Take a tour around an Arts and Crafts semi

Find modern decorating inspiration from our room-by-room house tour of a stylish Arts and Crafts semi-detached house. Find decorating ideas from its feng shui layout and choice of clever buys

PROPERTY TYPE Arts and Crafts semi
SPACE Living room, kitchen-diner, utility room, study, cinema room and playroom on the ground floor, four bedrooms, a dressing room and two bathrooms upstairs
LOCATION North-west London

Period features have been given a modern update with a coat of paint. The fireplaces didn’t fit with the unfussy aesthetic the owners were aiming for, so they painted them the same colour as the surrounding walls, creating clean, modern display mantels for very little cost. The wooden bench in the hallway is a rustic touch – it was sourced from a local market.

1/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

hallway with wooden flooring

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

2/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

living room with couch and table

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

An Edwardian fireplace in the living room has been given a modern makeover by painting it the same shade as the walls. The ornate ceiling plasterwork survived, despite one of the builders working upstairs putting his foot through it!

3/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

living room with sofa

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

Providing a place to relax in the evenings, the downstairs cinema room is filled with comfy cushions and film memorabilia.

The walls and ceiling in the cinema room are painted in Downpipe by Farrow & BallGeoffrey Drayton has large modular sofas. Bonbon sells Eileen Gray side tables. The limited-edition print, Toxic Mary, is by Banksy.

4/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

kitchen with sink

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

The wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed to create an open-plan family space. The owners also fitted wall-mounted rails for easy access to utensils.

Find similar kitchen rails at Divertimenti.

5/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

hallway with stairs

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

The stained-glass windows in the hallway and Arts and Crafts balustrade are just some of the many original features restored by the owners of this gorgeous house.

The pendant lights were an eBay find, but Tom Dixon sells similar.

6/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

bedroom with fireplace

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

The luxurious roll-top bath (mounted on untreated oak blocks) and Le Corbusier chaise blend with original features in the master bedroom, but all the while maintaining a show-stopping open-plan scheme. Inspired by the feel of Babington House, it mixes traditional elements with very contemporary ones. A wood-burning stove has been added to keep the room cosy in winter.

7/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

bathroom with mirror

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

The Aria mirror in the bathroom was chosen because it was a break from traditional style. The owners fell in love with this design instantly because they wanted something completely different.

8/8 Arts and Crafts house tour

kids room with chair

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mel Yates)

This boy's bedroom is packed with colour. A statement rug brightens up white flooring, and a classic rocker adds another pop of red. The castle bed is a playful touch and is teamed with a cowboys and indians-inspired wallpaper.

Bluewell Theme Beds has castle-style beds. The wallpaper and cushion are by Cath KidstonSCP sells Eames rockers.

Looking for more modern decorating inspiration? Check out our House Tours section for everything from a celebrity designer's Victorian terrace house to an eclectic mansion flat.

Heather Young
Editor

Heather Young has been Ideal Home’s Editor since late 2020, and Editor-In-Chief since 2023. She is an interiors journalist and editor who’s been working for some of the UK’s leading interiors magazines for over 20 years, both in-house and as a freelancer.