Houzz Tour: An Edwardian House Modernised to Suit a Family of Six
Extending this London home more than doubled its size, creating a spacious, storage-smart place for a big, busy family
“This was not the kind of house you fall in love with,” says Emilie Mauran, remembering the dilapidated state of her Fulham home when she first saw it in late 2013. But, as the director of a project management and architectural design company, Mauran instantly saw scope for improvement and radical expansion. “I wanted to create a friendly, family house with lots of space to entertain, and to make a design that was different to the typical Victorian and Edwardian homes in this part of London,” she says.
Now, it’s spacious enough to accommodate herself, her husband, François, and their four children and, thanks to clever storage, it’s quick and easy to tidy, too!
Now, it’s spacious enough to accommodate herself, her husband, François, and their four children and, thanks to clever storage, it’s quick and easy to tidy, too!
Mauran was immediately attracted to the generous width of this house when she first saw it. “It’s 6m wide, which is very unusual in Fulham,” she says. “I also loved the garden, which was extremely deep and not overlooked at all.”
Its tired state was all part of the appeal, too. “I was looking for something to strip out completely,” she says. “This is my job, so this was the only way forward for me!”
When it came to visualising the interior, Mauran simply planned rooms that felt welcoming. “I just wanted my house to feel cosy, and to suit life with the kids, but also be good for entertaining friends, which we do a lot,” she says.
Sofas, Roche Bobois. Coffee tables, Wood’n Design. Rug, Designers Guild.
Its tired state was all part of the appeal, too. “I was looking for something to strip out completely,” she says. “This is my job, so this was the only way forward for me!”
When it came to visualising the interior, Mauran simply planned rooms that felt welcoming. “I just wanted my house to feel cosy, and to suit life with the kids, but also be good for entertaining friends, which we do a lot,” she says.
Sofas, Roche Bobois. Coffee tables, Wood’n Design. Rug, Designers Guild.
Storage is essential for keeping a busy family home looking ordered, and Mauran made sure she worked it in on every floor, so the house can quickly be tidied up.
“I have eight massive, built-in, floor-to-ceiling cupboards on the ground floor,” she says. These contain everything from coats and shoes to paperwork. “They are beautiful and so practical!” she says. “I can tidy my home in 10 minutes now.”
“I have eight massive, built-in, floor-to-ceiling cupboards on the ground floor,” she says. These contain everything from coats and shoes to paperwork. “They are beautiful and so practical!” she says. “I can tidy my home in 10 minutes now.”
The living room sits at the front of the house, on the ground floor. “We read in here, play card games with the kids, or have aperitifs when friends come over,” says Mauran.
“As we decided to go for blue and yellow coffee tables, when I saw the yellow pendant lights, I thought they would be perfect,” says Mauran.
Coffee tables, Wood’n Design. Pendant lights, Holloways of Ludlow.
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“As we decided to go for blue and yellow coffee tables, when I saw the yellow pendant lights, I thought they would be perfect,” says Mauran.
Coffee tables, Wood’n Design. Pendant lights, Holloways of Ludlow.
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A deep indigo runs below the dado rail in the living area. “I wanted colours that were a bit different from the 50 shades of grey I see a lot these days,” says Mauran. “Indigo is one of my favourite colours.”
Walls (below dado) painted in Indigo Blue Spectrum emulsion, Sanderson. Wallpaper (above dado), Élitis. Console, Wood’n Design. Slim Aarons Poolside Gossip artwork, Grapefruit Gallery, also available at Surface View.
Walls (below dado) painted in Indigo Blue Spectrum emulsion, Sanderson. Wallpaper (above dado), Élitis. Console, Wood’n Design. Slim Aarons Poolside Gossip artwork, Grapefruit Gallery, also available at Surface View.
“My brother Vincent and I designed all the furniture in the house,” explains Mauran. “He lives and works in India and shipped a container of 18 pieces over to London for me. We’re both inspired by Fifties design.”
The dining table, with its chevron stripes of dark and honey-toned teak, is used for dinner parties with friends. “French people don’t tend to go to restaurants with friends, we invite people over a lot,” says Mauran.
Dining table, Wood’n Design. Lampshade, Holloways of Ludlow.
The dining table, with its chevron stripes of dark and honey-toned teak, is used for dinner parties with friends. “French people don’t tend to go to restaurants with friends, we invite people over a lot,” says Mauran.
Dining table, Wood’n Design. Lampshade, Holloways of Ludlow.
Mauran designed and installed an internal window between the kitchen and dining area on the ground floor. “Before we even bought this place, I knew I wanted to integrate this atelier concept into my house,” she says. “It’s very French.”
As well as looking beautiful, the window helps draw extra light into the living room at the front from the south-facing garden at the rear. It’s also a way to enjoy the garden from the living area, but without being able to see any kitchen mess. “Plus, if you’re cooking, you can still keep an eye on what’s going on in the living room!” adds Mauran.
As well as looking beautiful, the window helps draw extra light into the living room at the front from the south-facing garden at the rear. It’s also a way to enjoy the garden from the living area, but without being able to see any kitchen mess. “Plus, if you’re cooking, you can still keep an eye on what’s going on in the living room!” adds Mauran.
Mauran often designs basements for clients and creating light, beautiful spaces has become one of her specialities. Here, in her own home, the huge basement floor is accessed by stairs in the centre of the property.
Typically, stairs go down from the entrance. “It means you have all the stairs stacked above each other,” says Mauran. “I don’t like this arrangement. I wanted my basement to feel part of the rest of the house and to get as much light as possible. So the access is from the middle of the ground floor.”
Typically, stairs go down from the entrance. “It means you have all the stairs stacked above each other,” says Mauran. “I don’t like this arrangement. I wanted my basement to feel part of the rest of the house and to get as much light as possible. So the access is from the middle of the ground floor.”
The basement space is flooded with natural light during the day, with artificial light not needed until after dark. “That’s quite rare in a basement,” says Mauran. “The skylights, glass balustrades and open steps were all crucial in making the basement feel so bright.”
There are three rooflights in total over the ground floor rooms: two above the kitchen and this one above the stairs.
Rooflights and sliding doors, Maxlight.
There are three rooflights in total over the ground floor rooms: two above the kitchen and this one above the stairs.
Rooflights and sliding doors, Maxlight.
Mauran designed a sunken sofa for the basement, which regularly becomes a cinema space for family film watching. “We have a projector attached to the ceiling and we can all cosily sit around the space to watch movies,” she says.
“Originally, the basement was going to be two rooms, but when we decided to keep it as one big space I then had to work out how to tell different stories within that one large, 60 square metre area,” says Mauran. The basement stairs softly divide the sunken sofa pit from a space in which to sit and read. There’s also a bar here (see next image).
Chaise, Camerich. Coffee table, Ikea. Smoked Oak flooring, The Natural Wood Floor Company. Rug, Designers Guild.
Chaise, Camerich. Coffee table, Ikea. Smoked Oak flooring, The Natural Wood Floor Company. Rug, Designers Guild.
Installing a bar was a great way to give purpose and identity to the large, open-plan basement. “My dad and one of my other brothers make Cognac in France,” says Mauran. “I always knew a bar area was necessary! We use it when we have parties with friends, which always end up with dancing.”
Again, Mauran designed this piece, which was made by her brother in India and shipped over.
Bar, Wood’n Design.
Again, Mauran designed this piece, which was made by her brother in India and shipped over.
Bar, Wood’n Design.
This is another piece designed by Mauran and her brother, Vincent. “The compartments were originally supposed to go above the console on the ground floor,” says Mauran. “When I decided to go with wallpaper up there, I knew that wouldn’t work. So I asked him to make a bookshelf out of them and it worked! I love books and enjoy this piece so much.”
Bookcase, Wood’n Design.
Bookcase, Wood’n Design.
Floor-to-ceiling glazing at the rear of the ground floor allows maximum light in, while a glazed section of patio feeds light down to the basement. Glass balustrades flank stairs that lead down to the basement level, again encouraging light into this level.
Rooflights and sliding doors, Maxlight.
Rooflights and sliding doors, Maxlight.
Mauran designed the kitchen and had it made by her builders. The floor tiles have the look of old cement designs, but are actually porcelain.
Tiles, European Heritage. Cabinets painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball.
Tiles, European Heritage. Cabinets painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball.
The kitchen features a table, used for everyday family meals, and a space-efficient bench that Mauran designed and had covered in practical fake leather. “I wanted to put a family table in the kitchen, but it’s quite narrow there,” she says. “You need around 90 centimetres behind a chair, to allow space to pull it out or move around, but we didn’t have that space. So I designed a bench instead.
Table, Habitat. Chairs, Maisons du Monde. Caravaggio pendant and wall lights, Holloways of Ludlow.
Table, Habitat. Chairs, Maisons du Monde. Caravaggio pendant and wall lights, Holloways of Ludlow.
The bathroom on the first floor gets no natural light, but rather than paint it a pale shade in a bid to brighten it up, Mauran went dark. “I like to go with the darkness,” she says. “Dark walls can be warm.” The photo above the bath is of Mauran, taken by her husband.
Walls painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball. Odyssey Collection floor tiles, Original Style.
Walls painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball. Odyssey Collection floor tiles, Original Style.
Storage features in the family bathroom, too, with simple basins from a bathroom discount centre sitting on top of deep drawers.
Metal shelf, Maison du Monde.
Metal shelf, Maison du Monde.
“The master bedroom is quite small,” says Mauran, “as we wanted to have one bedroom for each child. In the future, we might have the girls share a room and extend our bedroom into Lucie’s.”
Dressing table, Made. Eames Organic chair, available at Twentytwentyone.
Dressing table, Made. Eames Organic chair, available at Twentytwentyone.
A colourful wardrobe and drawer cabinet stands in Juliette’s room, designed by Mauran and her furniture-maker brother.
Cabinet, Wood’n Design.
Cabinet, Wood’n Design.
This is Lucie’s bedroom on the first floor. Mauran avoided the trad pink for little girls and went for a soft blue. “I always use Ikea beds for the kids’ rooms, because they’re affordable and really good quality,” she says.
Minnen bed, Ikea.
Minnen bed, Ikea.
Arthur’s bedroom in the loft connects with his sister Alice’s. “I love changing the style of the kids’ bedrooms and it’s very easy to do, just by swapping bed linen, rugs and cushions,” says Mauran.
Abracadabra wallpaper, Pierre Frey.
Abracadabra wallpaper, Pierre Frey.
A striking cabinet, which opens to become a desk, is another design created by Mauran and her brother, Vincent. “I don’t spend too much on toy storage in the kids’ rooms, as their needs and possessions keep changing as they grow,” she says. “So instead, the focus has been on a desk, pale colours and good lighting.”
Desk unit, Wood’n Design.
Desk unit, Wood’n Design.
Alice’s bedroom in the loft has soft blue walls and clever built-in shelving that frames the bed and makes the most of the room’s angled walls.
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Do you have a favourite detail in this hard-working family home? Add your thoughts in the Comments below.
12 brilliant ways to use wasted space in the bedroom
Do you have a favourite detail in this hard-working family home? Add your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here Emilie Mauran, her husband, François, and their children, Arthur, 10, Alice, 8, Lucie, 6, and Juliette, 2
Location Fulham, west London
Property An Edwardian terraced house
Size 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Designer Emilie Mauran, director of EMR Home Design
Photos by David Butler
Mauran more than doubled the size of the house by digging down to create a basement level, extending the ground and first floor, and converting the loft into two bedrooms and a bathroom. “The house was 130 square metres when we saw it and now it’s 285 square metres!” she says. Work began in May 2014 and was completed in April 2015.