Take inspiration from this elegant Edwardian house

The owners of this Edwardian terraced house in London decided to give their home a complete new look and banish the rather disjointed decor they had inherited.

'When we moved in we just gave the house a quick lick of paint and lived in it for three years,' says the owner. This gave the couple time to work out what they wanted to do in terms of the layout and the decor of the property.

'Nothing in the house seemed to flow, so we knew it would need a lot of work to give it a unified look,' says the owner who is also an interior designer. In the end, they rewired and replumbed, extended the kitchen and added a loft extension. The result is a warm and stylish family home.

This house originally appeared in Homes & Gardens, December 2016

1/9 Entrance

The house originally had double doors which, according to the owner, 'weren't very practical'. These were replaced with a traditional single door designed to look like the original pair.

2/9 Sitting room

The couple were keen to restore as many of the Edwardian features as possible, and wanted to give this room a club-like feel. 'Originally we painted this room in a deep brown but when we put the furniture in we found it impossible to create the look we wanted. We ended up painting this and the dining room in a dark blue which works perfectly.'

Ballroom chandelier
Abigail Ahern
Rocking chair fabric
Kirkby Design

3/9 Dining room

Walls painted in a deep blue shade add a contemporary note to this splendid dining room. They also create a perfect backdrop for the traditional furniture and fittings. Gleaming brass and polished wood add a note of contrast and the look is softened by glowing candlelight.

Walls
Little Greene
Dining table
Oka

4/9 Kitchen

The kitchen space was quite small so the designer had to work hard to fit everything in. Inspiration for the scheme came from some paintings the owner already had. 'I wanted to use antique brass in here, but at that time it proved quite difficult to find. We had to search hard to find the tap and when we found it we had the cupboard handles made in a bespoke finish to match.

Kitchen
Humphrey Munson
Brass tap
Rudge & Co

5/9 Kitchen island

A beautiful solid wood island worktop forms an eyecatching centrepiece. The large skylight above ensures the room is always bright and airy.

Similar brass pendant
Industville
Similar glass bowl
Dartington

6/9 Dining area

To create useful storage out of unused space, the door arch leading into the dining area has been lined with built-in shelving and cupboards. This practical feature also helps to frame the view right through to the kitchen.

Artificial Christmas tree
Balsam Hill
Dining chairs
Heal's

7/9 Bathroom

This marble-tiled bathroom looks cool and luxurious, while the brass fittings add an unexpected hint of glamour. 'It wasn't easy to find traditional-style fittings in this colour,' says the owner.

Marble tiles
Fired Earth
Antique gold bathroom fittings
Lefroy Brooks

8/9 Main bedroom

The couple weren't afraid to use a palette of strong greys which echo the bold colours in the living room. 'We kept the overall look simple but chose strong colours to bring the architectural details to life,' says the owner. A mid-century bedside table fits the scheme perfectly and the gold coloured bed cover warms the whole look.

Similar three-drawer bedside table
The Conran Shop
Similar curtain and headboard fabric
Romo

9/9 Guest bedroom

An understated, restful look is achieved here with pale greys. The whole scheme is lifted by just a couple of lime green accents used for the bolster cushion and chaise longue. The pared-back look leaves the modern cityscape as the focus of the bedroom.

Similar velvet fabric
Osborne & Little
Similar pendant
Jim Lawrence