The interiors of this house by Maddux Creative are a lesson in modern grandeur

Curious commuters on the number 52 bus must be grateful that the owners of one particularly magnificent house in west London tend not to shut the curtains. If the bus lingers long enough, they will spy an enticing slither of elegant spiral staircase and a pristine marble kitchen through the bow of front windows.

Designed and built in the 1840s, the house sprawls over five floors, with views across the communal gardens to the back and a handsome stone staircase with an iron balustrade running up the middle. The rooms are capacious and boast some original yet eccentric details — ornate cornices, exaggerated curved walls and generous archways. It is all a little off beat.

A house like this requires decoration that will complement rather than combat its distinctive character. It is no surprise, therefore, that the owners turned to design firm Maddux Creative – a two-person show made up of Scott Maddux and Jo leGleud – known for its idiosyncratic style. What is more of a surprise is that they required their services not once but twice. Having refurbished the house when the owners bought it in 2007, they were called upon for another makeover four years later. The owners had permanently relocated to London from New York and the addition of a third child (another has since arrived) meant a full reconfiguration was required.

The main bedroom was enlarged – as was the dressing room – a new bathroom and shower room were added and the spare bedroom was moved to the basement. But they did not completely wipe the slate clean - some furniture from their New York apartment was incorporated into the new scheme, as were pieces from the house's first incarnation. The owners desperately missed the sunshine that flooded their previous home in New York, so one stipulation was plenty of light and colour. Scott and Jo took this to heart and called upon the paint specialist Isabelle Day; she painted the impressive arched entrance hall in Ben Nicholson-esque blocks of blue, sage and ochre, in a mix of shiny and matte textures. The same shade of denim blue continues up the stairs, where each acorn on the balustrade has been painstakingly gilded. It is a level of detail that sets the tone for the rest of the house.

Isabelle was also responsible for the viridian green in the dining room, which blends seamlessly with the view of the garden; it marks a stark contrast to the gleaming white marble in the adjoining kitchen, where rolling library ladders provide access to high cupboards. The spiral staircase that leads down to the playroom and spare bedroom was part of the original refurbishment, but Scott and Jo re-clad it in a whitewashed oak; it is an architectural detail that cleverly plays to the curved walls and fluid lines of the rooms upstairs.

The first floor comprises a drawing room flanked by a study and music room – the latter houses a grand piano and is papered in an opulent Fromental chinoiserie. Meanwhile, the drawing room impresses with its unadulterated glamour – an elegant curved sofa by Vladimir Kagan exerts a decidedly Hollywood feel, while the voluminous, asymmetric curtains were inspired by Alber Elbaz’s designs for Lanvin. So far, so decadent, but the room is as much substance as it is style, with small groupings of furniture cleverly configured for easy conversation. It is the sort of space that would play the perfect host to ritzy, Martini-fuelled parties – although Scott says it is less cocktails and more cups of tea with parents from the local school.

A large Mat Collishaw photograph depicting a crushed butterfly presides over the study in a glorious splash of jewel-like colours; a yellow sofa upholstered in Bruno Triplet silk and glass vessels by Pia Wustenberg smartly continue the rich palette.

The owners have the entire second floor to themselves – the astoundingly large dressing room complete with dedicated shoe cupboards puts the space to good use, but it is the adjacent bathroom that is the pièce de résistance. Inspired by Le Meurice hotel in Paris, it is a lavish marriage of unlacquered brass and Arabescato marble, with his and hers bowl basins and cut-glass hanging lights. On the top floor are their children’s bedrooms.

There is something wonderfully anarchic about the design of this house. It is a rambunctious mix of wit and elegance achieved via beautifully designed pieces, carefully considered arrangements of furniture and a clever use of space.

madduxcreative.com