Renovate

From style-free space to elegant living room

KRISTINE HALL and her husband Dan spent six years renovating their three-bedroom Victorian house in London. It was liveable initially but, says Kristine – whose successful Instagram @restoringlansdowne prompted her to become an interior designer – ‘below the surface, it needed a lot of fixing’. The couple began work with the bedrooms ‘so we had a nice space to retreat to’, followed by the kitchen. They then saved up for the next phase, which included a loft extension and lounge. ‘We did as much work as possible ourselves, because we were on a tight budget,’ she says. Here’s how they created their elegant living room...

DEMOLITION JOB

After ripping up carpet and stripping off the 120-year-old plaster, the pair removed the wall between the living and dining rooms to create one space.

VELVETY FEEL

The colour scheme (Dove Tale and Inchyra Blue, £46.50, 2.5L, both farrow-ball.com) began with this chair (£599, made.com). ‘It’s velvet, which we have used a lot,’ she says.

SET THE MOOD

Kristine and Dan wanted a ‘moody and cosy feel’ to the room. ‘We use it a lot in the evenings and, with plenty of natural light, it can take a dark palette.’

LIGHTEN UP

Rotten floor joists meant removing a wall then putting it back up. ‘We added an internal window for light, closed one door and put in a French set further down.’

VINTAGE MEMORIES

The sideboard belonged to Kristine’s grandparents. ‘My grandad died not long before the renovation. When we took down the wall, we created a perfect home for it.’

ALL CHANGE

The living room before. ‘The paint had been put on over peeling wallpaper, which was holding up the plaster,’ says Kristine. ‘And the ’70s fireplace had to go!’

WARM WOOD

The couple stained the original floorboards with Osmo oil in Terra (£76 for 2.5L; wood-finishes-direct.com): ‘I wanted a dark, rich brown to bring out their character.’

HOME HAVEN

Now, the room is just how they wanted it, with a new fireplace from firesandsurrounds.co.uk. ‘People say how relaxing the room is,’ says Kristine. ‘All the texture absorbs the sound.’