A SMART ACT Clever design from Turner Pocock ensures this sophisticated home also works for family life
Interior designers Turner Pocock have created a home that functions for family life, but also has a grown-up, sophisticated side
“WE BELIEVE IN SOURCING FURNITURE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND MIXING IN ANTIQUES AND VINTAGE PIECES TO GIVE THE FEEL OF A HOME THAT HAS BEEN ADDED TO OVER TIME” BUNNY TURNER, Turner Pocock
Seamless, open-plan living has become something of a holy grail in interiors, but it also presents its own challenges, as Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock of design studio Turner Pocock discovered when they were asked to create a style for this handsome villa in London’s St John’s Wood.
The home belongs to a couple with three young children, so the joined-up living and dining space made practical sense for them. However, as Bunny points out, ‘Once walls are removed, the downside is that a space has the potential to look and feel busier.’
Another consideration was that the couple wanted spaces that could also be ‘smartened up’ for grown-up entertaining. ‘The overall style needed to be sophisticated but not precious,’ adds Bunny.
To make the contemporary layout work, Bunny and Emma were particularly careful about their choice of furniture, fabric and colours. ‘We realised it was vital for furniture to look good “in the round”,’ Bunny says. She explains that in a traditional Georgian or Victorian living space, the vantage points are actually quite limited: ‘You are most likely to view the room by looking towards the window or the fireplace. But in a space where walls have been removed, there are myriad angles and sight lines.’
The abundance of light also influenced Bunny and Emma’s ideas. ‘Our design was all about keeping the spaces bright and using a neutral palette through the common parts so the rooms feel connected,’ says Bunny. This, in itself, felt like a slightly fresh angle for Turner Pocock. ‘While each of our projects is very different, we do tend to create interiors that are quite “full” and strong on colour,’ she adds. ‘But here, the rooms needed to feel a bit more sparse in their elegance.’
As a result, the main seating area is restful with upholstery and cushions in knocked-back pastels and armchairs chosen for their slender silhouette rather than having anything too bulky. Meanwhile, the playroom introduces bolder patterns, including a banquette covered in a linen by Australian textile house Walter G, which conceals ample toy storage.
A more opulent mood comes into play in the deep blue cinema room in the basement. ‘We take the view that rooms that aren’t naturally light will never feel that way, so we embraced the dark side,’ Bunny explains. The walls of this space are clad in woven grasscloth by Phillip Jeffries that emphasises the cosseting, subterranean feel.
Artworks add a final layer of creativity to this home. Bunny and Emma brought in art consultant Rebecca Gordon, who has a perceptive approach they love.
Key finds include an image of a fantastical animal hybrid by Ieo Gek Ching and a flowing sensual floral form by Sarah Graham. ‘Rebecca understood the mood we wanted to achieve,’ says Bunny. ‘She acts as an “artistic magpie” for clients and the final results appear very natural.’
By tuning into the specific needs of this family, Turner Pocock has also created spaces that will endure and seem individual. ‘We never want a house to feel as though it’s been “Turner Pococked”,’ Bunny smiles. ‘Hopefully, in terms of finish and detailing, you would know it was by us, but ultimately a home should reflect the client and their lifestyle.’
Turner Pocock, turnerpocock.co.uk
INSIDER INSIGHT
Interior designer Bunny Turner shares her style vision
GO-TO COLOUR Squid Ink by
Paint & Paper Library.
BIGGEST INDULGENCE Cosy cashmere bedspreads.
MUSEUM TO VISIT Musée Maillol in
Paris always has great ‘bite-sized’ exhibitions.
LAST EXHIBITION VISITED
Antony Gormley at the Royal Academy of Arts. It was mind-blowingly brilliant.
PRIZED POSSESSION Zola the Whippet.
LAST PIECE OF ART BOUGHT
A landscape by James Hart Dyke. It depicts the Sussex Downs bathed in the perfect evening light of summer.