LONDON TOWNHOUSE
Two households combined to live in this newly renovated Victorian property, demonstrating perfectly how a finely tuned family home can be both hard-working and elegant
Neutral colours, natural textures and a Scandinavian influence were key to this renovation project.
An unexpected proposal dramatically changed Christine Mason’s life, prompting a move to a larger property with her new husband, Tim, and their collective offspring. Their Victorian house in Barnes needed extensive renovation, and Christine was both project manager and designer. Here, she shares her inspiration for the scheme…
How did you feel faced with such a big project?
I’d spent four years planning and building my last home, and had only lived in it for a short time. Nevertheless, I was excited about creating a new home with Tim. I’d gathered masses of experience over the years which paved the way for my business, Mason Designs (masondesigns.co.uk). I also brought in my trusted builders, Voytex Construction and was helped with the lighting scheme by John Cullen Lighting.
What were the major changes you made to the house?
The kitchen had been four rooms but we made it into one light-filled and social area. We changed the flow of the hall and created what we call the ‘transition’ room between the sitting room and the kitchen. On the first floor, we altered the main bedroom and created a study, laundry room, guest bedroom and bathroom. We rearranged the second floor into three equal-sized children’s bedrooms and Tim’s study. We also made an attic room for additional overnight guests.
What characterises your interior scheme and style?
Because I am half Norwegian, my work has a definite Scandinavian influence. I’m drawn to neutral, calming colours and natural textures so you’ll see my love of linen, wood, natural stone with some rattan and bamboo thrown in too. My style is fresh and modern, but I’m not afraid of mixing old and new.
What are your most important considerations when designing for your own home?
For me, functionality and design always have to work together. I like to respect the style of the house and adapt it to fit a family’s lifestyle. I believe the whole house should flow and connect rather than approaching just one room at a time. You can see this in the paint I’ve chosen. I’ve taken the colour scheme up through the house and wanted to ensure that it all blends. I also like every room to be as fully used or as visible as possible. Even when our more formal sitting room is not being used, it can be admired through the interior windows from the hall. One of the biggest challenges we faced was merging two large households and family histories, so we carefully selected pieces of furniture we both loved that would blend and connect our lives.