A Notting Hill townhouse revitalised for a young American couple

At the core of the maisonette, which takes up the top three floors of the house, is the staircase. "It feels like it's everywhere you look," says Lucy, "so we put in calm, discreet joinery on every landing to create storage. It feels light and airy but every little cupboard is custom-designed to house particular things." Joinery is a hallmark of Barlow & Barlow's projects, and the house is filled with well-designed shelving and cupboards. In the sitting room, a wall of built-in shelves at the back of the room is painted in a rich sea-blue, with a central alcove perfect for hanging art.

This sort of clever customisation of the space is evident throughout the house. In the kitchen, Lucy has created a pantry out of one corner, designed to be "more interesting than just another run of cupboards." The top half of the wall is formed from Crittall-style screens, allowing a sense of visual flow while still separating the space. The pantry also forms a corner to allow for a built-in banquette with fluted upholstery. "It adds a bit of cosiness," says Lucy. "I think kitchens are greatly improved with a bit of softness and squidginess."

The kitchen was designed and installed by Herringbone Kitchens.

Jonathan Bond

Upstairs in the bedrooms, bright colour and pattern, perfectly coordinated, take centre stage, along with plenty more well-designed storage. Lucy has a neat trick of finding a statement fabric and using it on various surfaces throughout the room. In the main bedroom, for instance, Kravet's 'Awash' print is used on the curtains, and then in a grasscloth for the panelling on the wardrobes. Meanwhile in a tiny guest bedroom, Bernard Thorp's bold 'Palma' print covers the walls, and the same fabric pops up on curtains in the wardrobe panels. This use of a loud pattern works particularly well in the tiny room, where wardrobes have been built in at the sides of the bed to provide storage in a small space.

Lucy's fearless approach to colour and pattern result in some very pretty spaces. The guest bedroom in pale pink, with sloping roof and floral fabrics, is ever so charming. It was designed as a place for the couple's mothers to come and stay, with the brief that it should feel like 'afternoon tea at The Ritz.' A tiny loo also has the feel of a magical little world of its own, with its forested Sanderson 'Raphael' wallpaper and the loveliest scalloped basin that adds a sense of fun.

The green paint on the cupboards was colour-matched to Sherwin Williams' 'Pewter Green'. The zellige tiles are from Mosaic Factory.

Jonathan Bond

While the house is certainly contemporary in feel, with plenty of on-trend accessories like the rattan lampshades in the kitchen and the punchy gold light fittings in the bathroom, there are plenty of traditional touches as well. In part, this has been achieved by more judicious use of joinery, such as the wall panelling in the bedroom, which adds considerable character, and the moulding on the staircase. Restrained and classical in feel, these touches are the perfect foil for the expressive style of the furnishings.

The ending to the story is just a little sad after looking round such a joyful interior. Lockdown in a new country with a baby proved too much for the owners of the house, who have returned to the US, bequeathing the delightful space Lucy made for them to a new set of owners. Lucky them, we say.

Barlow & Barlow are a member of House & Garden's online directory of design professionals The List. See their profile here.