longue upholstered in Las Salinas fabric, Andrew Martin.
The floorplans of Tiffany’s house.
Tell us…
What do you think of this eclectic home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of this eclectic home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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Love it! Especially those sinks in the boys bedroom
My daughter had an identical house in Kensal Rise, ground floor all blue/black and upholstery and accessories gold. It looked beautiful - everyone loved it but said they couldn't live in it. When it came to selling she had dozens of viewings but no offers. She had it all painted white and at the next viewing it sold. It takes a brave person to live in such dramatic surroundings.