This Victorian home is decorated in a kaleidoscope of patterns and colours

Patience and caution are key when you are tackling a big renovation.

‘Take your time, do it well and do it once. If you wait longer, you will get a better result,’ says Becky Rossetto, who took her time renovating her family's Victorian home.

‘This is the slowest renovation we’ve ever done,’ says Becky. ‘We started in 2019 and there’s one more room to do, but I’m so happy with what we’ve achieved.’

Her patience has been rewarded with the home of her dreams, filled with some stunning wallpaper ideas.

Built in the 1890s, the property was in reasonable structural condition, with fine architectural details, but there were signs of wear and tear. The house felt dark, old-fashioned and ready for a new look.

Becky thought long and hard about every decision, but as she runs her own interior decoration business, she has the skills required.

Open-plan kitchen-diner

After 12 months of living in the hallway and cooking meals for five on a gas stove outside the back door, it’s no wonder that this Victorian home looks so good now.

‘The house needed a lot of care and we wanted to figure out how we would live in it as a family, how to make it work in this day and age, and also how to be sympathetic to the simple original layout,’ she explains.

‘We took everything apart before putting things back in the right way. Gradually, we could live in the bits we had renovated,' says Becky.

Having decided to create a new open-plan kitchen, living and dining space, getting the right look was important.

‘We invested in good-quality joinery and chose a classic painted kitchen in a style that works with the house,’ says Becky. ‘I didn’t want anything contemporary as I didn’t think it would look right.’

The arched openings reveal how the space at the back of the house had once been a Victorian labyrinth of small rooms. Becky upcycled the bar stools and re-covered them with a mid-century fabric, which had been her grandmother’s curtains

A delicate paint shade – Edward Bulmer’s Sky Blue – enhances the bespoke kitchen cabinetry, creating a timeless look for the open-plan living area.

The glazed cupboards are lined with a decorative pattern – Hencroft in Pink Primula by Little Greene – adding an extra layer of pattern.

Beautiful wall murals

Becky wanted to capture the essence of Victorian style and reflect the property’s grandeur, but nothing here is stale or old-fashioned.

The colours are fresh, and Becky’s room designs are imaginative and original, nowhere more so than her elegant hallway idea.

She commissioned artist Francess Mullan to hand-paint a leafy parkland mural featuring cranes and – a Victorian favourite – peacocks. ‘I went wild in here. I wanted to do justice to this special space,’ says Becky.

Add to that the intricate plasterwork and mouldings, and a collection of houseplants any Victorian botanist would be proud of, and this entrance area ensures a lasting first impression.

The soft leafy design of another of Francess Mullan’s murals adds individuality to the dining area in the new open-plan layout.

Its relaxing blues and greens provide a stylish backdrop for one of Becky’s most treasured pieces in her home – the handsome Victorian mirror that once belonged to her father.

Living room transformation

The living room was part of a 1960s extension and, to ensure the space fits well with the Victorian aesthetic, Becky chose Morris & Co’s classic Pure Honeysuckle and Tulip wallpaper, with new wall panelling painted in a tonal colour.

The bespoke corner sofa is covered in a robust, pale blue fabric, complemented by an ottoman and an armchair upholstered in vibrant colours.

Framed vintage Indian and Afghan textiles bring even more warmth and colour, and the pelmets disguise plain roller blinds as a window treatment idea.

Bold colour choices

One of the joys of this renovation for Becky has been discovering more about Victorian design. ‘When we first moved here, I didn’t know much about the era’s style and furniture. I did lots of research and decided to bring in strong vibrant colours,’ she says.

Indeed, the rooms are now beautifully decorated in a kaleidoscope of paints, fabrics and wallcoverings. ‘That’s part of the history of these houses – the Victorians did have strong colours and patterns, and it’s been such a joy to let my imagination run wild,’ adds Becky.

In this green bedroom, the walls and wardrobe are painted in Sanderson’s Botanical Green. Becky picked up on this colour with the fabric for the headboard.

Rooms are a cheerful blend of brights and patterns. Here, an upholstered headboard, a patchwork quilt and vibrant artworks stand out against cool blue bedroom walls.

Bathroom pattern

Shell design bathroom wallpaper adds a pastel glow to this en suite, complemented by tongue-and-groove panelling painted in a tonal blue.

The burnished-brass taps, mirror frame and light fitting add warmth.

Auction and junk shop finds

‘When we first moved in, we had lots of mid-century furniture from our previous home but it didn’t work,’ says Becky.

‘I realised we needed to match the grandeur of the house.’ Their original furniture was sold and Becky started from scratch, collecting secondhand furniture pieces more in keeping with the age of the house.

‘I always try to think about sustainability, so I’d look for things at auctions and in junk shops. It’s so much more fun than buying new,’ she says.

‘I’m a magpie for pattern and colour. I always have been. I love pinks, greens and floral prints,’ says Becky.

‘And in this house full of boys I indulge myself with pattern and flowers in every room, and they don’t seem to mind or even notice!’

This article first appeared in Period Living Magazine. Subscribe and save here