Houzz Tour: Soft Tones Refresh a Historic Home in London
A neutral palette showcases the Georgian features of an American family’s remodeled townhouse
When the American owners moved into this Georgian townhouse in London, it was in a state of disrepair. After restoring a large part of it, they called in interior designer Beth Dadswell to help with the rest.
“They’d done quite a few things themselves but needed a bit of help to phase the project properly,” Dadswell says. She and her team worked closely with the couple to turn the historic property into a practical and cozy home for the busy family.
“They’d done quite a few things themselves but needed a bit of help to phase the project properly,” Dadswell says. She and her team worked closely with the couple to turn the historic property into a practical and cozy home for the busy family.
To keep the budget on track, the plumbing pipes and electrical wires stayed in their original positions. The sink has a view to the garden through refurbished windows.
“The timber was rotten, so we replaced them with new wooden ones,” Dadswell says. “We added brass fittings and tied them in by using brass handles on the kitchen cabinets.”
The white walls make the space seem light and fresh, but the couple also wanted the room to complement the traditional style of the house and to feel warm instead of clinical.
“The brass fittings and dark-stained wooden floor help with this,” Dadswell says, “as do the textured Moroccan zellige tiles on the [backsplash].”
Zellige tiles: Mosaic del Sur
“The timber was rotten, so we replaced them with new wooden ones,” Dadswell says. “We added brass fittings and tied them in by using brass handles on the kitchen cabinets.”
The white walls make the space seem light and fresh, but the couple also wanted the room to complement the traditional style of the house and to feel warm instead of clinical.
“The brass fittings and dark-stained wooden floor help with this,” Dadswell says, “as do the textured Moroccan zellige tiles on the [backsplash].”
Zellige tiles: Mosaic del Sur
In the hallway, Dadswell’s team stripped and stained the floorboards and painted the walls white. “We kept the walls fairly neutral in most parts of the house to provide a backdrop for the couple’s collection of artwork,” she says.
To bring soft color into the hallway, she complemented the sisal stair runner with a similar rug trimmed in a heather tone.
Sisal stair runner: The Natural Rug Store; wool rug: Alternative Flooring; Brilliant White wall paint: Dulux
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To bring soft color into the hallway, she complemented the sisal stair runner with a similar rug trimmed in a heather tone.
Sisal stair runner: The Natural Rug Store; wool rug: Alternative Flooring; Brilliant White wall paint: Dulux
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The stairs lead straight into a piano room and study that has French windows opening to a sunny terrace.
“It’s a beautiful room with views of the terrace and garden,” Dadswell says. “There’s a small desk opposite the piano, and the owners’ vintage French rug covers the floor.”
“It’s a beautiful room with views of the terrace and garden,” Dadswell says. “There’s a small desk opposite the piano, and the owners’ vintage French rug covers the floor.”
This floor is also home to a living room and a dining room, separated by double doors. “The owners were unsure of how they wanted to use these two spaces, but we decided to create a formal dining room at this end for when guests come round,” Dadswell says. “The challenge was tying the two rooms together.”
The design team laid sisal rugs in both rooms and reinstated ceiling medallions on both ceilings to capture the grand feel of the original building.
They also had the floorboards stripped and stained throughout, put a pair of mirrors above the fireplaces, and installed matching metal chandeliers in each space.
Add a Touch of Elegance With a Ceiling Medallion
The design team laid sisal rugs in both rooms and reinstated ceiling medallions on both ceilings to capture the grand feel of the original building.
They also had the floorboards stripped and stained throughout, put a pair of mirrors above the fireplaces, and installed matching metal chandeliers in each space.
Add a Touch of Elegance With a Ceiling Medallion
The owners had already painted the walls in the dining room dark, which Dadswell thought worked well. Chairs with white slipcovers surround the antique table.
“The owner loves this vintage French look, and these covers complement the white covers on the living room sofas,” she says.
Browse slipcovered dining chairs
“The owner loves this vintage French look, and these covers complement the white covers on the living room sofas,” she says.
Browse slipcovered dining chairs
In the adjoining living room, three Ikea sofas give the space a cozy feel. “As they’re not very deep, they work well in the room,” Dadswell says. “So we bought loose covers, which match the ones on the dining chairs.”
The soft walls showcase a couple of bright prints. “The owner already had one, but I encouraged her to get another to create symmetry,” she says. More color and texture come from the velvet and kilim pillows.
“We replaced a big ottoman in the middle of the room with a glass-and-brass coffee table,” Dadswell says. “It feels lighter in the small space.”
Elephant’s Breath wall paint: Farrow & Ball; sisal rugs: French Connection; chandeliers: Brabin and Fitz; coffee table: La Redoute; browse glass-and-brass coffee tables
The soft walls showcase a couple of bright prints. “The owner already had one, but I encouraged her to get another to create symmetry,” she says. More color and texture come from the velvet and kilim pillows.
“We replaced a big ottoman in the middle of the room with a glass-and-brass coffee table,” Dadswell says. “It feels lighter in the small space.”
Elephant’s Breath wall paint: Farrow & Ball; sisal rugs: French Connection; chandeliers: Brabin and Fitz; coffee table: La Redoute; browse glass-and-brass coffee tables
Below each print, Dadswell placed an antique Swedish Gustavian chest of drawers.
The wall sconces above the fireplace match those in the dining room.
Chests of drawers: Stenvall Interiors; wall lights and vintage posters: eBay
The wall sconces above the fireplace match those in the dining room.
Chests of drawers: Stenvall Interiors; wall lights and vintage posters: eBay
In the large master bedroom, the owners had already hung white curtains at the windows, and Dadswell added soft hues elsewhere to create a snug, inviting retreat.
“We had a new [headboard] made for the huge American bed, which really made a difference,” she says. “We also put a bench at the end of the bed to make it feel grander.”
The armchair became a reading spot with the addition of a brass floor lamp.
Elephant’s Breath wall paint: Farrow & Ball; reading lamp: French Connection
“We had a new [headboard] made for the huge American bed, which really made a difference,” she says. “We also put a bench at the end of the bed to make it feel grander.”
The armchair became a reading spot with the addition of a brass floor lamp.
Elephant’s Breath wall paint: Farrow & Ball; reading lamp: French Connection
Dadswell pulled out colors from the owners’ vintage rug, adding pink velvet throw pillows and gold-toned accessories and flowers.
Beside the bed are two vintage-style chests of drawers, a couple of vintage mirrors and some brass bedside lamps.
Bedside tables: Swoon; brass lamps: Pooky; velvet pillows: Cox & Cox; browse velvet pillows
Beside the bed are two vintage-style chests of drawers, a couple of vintage mirrors and some brass bedside lamps.
Bedside tables: Swoon; brass lamps: Pooky; velvet pillows: Cox & Cox; browse velvet pillows
The en suite bathroom was more or less finished when Dadswell came on board, so she simply added a sisal rug for warmth.
“The colors and style in here set the tone for the bedroom,” she says.
Floor tiles: Alhambra Tiles; pendant light: eBay
“The colors and style in here set the tone for the bedroom,” she says.
Floor tiles: Alhambra Tiles; pendant light: eBay
The couple’s youngest son sleeps in this top-floor bedroom. “It was originally blue, but it felt a little cold, so we painted it white,” Dadswell says. “I designed a floor-to-ceiling storage unit with a built-in bedside table and display area for all his Lego.”
These windows were refurbished, as were others throughout the house. “The previous owners had fitted casement windows,” Dadswell says, “so we worked closely with the local council to make sure we replaced them with the correct sash ones.”
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These windows were refurbished, as were others throughout the house. “The previous owners had fitted casement windows,” Dadswell says, “so we worked closely with the local council to make sure we replaced them with the correct sash ones.”
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: An American couple with three boys
Location: South London
Size: Four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer: Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors
The kitchen needed to be a comfortable space for the family of five, so Dadswell created a couple of areas where they could all gather. The kitchen peninsula has wide storage drawers along one side, leaving room for (eventual) bar stools on the other.
“It made a big difference, as it added storage, an extra work surface and somewhere for the boys to perch at breakfast time,” she says.
Dadswell had to work around the column in the middle of the room because removing it would’ve increased the cost significantly. She designed the peninsula around the structure, and it now forms a stop at the end of the breakfast bar.
A woodworker built a bench with plenty of space for everyone. Dadswell covered it in an olive green brushed cotton and added gray velvet and embroidered throw pillows.
Cabinetry: SDS London; Misty Carrera countertops: Caesarstone; Strong White wall paint: Farrow & Ball