A Victorian house in south London refreshed for the third generation
It used to be commonplace to live in the house in which one was born; to raise one’s own children in the same space, and eventually pass it onto them, creating a sense of familial continuity that could span generations. Less so these days, but when it does happen, it feels special and unique. So, when a client enlisted Scarlett Jones, studio lead at Sims Hilditch, to refresh and revitalise the south London house in which she was born, she was understandably keen to tread somewhat lightly. What followed was an exercise in balance; a tour de force in regenerative interior design while ensuring the house still felt like the home it was to the client and her young family – and the one it had once been to her and her parents.
The Grade II-listed house itself is an early Victorian one, built in 1843 in the south London of Dickens and Thackeray. “The bones and the structure were beautiful,” says Scarlett, “and all the architectural elements were very much in good condition.” It quickly became apparent that the basic outline of the house was already in place: what had to be decided was how Scarlett would fill it in with colour, pattern and form. Luckily, Sims Hilditch had worked with the client on a previous project. “We really felt trusted from the get-go,” says Scarlett. “You realised how important designing with longevity is, because there were so many things that we inherited and they didn't want to change.”
To fit the brief, Scarlett left much of the joinery on the ground floor in place, just adding extra storage here and there – such as in the dining room – or adding new colour to cupboards whose wood was of good enough quality to retain. She had a bespoke mahogany television cabinet built to sit on the right-hand side of the fireplace, which blended with the older joinery. “It actually looked quite antique when you set it beside all the other antiques and furnishings in the room.” Inherited furniture became a through-line, too, with antique pieces reupholstered and reconditioned, including some by George Smith. A Murano glass pendant which was the client’s grandmother’s was kept in place, offering a touch of vintage individuality and continuity – but also something a little different to the rest of the room, which was smartened up considerably.
Colour was deployed with vigour to enliven spaces which otherwise underwent relatively minimal changes, in particular a soft blue from Farrow & Ball called “Oval Room Blue”. In the living room, which was already wallpapered in a de Gournay design of some 10 years, Scarlett freshened up the paint and replaced a roughly 15-year-old carpet, which “completely changed the life” of the room. The floor on the ground floor was kept as a herringbone pattern, but Scarlett and the client opted for a browner tone than the reddish floor that was in situ. The client took a little more persuading to agree to the colour of the kitchen island – a light-pink rhubarb tone – but eventually took the plunge.
Where fittings and furniture needed refreshing, they were recontextualised with textiles: Colefax and Fowler, Studio Atkinson, Beata Heuman. The client loved animal print and was keen to incorporate it in the house, but otherwise Scarlett had a broadly free hand. “They told us what sort of colours they liked,” she explains, “but they did give us quite a lot of free rein in terms of exactly what fabrics to use.” In the end, “a little bit of leopard print” made it into many of the rooms of the house, albeit subtly thanks to contemporary prints from Colefax and Fowler and Schumacher.
Spatially, the house threw up different challenges. Set on a curved section of road, its facade has a subtle but definite curve, making for a complex fit when trying to incorporate squared furniture; an L-shaped sofa was built bespoke on-site to cater to the unusual shape of the sitting room. The client also wanted larger and easier spaces in which to raise a family, meaning bigger changes were made to the taxonomy of the rooms; a kitchen and snug TV room were combined to make a larger, airier kitchen-dining space, which could encompass an extendable round Alfred Newall dining table, doubling the potential seating from six to 12. Likewise, the large, carpeted first-floor bathroom was reimagined with planked timber flooring, a walk-in shower and a freestanding bath, as well as a vanity and wardrobe space for the client.
The result was a house that maintained its character while looking fresh and revitalised, with a practicality that belies its aesthetic charm. Best of all, the client and her family came away delighted. “The more you got to know them, the more you really felt that you were helping them achieve this look and creating a home for themselves,” says Scarlett, “whilst obviously being really sympathetic to what their parents had done in the past.”
Simon Brown1/22The bobbin dining table is by Alfred Newall, while the dining chairs are each a Charles Orchard bamboo chair upholstered in Penny Morrison “Gobi” fabric.
Simon Brown2/22The wall lights are Porta Romana Holden cane fittings, with Hum London lampshades, and the window cushion is upholstered in George Spencer “Palampore” fabric.
Simon Brown3/22The joinery is bespoke, painted in Mylands’ “Market Green” and designed to match the extant joinery in the 1843 house. The cupboard handles are Armac Martin bamboo handles, and the wallpaper is Soane’s “Seraphic Star” in Bastille.
Simon Brown4/22The blinds are the client’s own, as is the desk – with new Armac Martin handles added. The stool is the client’s own antique stool, reupholstered in Schumacher’s “Iconic Leopard” in Blue.
Simon Brown5/22The sideboard is the client’s own antique. The wall and woodwork are painted in Farrow & Ball’s “All White” and “Oval Room Blue” respectively, and the table lamp is by Porta Romana with a Penny Morrison lampshade. The stair runner is Sophie Cooney’s “Eye Design” in Blue.
Simon Brown6/22The mirror is the client’s own antique gilt piece. The armchair is a George Smith piece, upholstered in Fermoie’s “Hackford”, while the ottoman is bespoke and upholstered in Beata Heuman’s “Jumbo Gingham”. The joinery is also bespoke, with Armac Martin “Sutton” handles in antique brass and Andrew Martin “Pollen” insert curtains in Honey.
Simon Brown7/22In the master bedroom, the headboard of the bed is bespoke, and upholstered in Colefax and Fowler’s “Nerello”. The curtains are also bespoke, in a cut linen stripe with Samuel & Son trim. The carpet is Jacaranda Carpets’ Herringbone weave.
Simon Brown8/22The ceiling light is by Visual Comfort, the wall colour is in Farrow & Ball’s “School House White” and the woodwork is in the brand’s “Light Blue”.
Simon Brown9/22The bedside table is bespoke, a Gustavian antique painted piece. The table lamps are “Acanthus” brass columns by Vaughan Design, with hand-embroidered cream lamp shades. The wall lights are by Pooky and the cushions are bespoke, upholstered in Zak & Fox.
Simon Brown10/22In the master bathroom, the blind is Beata Heuman’s “Florentine Flowers”, the rug is Jennifer Manners’ “Scallop Lemon”. The ottoman is bespoke, upholstered in Christopher Farr’s “Belle de Nuit”, while a bath by the Cast Iron Bath Company has been painted in Farrow & Ball’s “Sudbury Yellow”. The wall panelling is bespoke. The towel rail is by Bard & Brazier.
Simon Brown11/22
Simon Brown12/22In the bathroom is a bespoke vanity by Parker Howley. Wall lights are Vaughan Designs’ “Seaton Stripe” and the seat is bespoke, upholstered in a Jean Monro stripe with a Samuel & Sons fringe.
Simon Brown13/22The desk lamp is Pooky’s “Pietro”; it sits on a “Bjorn” desk by Swoon Editions. The joinery is in Myland’s “Burlington Arcade” and the wallpaper is Pierre Frey’s “Zarand Coordonne”.
Simon Brown14/22In the powder room on the lower ground floor, the wallpaper is Warner House’s “Bengal Teal”, while the splashback is tiled in Marlborough glazed teal tiles. The ceiling light is Visual Comfort’s “Leslie” semi-flush light.
Simon Brown15/22In the children’s bedroom a Lillian Daph cot sits on a bespoke rug by the Ornate Rug Company. The wall is painted in Farrow & Ball’s “Skylight”, while the woodwork is in the brand’s “Oval Room Blue”. The armchair is Andrew Martin’s “Victoria” chair, and the floor lamp is Pooky’s “Ned”.
Simon Brown16/22The wallpaper border in the children’s bedroom is by Ottoline.
Simon Brown17/22In the children’s bedroom on the second floor, the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s “Templeton Pink”, and the woodwork is in “Oval Room Blue”. The headboard is bespoke, upholstered in Soane’s “Osmunda Frond” in Azure; the table lamp is by Pooky and the chest of drawers is the client’s own.
Simon Brown18/22The shutters are upholstered in Lowri Studio’s “Forest and Hills” in Plum, above a Charles Orchard “Strand” chest of drawers.
Simon Brown19/22Like the headboard in the children’s bedroom, the shutters are upholstered in Soane’s “Osmunda Frond” in Azure. The desk joinery is the client’s own, repainted, and the deck chair is a Chelsea Textiles bamboo chair.
Simon Brown20/22The children’s ensuite features Bert & Bay “Bubblegum” tiles.
Simon Brown21/22The antique sideboard in the guest bedroom is the client’s own. The lampshade and cushions are both upholstered in Fermoie, and the curtains are GP & J Baker “Compton” fabric cottage-pleat curtains on a Jim Lawrence reeded brass curtain pole.
Simon Brown22/22In the laundry room on the lower ground floor, the existing joinery was repainted.
