Houzz Tour: Villa Marries Period Style With Contemporary Cool
A family’s eclectic Victorian home in the English countryside gets a bright new addition
Finding the balance between old and new in a historic property can be a challenge. But this grand Victorian villa in the Tunbridge Wells area of southeast England retains an escapist sense of the past combined with quirky modernity, thanks to a top-to-bottom renovation by designer Jennifer Hamilton. The owners wanted a practical, family-friendly home that still expressed their bohemian side. “They wanted to make it welcoming and be true to the period features while also putting their stamp on it,” she says.
The owners added a contemporary slate-clad addition at the back that houses a kitchen and dining space, a study, a utility area and a big storage space. Below, a damp cellar became a media room and playroom, perfect for rainy Sundays. Upstairs, five bedrooms and three bathrooms are accessed from a bright stairwell with added skylights.
The owners added a contemporary slate-clad addition at the back that houses a kitchen and dining space, a study, a utility area and a big storage space. Below, a damp cellar became a media room and playroom, perfect for rainy Sundays. Upstairs, five bedrooms and three bathrooms are accessed from a bright stairwell with added skylights.
The island countertop is Carrara marble, which is timeless and good-looking.
A high ledge on the opposite wall provides a home for eye-catching surrealist-style plates.
A high ledge on the opposite wall provides a home for eye-catching surrealist-style plates.
The dining area of the kitchen is full of personality, courtesy of quirky artwork and spray-painted yellow chairs from Ercol Furniture. This area also has a higher ceiling than the kitchen, helping to delineate the two zones.
Mismatched pendant lights are more interesting than the typical matching duo or trio. “We suggested having lots of pendants to add interest,” Hamilton says. “Then we just searched and searched with the client to get the right combo.”
The white Habitat chairs were brought from the owners’ previous house. Getting a dining table that matches the dimensions of your space can be tricky, so this pleasingly simple wood-and-metal table was custom-built by Tandem Studio.
Pendant lights: Graham and Green and Rockett St George
Mismatched pendant lights are more interesting than the typical matching duo or trio. “We suggested having lots of pendants to add interest,” Hamilton says. “Then we just searched and searched with the client to get the right combo.”
The white Habitat chairs were brought from the owners’ previous house. Getting a dining table that matches the dimensions of your space can be tricky, so this pleasingly simple wood-and-metal table was custom-built by Tandem Studio.
Pendant lights: Graham and Green and Rockett St George
A bright blue door adds a touch of color. Sliding doors open to the garden, making this a great space in summer.
The main countertop is oak, while a backsplash of angled subway tiles adds a Scandinavian-chic geometric touch.
The kitchen looks new. In fact, to save money, many of the units actually were recycled from the kitchen that was in the lean-to, which was, in Hamilton’s words, “adapted, remodeled and added to.”
Paint on door: Bowery Blue, Abigail Aherne; concrete-look porcelain floor tiles: Grestec Tiles
The main countertop is oak, while a backsplash of angled subway tiles adds a Scandinavian-chic geometric touch.
The kitchen looks new. In fact, to save money, many of the units actually were recycled from the kitchen that was in the lean-to, which was, in Hamilton’s words, “adapted, remodeled and added to.”
Paint on door: Bowery Blue, Abigail Aherne; concrete-look porcelain floor tiles: Grestec Tiles
At the other side of the kitchen’s blue sliding door is a study. “It’s a place for reading, working, homework or looking onto the garden,” Hamilton says.
This was originally the main hall, a dead space now reclaimed as a rather grand “winter sitting room,” complete with library paneling and a fireplace.
Painting the baseboards the same color as the walls is a smart interiors trick. “It makes for ‘taller’ walls, as they aren’t being broken by white skirting,” Hamilton says.
The original floorboards were sanded and stained.
Paint on walls: Royal Navy, Valspar; yellow chairs: Swoon Editions; chandelier: House Junkie; table: Rockett St George; wall sconces: Abigail Ahern
Painting the baseboards the same color as the walls is a smart interiors trick. “It makes for ‘taller’ walls, as they aren’t being broken by white skirting,” Hamilton says.
The original floorboards were sanded and stained.
Paint on walls: Royal Navy, Valspar; yellow chairs: Swoon Editions; chandelier: House Junkie; table: Rockett St George; wall sconces: Abigail Ahern
Martini anyone? The built-in bar adds a James Bond edge. There’s also a cozy reading nook with a cushioned daybed. In fact, the paneled cabinet wall is super clever since it conceals the stairs in addition to providing storage.
“The owners really make the most of the house and entertain a lot — this room is great for drinks parties,” Hamilton says.
“The owners really make the most of the house and entertain a lot — this room is great for drinks parties,” Hamilton says.
The marble fireplace is original. “It was cleaned back, the brick was exposed, and a log burner was fitted,” Hamilton says.
Yellow chairs contrast with the indigo shades in this room and add a boutique feel.
Is Midnight Blue the New Black?
Yellow chairs contrast with the indigo shades in this room and add a boutique feel.
Is Midnight Blue the New Black?
Off the blue living room is the gorgeous green downstairs bathroom, which has a fabulously boho feel. “It’s like a dramatic jewel box as you enter from the darker room outside,” Hamilton says.
The sink was in the house when the owners moved in and fits the period vibe.
Jinsique wallpaper by Kelsey Proud: Rockett St George; floor tiles: Grestec Tiles
The sink was in the house when the owners moved in and fits the period vibe.
Jinsique wallpaper by Kelsey Proud: Rockett St George; floor tiles: Grestec Tiles
This airy ground-floor space is where the family relaxes and watches TV. The original sash window floods it with light. A large marble fireplace was restored.
“The gray color on the walls was chosen to tone down the marble fireplace, which is huge,” Hamilton says. “It also actually helps scale down what is a big room.”
Ottoman and sofa: sofa.com; lampshade: Graham and Green; rugs: French Connection
“The gray color on the walls was chosen to tone down the marble fireplace, which is huge,” Hamilton says. “It also actually helps scale down what is a big room.”
Ottoman and sofa: sofa.com; lampshade: Graham and Green; rugs: French Connection
Vintage touches, like this side cabinet used for glassware, add to the home’s eclectic feel, as does unusual lighting, such as this wall lamp.
Here’s a close-up of the restored marble fireplace.
The main bedroom features dark walls to help create a sumptuous look. It’s a big room, so it can handle the indigo color. However, leaving the bit between the coving and the picture rail white prevents the room from looking too dark.
Paint on walls: Tempest, Fired Earth
Paint on walls: Tempest, Fired Earth
Original floorboards add warmth and a sense of the building’s Victorian past.
Instead of wired-in bedside lights, this room has “spider lights,” which hang from a simple ceiling fitting.
Instead of wired-in bedside lights, this room has “spider lights,” which hang from a simple ceiling fitting.
This is the main bedroom’s en suite (one big bathroom was broken up to create two en suites). Patterned tiles by Fired Earth add a classic touch.
The large mirrored cabinet is practical and bounces light around the room. Yellow towels offer great style in a minimalist bathroom like this.
The large mirrored cabinet is practical and bounces light around the room. Yellow towels offer great style in a minimalist bathroom like this.
Since this bathroom is on the top floor of the house, extra skylights were added to increase the natural light. Tongue-and-groove paneling installed along two walls again manages to walk that tricky classic-meets-contemporary line, thanks to cool gray paint.
“The gray makes the space cozier, and it looks good with the traditional bath, which is painted black underneath,” Hamilton says.
Again, yellow wakes up the gray and adds a little modern color.
Yellow wall lights: Holloways of Ludlow; sink: Catalano
“The gray makes the space cozier, and it looks good with the traditional bath, which is painted black underneath,” Hamilton says.
Again, yellow wakes up the gray and adds a little modern color.
Yellow wall lights: Holloways of Ludlow; sink: Catalano
The view from the garden into the kitchen shows off the slate-covered addition. Having a connection between inside and out was important to the owners, so the flooring outside mirrors what’s inside. “They’re the same tiles — just in a rougher texture and smaller size,” Hamilton says.
These stairs lead to the top floor. “We removed a lot of the main structural wall and opened them up,” Hamilton says. “We also opened the roof up to the pitch, adding a roof light to flood the stairs with daylight.”
This bedroom belongs to the couple’s 7-year-old son and features an educational and stylish map mural. “It’s a good way to add color, and it works with the blackboard on another wall,” Hamilton says.
Map mural: Murals Wallpaper
Map mural: Murals Wallpaper
Proving that kids’ rooms can be chic is the owners’ daughter’s room.
On the fireplace wall, the wallpaper from Cole & Son lends a cool vintage touch. The yellow-painted surround works brilliantly with the swan print.
On the fireplace wall, the wallpaper from Cole & Son lends a cool vintage touch. The yellow-painted surround works brilliantly with the swan print.
The guest room has a romantic feel. Tongue-and-groove paneling gives it a country edge.
A simple pegboard in the guest room turns hats into a feature.
Here is the elegant entrance hall, where lush green plants and soft crystal chandeliers create a grand welcome.
In the 1950s, the villa was divided into two homes. The family owns one of them.
The door is painted in Dulux’s Russian Velvet 4 “to add drama and make the house contemporary from the moment you come up the drive,” Hamilton says.
The colorful tiled flooring in the foyer makes a style statement and is easy to clean.
Encaustic tiles: Mosaic del Sur
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Encaustic tiles: Mosaic del Sur
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An advertising strategist; her husband, director of an online travel agency; and their two children, 7 and 9
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Size: Five bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: Jennifer Hamilton of The Vawdrey House
The kitchen originally sat in a chilly lean-to in the back of the house. Now it’s a sociable open-plan space, thanks to a new rear addition complete with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and a skylight.
Dark walls combine with pale cabinets and flooring to create a dramatic look. Open shelving keeps the space from feeling crowded and “adds a more contemporary feel than wall units,” Hamilton says. The black-blue paint also turns a simple display of white ceramics into a standout feature.
Meanwhile, the huge island is packed with storage. Half-moon handles help sustain a traditional feel.
Paint on walls: Black Blue, Farrow & Ball