LONDON HOME
Traditional English décor marries beautifully with hints of the American South in this spacious and welcoming family home
English décor meets the American South in this stylish property.
Being confronted with a blank canvas can make your heart sing at the possibilities or sink at the prospect. For Elizabeth and Morgan Shaw it was a mix of both. The south-west London home that they bought at the end of 2013 had been repossessed and was, in estate agency speak, “in need of work throughout”.
For the Shaws, it was an opportunity to create a home that would be large enough for family life with their three young children (Annabel, aged four, John, three, and Owen, one), and where they could work and entertain comfortably. There was scope to extend upwards, backwards, sideways and down, but this was a project that required an expert. The couple turned to Iconic Architecture and, in the hands of Mark Sylvester, the basement was dug, front and back, the loft extended and the kitchen side return filled in.
With the building work complete, Elizabeth called on her friend, hospitality interior designer Summer Williams, for help with the decoration. “Summer is from Morgan’s home town in Georgia; they went to kindergarten together,” says Elizabeth. “Initially, we bounced ideas off her, then we asked her opinion on changes to the floor plan, and it evolved into taking on the project together.”
TELLING THE OWNERS’ STORY
Summer’s brief was to create a comfortable home for the family, with equal consideration given to practicality and style. Aesthetically, the Shaws wanted a fairly traditional look, but were happy to include modern touches. “It was quite a rare scenario in that we all have roots in the American South, but have lived a good portion of our lives in London,” says Summer. “In my work, I try to be mindful of the historical sense of place, but I do love to find ways of telling the owners’ story through their surroundings and to incorporate reminders of their heritage and life’s journey.”
SOUTHERN STYLE
“Much of the American South was settled by the British,” says Summer, “which is why you see English influences in the buildings and interior decoration: Antebellum architecture mirrored the English Georgian and Greek Revival styles, and people valued family heirlooms, silver, china, gardens and grandeur. You’ll still find this in today’s homes, but the focus is on warmth and hospitality, comfort and authenticity, and a clear connection with nature.”
Photographs of Elizabeth and Morgan’s wedding in South Carolina were a key inspiration for the decorative schemes. One of them, of a Spanish moss tree, has been enlarged and hangs in prime position in the new basement family room. The bathroom at the hotel where the Shaws were married inspired their own here, while the butterfly print above the fireplace in the sitting room was bought from a shop near the hotel. Artwork plays an essential role in the décor, and much of it is by the artists who create album covers for one of Morgan’s favourite groups, southern stalwarts, the Dave Matthews Band.
Indeed, the couple’s respective tastes shine throughout; Morgan’s love of industrial style is clearly evident, while Elizabeth’s penchant for blue, orange and geometrics comes through in accents and furnishings. This house is as true to them as if they had designed it themselves, a testament to Summer’s skill and the trio’s lifelong friendship.