An Arts & Crafts house in Putney rejuvenated by Field Day Studio
There is a stereotype in most people's minds about the way men in their 20s live, and it's not particularly flattering. But whatever might be in your mind, (flat pillows, shiny leather sofas, band posters), banish it. This is not that. This particular man inhabits a civilised Edwardian house in the heart of Putney, with a sophisticated interior by Field Day Studio. “It was his first home,” explains Jessica Gibbons, who co-founded the interior design practice 10 years ago along with her business partner Kat Turner. “It had previously been owned by a family, it was a bit of a blank slate, and he wanted to put his own mark on it.”
The house was built in the Arts & Crafts style, with generous leaded windows and plenty of character, and as Jessica explains, “the idea was that the interior would be sympathetic to the style of the house. But then since he was a younger guy, he wanted it also to be exuberant and colourful, and to have a sense of youth about it.” This fitted in well with Field Day Studio's ethos. “We like to have a bit of tension between traditional and modern,” says Jessica, “rather than going strongly in one direction or another. We don't have a house style, as such, but we find the degree to which we mix the traditional and modern goes up and down depending on the client. We tend to get clients who own interesting pieces or who like nostalgic elements, but we always want our interiors to feel like contemporary homes.”
Jessica and Kat's process begins with a deep dive into their clients' taste and personality. “We spend time getting to know them on a personal level,” continues Jessica, “finding out what makes them tick and what interiors they like, but also what their tastes are in terms of fashion and culture. This client was very interested in fashion, and was drawn to designers who broke rules and were a bit anarchic. But at the same time, he had very traditional leanings, he was into craft and artisanal pieces, and he also had some Italian heritage, and so we wanted some of the warmth of the Mediterranean in there too.” The team set about preparing an extensive moodboard that would inform the colours and textures they chose, and ideas converged around the Arts and Crafts movement, with plenty of natural materials and clean lines, but also with a sense of freshness and light in the colours and patterns.
Before the decoration could begin there was a modicum of reconfiguration to do. The kitchen, formerly a squat and gloomy space, was opened up with a raised ceiling and a glazed wall to allow light to come in from the utility room, and the team had to make sense of the vast double sitting room, which had previously been under-used, with one half very much neglected. “The owner did say he wanted plenty of interesting places to sit,” remarks Jessica, and they have certainly fulfilled that brief. In the neglected side of the sitting room they built a set of beautiful curving bookcases to enhance the lines of the walls, and made it into a library and listening space. “There always has to be a record player somewhere for boys," laughs Jessica. That room is now one of the most striking areas in the house and has a distinct feel of the early 20th century.
Although the Arts & Crafts period of the house is certainly in evidence in the interiors, so are lots of other elements of the past, and this allows for an overall sense of timelessness. The ivy pattern of the House of Hackney wallpaper in the hallway feels like an updated version of Victorian design, while the elegant joinery on the window seats is reminiscent of Art Deco motifs. One of the cleverest things about the house is the use of bespoke pieces or customised antiques, which lend character and patina to the interiors while still being entirely convenient and functional. One such piece is the sink unit in the kitchen, a bespoke piece of furniture designed especially for the space, but which has the air of an antique. As the appetite for immaculate fitted kitchens seems to be on the wane, this is a charming idea to steal. Also in the kitchen, an old refectory table was deftly modified with extra shelving to make it work as an island with plenty of storage.
If the house is now fulfilling its purpose as a place for entertaining, there is plenty to interest the visitor. A dark and glamorous TV room with a mid-century atmosphere leads off the kitchen, while in the other direction is a light and airy conservatory, strung with festoon lights and just crying out for a drinks party. Upstairs, a soft pink bedroom and an adjoining dressing room, filled with cabinetry for the owner's extensive collection of clothes, provides a place to retreat. As a first home, we can't imagine anything more luxurious.
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Dean Hearne1/16The sofa is covered in GP&J Baker's ‘California Velvet’.
Dean Hearne2/16The hallway opens up into the kitchen and dining area.
Dean Hearne3/16Vintage Carimate chairs by Vico Magistretti surround a French refectory table from Vinterior. The rattan pendant light is from Lights & Lamps.
Dean Hearne4/16The kitchen units were a bespoke design, with handles from Brascote & Co. The island was found at Pintor and customised with an extra shelf.
Dean Hearne5/16The sink unit was made by the joinery firm Maddison & Sons.
Dean Hearne6/16A new half glazed wall and door opens into the utility area.
Dean Hearne7/16
Dean Hearne8/16A blind in Tinsmiths' Washed Linen in mango adds a cheery touch in the utility room; the under sink curtain is in ‘Flora’ from The Cloth Shop.
Dean Hearne9/16In the conservatory, the chair is covered in Thibault's ‘Macbeth’ design.
Dean Hearne10/16The TV room is painted in ‘Charbonne’ from Paint & Paper Library, with curtains in Holland and Sherry's ‘Patagonia Flax’. An Art Deco sideboard and mirror stand on the right.
Dean Hearne11/16In the downstairs loo, wall tiles in Mandarin Stone's ‘Hoxton’ complement Violetti's ‘Olivia Natura’ tiles on the floor.
Dean Hearne12/16The main bedroom has walls in the pale pink ‘Temple’ by Paint & Paper Library, and a quilt from Toast adorns the bed.
Dean Hearne13/16The dressing room has extensive cabinetry painted in a bespoke brown gloss, and a set of vintage shop drawers stands in the middle of the space.
Dean Hearne14/16
Dean Hearne15/16The rattan mirror is from Lilian & Daph.
Dean Hearne16/16In the bathroom, an antique cabinet from M.R Antiques provides storage. The bath is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Cook's Blue’.
