Organised to perfection Structure and storage were priorities in this Edwardian terrace
Structure and storage were the priorities in this stunning Edwardian terrace
Most interior designers’ philosophies are writ large on their homes. But with Zoe Murphy, 45, of Stealth Design, the colours or curtains are not where her focus lies. Instead, her emphasis is on dealing with the practicalities. ‘I don’t have a signature look,’ explains Zoe, ‘I’m more interested in collaborating with clients. I’m obsessed with how people use their homes and how they cope as the family grows and evolves. When renovating a house, I think it’s essential to focus on the structure and layout first. Then, when the finances recover, you can turn your attention to décor and furniture. It doesn’t matter how many cushions you buy if the structure isn’t perfect.’
Perhaps this pragmatic approach is a result of her previous role – she worked as a lawyer for 20 years. ‘I went to a very academic school and a career in design was never an option,’ Zoe explains. ‘But I gradually decided that I wanted to do something creative with the second half of my working life.’
In 2009, before she made the career switch, Zoe, along with her lawyer husband Peter, 45, and children Oscar, 11, and Eve, eight, moved from Shoreditch to their Edwardian house in Herne Hill, south London. ‘I love East London, but it wasn’t set up for family life. This area is more chilled out,’ she says. The right house wasn’t easy to find though. They even leafleted the area, only securing this property after nerve-wracking sealed bids.
They were seduced by the double-fronted house because of the quality of light and flow of space. However, extensive
renovations were in order, including everything from a new roof and major re-pointing work to adding a downstairs WC and a new kitchen in the rear and side extension. ‘It was the classic building project to open up the ground floor and provide a large family kitchen/diner,’ explains Zoe. She brought in Steve Seary of Seary Architects, ‘He’s fantastic, very focused on things like sight lines. The first thing he said was that we should be able to see the garden at the rear as we came through the front door, which unbeknown to him was one of our key criteria. So he was hired on the spot!’
A strip of space between the former back of the house and the new kitchen/diner allowed room for a new downstairs WC, accessed via the hall. Adjacent to the loo, on the kitchen side, Zoe created a recessed dresser, where tea and toast are prepared in the morning, meaning there’s only one small area to tidy up after the breakfast rush. Beyond this, where the start of the side return once was, is an elegant compact pantry that looks like an original Edwardian feature. It is kept cooler than the rest of the kitchen via cold-air vents, and all the food and kitchen gadgets are stored here, meaning the other work surfaces stay clear.
The new kitchen takes full advantage of the garden, via a wall of striking oak-framed windows. ‘We wanted to create a contemporary addition without it looking dated in a few years time,’ says Zoe, who commissioned Big Egg Designs to create cabinets inspired by her cherished 1960s sideboard. ‘I’m a