How Salvesen Graham brought an unusual Georgian house back to life
Being given carte blanche is something of a golden ticket for interior designers when it comes to taking on new projects–particularly when dealing with historic houses where so much of the building needs to be carefully preserved. However, in the case of the Clock House, Salvesen Graham were given something more akin to a carte rouge. Imagine this: you are told Jackie Onassis, style maven du jour, is coming to stay at your house. How do you react? Perhaps you buy some fresh new bedding, flowers, or you ensure the pantry is fully stocked. Or perhaps, as in the case of the Clock House’s previous owner, you decide there is only one thing for it: the red (fitted) carpet must be rolled out in every room.
Such was the state of the house, with wall to wall tomato-hued carpet in every room, when Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham came to it in the spring of 2020. It was a house very much unloved and unlived in before the current custodians moved in half a decade ago. Formerly owned by a Swedish business magnate who used it as a holiday house, the building needed repairs and structural overhaul beyond the decorative brief the design team had been given. “Part of the process is to educate a client about what the house needs and deserves,” and why it’s “worth that investment,” the pair say. How to teach that lesson best? Earn their trust.
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That opportunity came knocking rather swiftly when the pandemic swept the globe just a week later. Mary, Nicole and their clients pulled together, leaning on Zoom meetings and WhatsApp group chats to connect and move forward with the project. “It made us this really tight-knit team." Buoyed by the open lines of communication and a long history of successful projects, the pair encouraged the owners to push their boundaries little by little.
Calling on Rupert Cunningham, the architectural designer and director of Ben Pentreath’s studio, they assessed how the family lived and interacted with the space, eventually beginning the project by moving the staircase and redirecting “the flow of the house.” Bedrooms became landings, dingy rooms became double height entrance halls and the “cold and draughty” gym became a grand dining room. Perhaps most radically of all, a room that contained nothing but a raised jacuzzi became a charming twin bedroom. “That was what was quite fun,” says Nicole. “The house really needed help,” adding that they needed to make sure the “bones of the house were absolutely right.”
Of course, when renovating a house like this one, it’s always important to “ensure the spirit of the renovation is sympathetic to its history without making a pastiche.” When it is suggested this mandate is inspired by Mary’s background at English Heritage, she counters: “It’s not about being so themed that every item in the house has to be within a ten year radius of the period… but anything feels better if it’s authentic.”
You might think that coronavirus, or moving a staircase, would be the largest possible problem to overcome in a project like this one, but there was a rarer issue for the team to negotiate. “There was sort of a funny thing,” laughs Mary, “although we didn't know about it until well into the project… the client was actually totally colour blind!” They continue, talking over one another in a playful way, “we were specifying green all over the place–it's pretty much our favourite colour." “Then it transpired close to the end of the project that he sees green as a funny colour which really doesn't look nice to him." It is quite a testament to the trust Mary and Nicole had inspired in the clients - that they were making all the right decisions - and also an explanation for how the client managed to live with those red fitted carpets for quite so many years.
A few months on from finishing the main house, Mary and Nicole returned to see how the interiors and house were functioning for the family. “It was actually pretty tidy, because there’s storage for everything, everything has its place and it’s comfortable,” says Nicole. Mary adds that “it’s a real pleasure to go back, to see that our work has enhanced the family's way of living and made things easier for them." Isn't that the most crucial thing of all?
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Simon Brown1/16An entry hall with a calming colour palette is grounded by a rush runner from Edit 58. Above, an ‘Original Globe’ pendant light from Hector Finch hangs. A console table provides a useful spot for letters, keys and other practical items. On top of it, Max Rollitt's Porphyry lamps sit by Soane's ‘Shark Tooth Mirror’. In the distance, a sofa by Salvesen Graham and David Seyfried awaits.
Simon Brown2/16From another angle, the entry way into this Georgian countryside residence offers a relaxed grandeur. The walls are painted in Paint and Paper Library's ‘Canvas IV’. Curtains in Soane's Paisley Stripe offer the space warmth. Underfoot, a Sinclair Till runner.
Simon Brown3/16Farrow and Ball's ‘Smoked Trout’ was picked to feel warm in the winter months, but light and airy in the summer. A Jennifer Manners' ‘Grid Rug’ lies underfoot, with Salvesen Graham cane side tables in a bespoke colour flanking the sofa. On them, lamps by Bridie Hall tone with the walls. Another wooden side table, by Alfred Newall provides space for further storage.
Simon Brown4/16A ‘loo to remember’ was the idea with the guest bathroom. DeGournay's ‘Magical Mengagerie’ wallpaper, featuring polar bears and tigers, covers the walls, with the ceiling painted to match in Farrow and Ball's Oval Room Blue. The washstand is from Balineum, the ceiling light from Soane and the wall lights from Hector Finch.
Simon Brown5/16Plain English units, painted in a range of colours ('Mash', ‘Army Green’, ‘Chop’ and ‘Nicotine’) form the basis of the kitchen. Roman blinds in Claremont's ‘Plain Linen Mustard’ offer privacy. The tiles are from Balineum.
Simon Brown6/16A home within a home. The annexe apartment was created as a retreat for guests who wanted their own space, but designed to feel just as comfortable as the main home. Layered with pattern and texture, it is a perfect extension of it. Here the British Standard kitchen is painted in Little Greene's ‘Light Bronze Green’. The blinds are Waldingfi Blue by Sister Parish, the table is Ikea and the banquette seat is upholstered in Howe's ‘Humbug Ticking Brown’.
Simon Brown7/16Getting creative in a house where the layout didn't allow for a vast boot room, Salvesen Graham built in storage underneath a counter. The mustard curtain (Salvesen Graham's ‘Zig Zag Stripe Mustard') keeps the space looking tidy. The walls are painted in Farrow and Ball's ‘Stone’ whilst the woodwork is ‘Stone Blue’. The taps are from Waterworks.
Simon Brown8/16The boot room bathroom comes with wipeable floor tiles ready for muddy shoes. The wallpaper is Soane's ‘Seraphic Star Bastille’.
Simon Brown9/16A previously ignored space, the team instinctively knew they wanted to turn this chapel into a wonderful, welcoming dining room in warm red tones. The dining table is a bespoke piece from Alfred Newall and is surrounded by chairs by Salvesen Graham in Claremont ‘Milano Linen 158’. Above, a Vaughan Fonteinne chandelier with bespoke shades by Sarah Blomfield hangs. Bespoke Dominic Schuster mirrors sit above a bespoke Hugo de Groot console pair. The walls are paper backed hessian painted in Farrow and Ball's 'Incarnadine'.
Simon Brown10/16A functional room designed to wow, the butler's pantry comes off the dining room. The shelves and skirt both offer and hide things that need storing. The wallpaper, blinds, lamp shade and fabric skirt are all ‘Fromental Fiamma’ in a Salvesen Graham colour way. The ceiling light is Vaughan's ‘Belluno’ and the drinks trolley is from By Alice.
Simon Brown11/16From a different angle, the full scope of the storage can be seen. They are painted in Farrow and Ball's ‘Bancha’.
Simon Brown12/16The original plan for this room was as a dining room, but the design duo convinced the clients to repurpose the chapel instead. This gave them the luxury of a larger study space. Here the paneling is painted in Farrow and Ball's ‘Oval Room Blue’. The roman blinds are Teyssier ‘Hawkeswood Moss’, balanced by Besselink and Jones wall lights. The fenders, a Salvesen Graham signature, are ‘Norfolk Fenders’ with John Boyd textiles horse hair. The furniture ranges from vintage Eames pieces (chair, footstool) to bespoke Salvesen Graham pieces (side chair, arm chair).
Simon Brown13/16Tucked away from the rest of the house, the principle bedroom is a sanctuary painted in Veere Greeney's paper backed ‘Folly Orpington Blue’. The bed tester, pelmets and valance are all in Guy Goodfellow's ‘Garsington Rosewood’. At the end of the bed, a Salvesen Graham X David Seyfried window seat is covered in the former's ‘Great Check’.
Simon Brown14/16What was once a good sized bedroom was turned in a wonderfully spacious bathroom. The wallpaper ('Floral Trail Delicate') is a Salvesen Graham own. With fixtures from Balineum, Porta Romana and Watermonopoly, the space was finished with antiques to offset the utilitarian feel.
Simon Brown15/16The smallest bedroom of them all, wrapped around the staircase, offered the chance to go ‘all out’. Nearly every inch is covered in Salvesen Graham ‘Great Check Fabric’ in moss creating a cosy feel. The bed cover is an Etsy find. The bed sheets are from Cologne and Cotton.
Simon Brown16/16The twin bedroom is a playful space with headboards by Alfred Newall grounding it. The cushions and blinds are Flora Soames' ‘Cornucopia’, with valances by Fermoie.
