Houzz Tour: Colorful Redesign for a Period Home
Warm colors and imaginative details add fun to this London family home
By the time the owners of this Victorian house in London called in interior designer Josie Lywood, they’d been living in the home for about eight years. “It was a perfectly livable space, but quite dated,” Lywood says. “They hadn’t done anything to it, as they knew they wanted to do a full refurb at some point.”
The house had already been extended at the back to create a kitchen, but this was quite narrow. A wall between two public rooms had been knocked down, creating a dark and underused living space in the center of the house. The owners wanted these structural issues resolved and an old cellar dug out to create a usable basement. They also needed more storage, particularly for coats and shoes — they have three children — and a downstairs bathroom.
“The brief was for a modern, cozy and homey scheme, harmonious with the original Victorian architecture,” Lywood says. “They were not afraid of color or pattern so we had a lot of fun creating this design.” Read on to see the beautiful results of this year-long project.
The house had already been extended at the back to create a kitchen, but this was quite narrow. A wall between two public rooms had been knocked down, creating a dark and underused living space in the center of the house. The owners wanted these structural issues resolved and an old cellar dug out to create a usable basement. They also needed more storage, particularly for coats and shoes — they have three children — and a downstairs bathroom.
“The brief was for a modern, cozy and homey scheme, harmonious with the original Victorian architecture,” Lywood says. “They were not afraid of color or pattern so we had a lot of fun creating this design.” Read on to see the beautiful results of this year-long project.
Glass and steel doors connect the living room to the entrance hall, which used to be quite dark, maximizing the light to both areas and bringing the hallway up to date.
The doors sit beautifully alongside the existing original features. “The ground floor had a lot of beautiful detail and there were high [baseboards] throughout the house,” Lywood says.
A large mirror further boosts the light. “The hall had a really nice arch with a mirror in it, which you can now see from the reception through the glass doors.”
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The doors sit beautifully alongside the existing original features. “The ground floor had a lot of beautiful detail and there were high [baseboards] throughout the house,” Lywood says.
A large mirror further boosts the light. “The hall had a really nice arch with a mirror in it, which you can now see from the reception through the glass doors.”
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Floor plan: The new ground floor plan shows the front living room now sectioned off and the middle room divided into a mudroom, a powder room and a snug, or den, accessed from the kitchen at the back.
As in so many Victorian townhouses, the space in the center of the ground floor lacked natural light. “This was the main thing to figure out,” Lywood says. “The middle part of the house was basically used as a corridor that led into the kitchen.”
She designed it to become a cozy den accessed from the kitchen and a mudroom with a powder room off it. In the mudroom, pictured here, she maximized the storage with custom woodwork and designed in a slim bench seat too.
She designed it to become a cozy den accessed from the kitchen and a mudroom with a powder room off it. In the mudroom, pictured here, she maximized the storage with custom woodwork and designed in a slim bench seat too.
In the powder room, Lywood worked with the naturally dark feel of the space. “Rather than try to make it bright, I advised the owners to embrace the darkness. Then we used artificial light to make it nice and cozy, with LEDs and wall lights,” she says.
She also used bright color and patterned wallpaper. “It makes it really fun in there, so you don’t walk in and notice there isn’t a window,” she says.
Floor tiles rather than the parquet used elsewhere on the ground floor help this area feel distinct. “We wanted the floor to look fun, so we used a mix of patterned tiles,” Lywood says.
Wallpaper: Lost World, Clarke & Clarke; paneling paint: India Yellow; walls and woodwork: Hague Blue, both Farrow & Ball; floor tile, Mandarin Stone
She also used bright color and patterned wallpaper. “It makes it really fun in there, so you don’t walk in and notice there isn’t a window,” she says.
Floor tiles rather than the parquet used elsewhere on the ground floor help this area feel distinct. “We wanted the floor to look fun, so we used a mix of patterned tiles,” Lywood says.
Wallpaper: Lost World, Clarke & Clarke; paneling paint: India Yellow; walls and woodwork: Hague Blue, both Farrow & Ball; floor tile, Mandarin Stone
Next door to the mudroom and powder room, Lywood created a cozy den in what had been the underused middle room. “The kids use the snug a lot and, with the glass doors onto the kitchen, it works really well,” she says. “You can still feel connected.” The doors also help boost the light in the den.
The walls are clad in shiplap paneling painted in a rich dark green. “We avoided using ceiling downlights in here as we wanted it to be really cozy,” Lywood says. “Instead, we installed a picture rail around the top of the paneling with LED lighting inside. This up-lights the ceiling and enhances the feeling of height in the space.”
She chose fabrics with fun patterns for the cushions and ottoman as this is a room for the kids. All the upholstered furnishings in here, including the sofa, were custom made.
Walls paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball; painting: Natasha Kumar
The walls are clad in shiplap paneling painted in a rich dark green. “We avoided using ceiling downlights in here as we wanted it to be really cozy,” Lywood says. “Instead, we installed a picture rail around the top of the paneling with LED lighting inside. This up-lights the ceiling and enhances the feeling of height in the space.”
She chose fabrics with fun patterns for the cushions and ottoman as this is a room for the kids. All the upholstered furnishings in here, including the sofa, were custom made.
Walls paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball; painting: Natasha Kumar
A previously built back addition already housed the kitchen, but the owners wanted to extend the space to the side too. “Now it goes right up against the boundary wall, so it’s much wider,” Lywood says. “It’s made a huge difference.”
New glass doors at the rear flood the space with light.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
New glass doors at the rear flood the space with light.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
The kitchen is a custom design with a wall of cabinets in a dark green that the owner specified. Arches feature in the living room and entrance hall, and are present here in the glass-fronted cabinets.
Cabinet paint: Ho Ho Green, Little Greene
Cabinet paint: Ho Ho Green, Little Greene
The island is in oak, as a warm contrast to the green cabinets. “It also ties in nicely with the dining table, which was an existing piece,” Lywood says.
The backsplash behind the cooktop is ceramic. “We considered natural stone for here, which would look amazing, but in the end opted for something easily maintained and durable,” as it’s next to the cooktop, Lywood says. Similarly, the countertop is in practical quartz in a simple off-white matte, which is easy to clean.”
Backsplash: Marazzi Bianco Arni satin, Marazzi Surfaces
Backsplash: Marazzi Bianco Arni satin, Marazzi Surfaces
“The owner was keen for the kitchen to be a really homey family space with a lived-in look,” Lywood says. “The dresser was a key part of that.”
It was custom made. “It looks like a freestanding piece, but it’s actually built-in,” Lywood says. “It has electrics in it, so it can function as a breakfast station, with a toaster and coffee maker housed there.” There’s ample storage in the drawers, while open shelves provide space for personal items, creating that homey feel.
Lywood sourced most of the furniture for the house, but the dining table was a preexisting piece. She then added chairs in colors she had specified.
Dresser paint: India Yellow, dining chair paint: India Yellow, Eating Room Red, De Nimes and Off-Black, all Farrow & Ball
It was custom made. “It looks like a freestanding piece, but it’s actually built-in,” Lywood says. “It has electrics in it, so it can function as a breakfast station, with a toaster and coffee maker housed there.” There’s ample storage in the drawers, while open shelves provide space for personal items, creating that homey feel.
Lywood sourced most of the furniture for the house, but the dining table was a preexisting piece. She then added chairs in colors she had specified.
Dresser paint: India Yellow, dining chair paint: India Yellow, Eating Room Red, De Nimes and Off-Black, all Farrow & Ball
In one corner of the kitchen Lywood created a cozy seating area. A built-in window seat has a small radiator beneath it. “The room wasn’t quite big enough to have a sofa in it, but this space means you can still chill here and have a coffee,” she says.
Painting: David Wheeler
Painting: David Wheeler
Lywood added half-height paneling to the entrance hall and up the stairs and painted it in a mid-blue. She used the same color on the cornicing of the first floor to make those details stand out.
Paneling paint: Etruria, Little Greene
Paneling paint: Etruria, Little Greene
A previously empty corner of the landing is now a cozy reading nook. “The owner said it would be nice to have somewhere for the kids to store their books and read,” Lywood says. “There was a bit of dead space here, and we’re all about maximizing every millimeter with customized and bespoke pieces that use every corner.”
Paneling and coving paint: Etruria, Little Greene
Paneling and coving paint: Etruria, Little Greene
The designers looked at different options for the ground floor layout, and considered having a laundry room there. They decided to put it upstairs, which gave them more room for the mudroom. It was also convenient to have a laundry room on the second floor.
Tiles in earthy tones inject some pattern into the space. “We kept the rest of the room bright and neutral,” she says.
Riad terra cotta and white porcelain floor tile: Mandarin Stone
Tiles in earthy tones inject some pattern into the space. “We kept the rest of the room bright and neutral,” she says.
Riad terra cotta and white porcelain floor tile: Mandarin Stone
“The family bathroom is quite compact for a house of this size, but we didn’t want to lose any bedrooms by converting one into a bathroom,” Lywood says.
She gave it a sense of fun with bold tiles on the floor and walls and unusual fixtures. “[The faucets] have a classical shape, but with orange crossheads,” she says. “It’s great for this room, which is used mostly by the kids.”
She gave it a sense of fun with bold tiles on the floor and walls and unusual fixtures. “[The faucets] have a classical shape, but with orange crossheads,” she says. “It’s great for this room, which is used mostly by the kids.”
One of the children’s rooms features the same warm, earthy tones found throughout the house. The yellow here echoes the dresser in the kitchen.
Cornicing and baseboard paint: Babouche; cupboard trim paint: Calke Green, both Farrow & Ball
Cornicing and baseboard paint: Babouche; cupboard trim paint: Calke Green, both Farrow & Ball
Designing the primary bedroom was challenging as it’s on the top floor. “There’s restricted head height and a sloping ceiling,” Lywood says. She divided the space into two, creating a walk-in closet on one side and the bedroom on the other, decorated in soft pink and green tones.
The couple’s en suite was also a tricky space due to the eaves. “We used every spare millimeter while trying to make it look beautiful,” Lywood says.
The mirrored cabinet was built around some studwork but contains storage too. Below, what looks like drawers and a cupboard is actually paneling hiding structural beams. “It meant we could make the room as big as possible, and push it right back to the studwork,” she says.
Floor tile: Haven Mosaics Belvedere, Claybrook
The mirrored cabinet was built around some studwork but contains storage too. Below, what looks like drawers and a cupboard is actually paneling hiding structural beams. “It meant we could make the room as big as possible, and push it right back to the studwork,” she says.
Floor tile: Haven Mosaics Belvedere, Claybrook
A niche in the shower is tiled in the same mosaic pattern as the floor to tie in beautifully and create a focal point. It’s just one example of the attention to detail Lywood and her team lavished on this house. No wonder its owners are delighted.
“The whole team at Q Design have been a joy to work with,” they said in their review on Houzz. “They are professional, creative and patient. They have been wonderful at listening to our ideas and coming up with their own imaginative and practical solutions for our home.”
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“The whole team at Q Design have been a joy to work with,” they said in their review on Houzz. “They are professional, creative and patient. They have been wonderful at listening to our ideas and coming up with their own imaginative and practical solutions for our home.”
More on Houzz
Read more stories about homes around the world
Find design and remodeling professionals near you
Shop for home products
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three young children
Location: Kew district, southwest London
Size: Five bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer: Josie Lywood of Q Design House
To create a distinct living space at the front of the house, Lywood reinstated the wall that had been taken out between the two ground-floor reception rooms. The fireplace was already there, but she added a wood-burning stove and a new fireplace surround.
“The owners wanted color, especially greens and ochers — those natural and earthy tones,” she says. “They had some really nice art too, which we worked around.”
Lywood had the sofas custom made. They are deliberately deep and comfortable to provide the relaxed, cozy feel the owners wanted. “It was important for this space not to feel too formal,” she says. “That’s also why we built in shelves for personal items.”
She bought the coffee table and then had an ottoman made to fit neatly beneath it. “It’s a functional tabletop for drinks and also a footstool for relaxing in a beautiful, statement peacock fabric,” she says.
Wall paint: Lichen, Farrow & Ball; Furrow wallpaper (in alcove); painting: Alison Rankin
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