Nadia and Shaun fell in love with their 1930s terrace in southeast London because it was full of light, had been extended and offered a blank canvas. But it wasn't until COVID hit that they noticed their home needed some real changes.
‘During lockdown, we spent a lot more time at home and began to see its deficiencies: tiles were cracked; the hallway was an odd shape,' explains Nadia, 'there was laminate flooring and unsightly room dividers.'
'We wanted to restore its bones and make our own mark on it,' she continues. 'Above all, the aim was to add texture rather than a flat finish, to make the schemes feel seamless and to combine warmth with practicality.’
Article continues below
‘The main issue was poor use of space,' she recalls. 'For instance, the middle room downstairs was essentially a walkthrough with no real use. That meant correcting sight lines, levelling floors and moving walls.'
With the help of K Space Interiors’ Krystyna Martin-Dominguez, it was turned from a white box to an ergonomic space layered with treasured finds.
‘We opted for wide, natural floorboards, simple limewashed brickwork, monochrome accents and fluid silhouettes for a neutral but uplifting look. Soft brass elements in the bathroom echo that feel. For us, it’s all about maximising and enhancing natural light.’
‘We found the process of looking for art and furniture a lot of fun: meeting antiques dealers and artists, learning the stories behind their finds and creations, talking to them about how these items would fit in our home. In that respect, Krystyna’s local know-how went a long way.'
'She introduced us to specialists we wouldn’t otherwise have known and steered us towards suitable pieces. We’ve also opted for artwork with a personal touch, such as those pieces over the sofa and fireplace by Shaun’s friend Gaz Oopsy Jones.’
'We now have a fully-functioning office space where I can work (Shaun works in the study upstairs) as well as a place to cosy up by the fire with a glass of wine in the evening. We also merged a loo and a bathroom on the first floor to create a more generous family space.’
‘It has naturally evolved into a great space for a family. We’ve found that limewashed walls are very forgiving; natural textures such as cork work brilliantly in the nursery and the streamlined spaces are easy for little feet to navigate. At the same time, we can also both work comfortably from home and on different floors. Our home finally ticks all the boxes.’
Take a room-by-room tour of Nadia and Shaun's beautiful home
The living room
‘Exposing and limewashing the brick walls made all the difference. We replaced the laminate flooring with wide oak planks and used simple linen curtains as window treatments.’
For a similar chair, try the Vitra Eames RE DSR Recycled Plastic Chair in Black, £400, John Lewis. For a similar cabinet, try Mossjön glass-door cabinet with two doors, £129, IKEA
‘Krystyna suggested removing the built-in alcove joinery in this space, making room for a desk on one side and a freestanding cabinet, housing wine, on the other. We also opened up the fireplace and removed plaster from the chimney breasts.’
The middle room is now one of our favourite spaces – we reworked the chimney breast and added a desk for home working.
Habitat’s Hanna dining chairs in Walnut, £190 for two, would work here.
The kitchen-diner
‘Zoning the dining area with a rug and oversized pendant helps the open-plan space feel welcoming. Sheer curtains soften the hard outlines of the bi-fold doors without blocking out the light.’
‘We didn’t change the kitchen, but we did swap out copious spotlights for layered lighting and we introduced sisal and rattan elements for a more mellow feel.’
The aim was to juxtapose original features with modern silhouettes and easy-on-the-eye schemes.
The guest bedroom
‘We opened up the fireplace and removed the chimney breast’s plaster finish, painting the exposed brick to add textural dimension to the room. Linen curtains and upcycled pieces introduce a sense of serenity.’
‘We hung a propeller blade bought from an independent shop in the Lake District above the bed because it adds a characterful point of interest. Walls here, as in the rest of the house, are finished in Bauwerk Colour’s Flannel Flower.’
We wanted to use vintage furniture to create natural accents throughout – these are the pieces that tell our story and make our home unique to us.
The nursery
Elsie cot, £799.99, Pottery Barn Kids, is similar. For a similar Moroccan rug, try Amina Berber Black and White checkered rug, from £150, Etsy
‘We chose cork flooring throughout the first floor and bamboo or linen window treatments for texture.’
The family bathroom
Cube countertop stone basin, 500mm, £330; Luxe brassware, from £275 for a mixer tap in brushed gold, all Lusso
‘We removed the wall between a separate loo and bathroom to create a larger family space. A small window was bricked up to create room for a wall unit and a reeded glass window fitted. We used microcement on the walls, which avoids having grout lines.’
The main bedroom
‘Although the loft conversion had already been completed when we moved in, K Space Interiors helped us update it with reworked wardrobe fronts, lighting and sisal flooring.'
The en suite
‘K Space Interiors moved the door opening and created a bespoke bobble-framed mirror, which is actually a sliding door, leading into the bathroom, which we reworked to accommodate a larger walk-in shower and wall-mounted toilet.’
Get the look - 3 key pieces to help you recreate a vintage-led scheme in your home
FOCUS ON… Natural materials
Sisal, cork, wide-plank oak flooring, breathable paint and vintage finds lend this family home an air of warmth
- LAYER TEXTURES Multiple textures add depth to a space. The key is to stick to a tonal colour palette to keep the look cohesive, so consider warm woods, natural materials such as sisal, rattan and cork, and a limewash finish on walls.
- GO VINTAGE Upcycled finds, vintage treasures and one-off antiques all add character to schemes. Seeing items before purchasing will help you get an idea of proportion and scale, so aim to source items from local suppliers.
- STREAMLINE Give natural materials plenty of breathing space. A neutral backdrop, such as oak flooring and whitewashed walls, is a perfect way to frame furniture. Removing superfluous details such as ornamentation and squaring off non-original architectural aspects like arches will result in a visually pleasing scheme.