Step inside this quirky and characterful home in Hertfordshire

Step inside this quirky and characterful home in Hertfordshire, chosen by Style at Home. For more house tours and decorating ideas, go to housetohome.co.uk

The owners bought this mid 1800s end of terrace in Hertfordshire, in 2007. It used to be a pub serving canal workers, and it was converted into a house in 1967. When the owners first bought the property, it hadn't been updated since the 1970s, although the kitchen had been extended. They gutted the whole place, had it rewired, replumbed, and totally redecorated. It's light and modern with a mixture of old and new furniture that complements the building's original features, while the lively textiles add colour and interest. The owners were inspired by the rich colours and textures of exotic places, such as India, Morocco and Arabic countries, and they mixed finds from their travels for an eclectic look. 

1/9 Exterior

exterior house with sash window

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

2/9 Living room

living room with floor lamp and coffee table

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

The original panelling in this living room makes an interesting backdrop for the mix of furniture, give it an homespun look and feel. The modern floor lamp contrasts with the more traditional pieces in the room and helps to update the look. An abundance of cushions and throws, many created by the owner, introduce texture, add interest and give the living room a special feel. Natural finishes are one of the best ways to add warmth to a space – the wicker and wood pieces are good examples of this. 

Floor lamp

Habitat
Similar coffee table
The India Shop

3/9 Living room corner

living room corner with sofa and armchair

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Make the most of a small space by using a simple, unfussy decorating scheme. A monochrome palette will keep the feel light. Here the mix of grey and white is carefully controlled across furniture, blinds and artwork with white walls and ceilings providing a crisp, clean backdrop. A large low-level coffee table is the perfect perch for bright and cheerful accessories. 

Sofa
Sofa Workshop
Similar armchair
Laura Ashley

4/9 Kitchen

kitchen with cabinet and white flooring

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

The owners wanted to create a timeless yet modern space with practical surfaces but somewhere they could still add touches of character along the way. Pale ceramic floor tiles are a timeless and practical choice for a family kitchen, especially with the contemporary white units. Hardwearing and durable, ceramic tiles are a tried-and-trusted material for kitchen floors. Since ceramic is so strong, tiles can be made thinner, so even huge ones needn?t be heavyweights. 

Similar tiles
Topps Tiles
Kitchen units
Ikea

5/9 Dining room

dining room with table and chair and fairy lights

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Create a relaxed feel in a dining room by choosing mismatching pieces and eclectic accessories. A set of modern dining chairs contrast beautifully with a wooden statement table, green and blue occasional chairs and a Lloyd Loom-style armchair. A string of multicoloured cotton fairy lights introduce a wave of colour that's picked up by homemade accessories. Use a pop of colour to tie the scheme together ? lime green is the colour of choice here. They also added a tall picture window and French doors so they could have lovely views of the garden from the dining area.

Similar dining table
LPD Furniture
Dining chairs
Dwell
Cotton fairy lights
Cable & Cotton

6/9 Home office

home office with chair and sideboard

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

This craft room, formally a beer cellar, makes use of every inch of its space. The owner uses it to house her collection of off cut fabrics for her many textile projects. Storage is squeezed into every nook and cranny, with floor-to-ceiling shelves, a mini distressed sideboard with desktop drawer unit.

Similar chair
Wayfair
Similar sideboard
Maisons du Monde

7/9 Master bedroom

bedroom with bed and white wall

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

A plain background in the bedroom is calming and here it allows the folksy art on the wall to really stand out. Bring different styles ? with a common colour theme ? together by introducing a mishmash of accessories and soft furnishings for a handcrafted feel. Use balancing elements to help to ground the strong colours and patterns - stained wood bed, chest of drawers and mirror, grey painted side tables and matching bedside lamps.

Similar bed
Worldstores
Similar side tables
Wayfair

8/9 Children’s room

child room with bed and blind

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Introduce colour in a child's white bedroom through accessories and artwork. The pretty butterfly canvases shown here were created by the owner. Modern and vintage furniture comes together to bring character and a homely lived in appeal to this bright and cheerful space. Striped, floral and check cushions in a mix of different sizes up the comfort factor on the bed.

Similar bed
Worldstores
Similar blind
English Blinds

9/9 Bathroom

bathroom with chair and flooring

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Choose vinyl flooring in a bathroom - it can cope easily with splashes at bath time. They are also a practical solution if you don't want to gut your floor completely. As a contrast to the dark flooring, walls and sanitaryware are kept bright white. The owner has introduced colour through a few well chosen accessories such as the ditsy floral chair cushion and jewel-bright towels.

Similar chair
Maisons du Monde
Similar flooring
A Floor Vinyl Flooring

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.