Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Divided London Home Comes Together Again
A Victorian that had been converted into flats is restored to an elegant single-family home, with a new kitchen-dining area
Comfortably housing a family of seven is always going to be a challenge, and particularly in an urban Victorian home previously converted into flats. However, designer Eleanor Weaver was determined to create a cohesive home that encouraged large gatherings while still allowing the family members to carve out spaces of their own.
“We wanted to have enough bedrooms to accommodate everyone,” Weaver says, “as well as play areas for the younger children and living spaces for the teenagers. There also needed to be private areas for the parents.” The result is a generous space for a large family, with a big kitchen-dining area forming the hub of the home.
“We wanted to have enough bedrooms to accommodate everyone,” Weaver says, “as well as play areas for the younger children and living spaces for the teenagers. There also needed to be private areas for the parents.” The result is a generous space for a large family, with a big kitchen-dining area forming the hub of the home.
On the ground floor, one of the first rooms to catch the eye is this rich blue study. “The clients wanted a room that had a heritage feel to it,” Weaver says. “The deep blue of the walls also works really well with the rich leather upholstery in here.” The room’s elegant original molding and paneled doors complete the look.
A row of custom cabinets lines one wall, painted in the same deep blue as the walls. Weaver says she strove to create a restful and elegant library atmosphere to encourage work and reflection. It’s no wonder this room is used as the couple’s home office.
A row of custom cabinets lines one wall, painted in the same deep blue as the walls. Weaver says she strove to create a restful and elegant library atmosphere to encourage work and reflection. It’s no wonder this room is used as the couple’s home office.
“That’s the designated adult area,” Weaver says of the formal living room, in which not all is as it seems. The large regal mirror above the fireplace is in fact a TV that has a reflective surface when it’s turned off.
Weaver fitted classic chandeliers throughout the house but gave them a personal touch by covering the chains in ruched silk. “It’s a warmer look than having an exposed chain,” she says.
The paneling throughout the home looks original, but all of it is a carefully crafted imitation, streamlined across the entire property.
Fireplace: Chesney’s; sofa, ottoman: Cochrane Design
Weaver fitted classic chandeliers throughout the house but gave them a personal touch by covering the chains in ruched silk. “It’s a warmer look than having an exposed chain,” she says.
The paneling throughout the home looks original, but all of it is a carefully crafted imitation, streamlined across the entire property.
Fireplace: Chesney’s; sofa, ottoman: Cochrane Design
Both the living room and study have elegant paneled double doors.
Thick silk curtains in the same gray as the furniture were custom made. Weaver also added plantation shutters. “These rooms are at street level, so you don’t want people looking in,” she says. However, she designed them as half (cafe) shutters, so light still floods in.
The kitchen-dining area, which was designed to be the heart of the home, is housed in the building’s new rear addition. Weaver emphasized the importance of creating a kitchen space where everyone in the family could come together and hang out — hence the extra-large breakfast bar, which is some 20 feet long. “The island was definitely the main feature,” she says. It’s made of dark sapele wood and features thick carved legs. “They are based on a horse’s leg,” Weaver says. “Strong but still elegant.”
Three oversized pendant lights ensure the island receives plenty of targeted lighting. Large skylights in the roof further enhance the natural light.
Pendant lights: John Lewis
Three oversized pendant lights ensure the island receives plenty of targeted lighting. Large skylights in the roof further enhance the natural light.
Pendant lights: John Lewis
Weaver gave the kitchen a classic look with Shaker-style cabinetry and a calm, pale color. The cabinets reach right up to the ceiling. “They maximize the space and emphasize the ceiling height,” she says.
A slender ladder, imported from the U.S., allows the homeowners to reach even the loftiest cupboards.
Cabinet paint: Light Blue, Farrow & Ball
A slender ladder, imported from the U.S., allows the homeowners to reach even the loftiest cupboards.
Cabinet paint: Light Blue, Farrow & Ball
To maximize storage, Weaver integrated a custom oak pantry, which even has an additional granite countertop inside. “The family keeps items such as the toaster and coffee machine in there, so the small appliances aren’t sitting out on the worktop full-time,” she says.
The open-plan kitchen looks out onto the family living room, where plush blue velvet sofas create a relaxed atmosphere. “This is the main living area where the kids hang out,” Weaver says.
Sofa: Cochrane Design; pillow: William Yeoward
Sofa: Cochrane Design; pillow: William Yeoward
The formal dining table had been in the owners’ possession for many years. But while the table and powder-blue chairs make an impressive picture, Weaver says the family members mostly use the kitchen island for their daily meals.
Chairs: Berrydesign
Chairs: Berrydesign
Bifold doors leading out to a patio create an indoor-outdoor mood and also maximize the amount of natural light flooding into the living area.
When doing the addition, Weaver and her team had to ensure they complied with strict regulations. “The house is actually in a conservation area, so all the external work had to be sympathetic to the original building,” she says. To build the addition, they used reclaimed London stock brick that matches the rest of the home’s exterior and corresponds to the period of the home.
When doing the addition, Weaver and her team had to ensure they complied with strict regulations. “The house is actually in a conservation area, so all the external work had to be sympathetic to the original building,” she says. To build the addition, they used reclaimed London stock brick that matches the rest of the home’s exterior and corresponds to the period of the home.
Upstairs, the master bedroom has a dressing room and en suite bathroom. The bed is another custom creation, as are the headboard, chaise longue and bedside tables. The headboard is upholstered in silk, and the bed and chaise are upholstered in velvet for a sumptuous mood.
Bedding: Yves Delorme; velvet: Warwick
Bedding: Yves Delorme; velvet: Warwick
In one of the younger boys’ rooms, Weaver created a playful space that would also serve its occupant once he got older. A comic book print and a wall sticker with the boy’s name on it are bright and fun touches, while the custom Union Jack armchair is a play on his name. Additional storage under the bed ensures that toys are kept tidy and easily accessible.
In another of the children’s rooms, Weaver added a climbing wall at the child’s request. “It adds a little bit of fun,” she says.
See how to add a climbing wall to your home
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See how to add a climbing wall to your home
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Who lives here: A professional couple and their 5 children
Location: Clapham, southwest London
Designer: Eleanor Weaver of Cochrane Design
Size: 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
Initially the property was divided into multiple flats. “One of the first things we had to do was a ‘deconversion’ to turn it back into a full house,” Weaver says. This involved digging out the basement and extending the back of the house, as well as reconfiguring the internal layout.
Since many of the walls had to be knocked down, the molding in some rooms had to be replaced, and the entire ground floor was fitted with new oak floorboards. Weaver also replaced all of the fireplaces. “Because the house was split into flats, there was no uniformity,” she says.
Fireplace: Chesney’s; chandelier: India Jane; wall paint: Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball