Victorian high drama
A striking backdrop of blues and greys has given Andrea Curtis’s home a modern facelift while paying tribute to the past
The modern interior belies the very traditional exterior of this Welsh villa
Back when Andrea Curtis would walk past an imposing Victorian villa on the school run every day, she felt strangely drawn to the unmodernised building. So, when it came up for sale, there was a strong feeling that this home was always meant to be hers
– and together with her husband Allister, she raced around to view it.
‘We couldn’t resist a viewing,’ remembers Andrea. ‘It felt wonderful to step inside and I instantly loved the house, even though it needed a lot of work done.’
Although they weren’t looking to move, they were so entranced they made an offer to buy, which was accepted. Twelve years on, the rundown property is now a stunning family home, filled with strong, dramatic colours. ‘We were lucky because the previous owners hadn’t knocked it about and it still had a lot of original features. I could see massive potential – it had high ceilings and lots of light.’
On the day they moved in, Andrea and Allister started stripping out everything, including the carpets, the curtains and the kitchen. ‘We then had to live without a proper kitchen for the next five years,’ she says.
Step one was to replace the original single-glazed windows at the front and side of the house. ‘They were rotten, so we replaced them with double-glazed, wooden sash versions,’ says Andrea. A new boiler and radiators followed, and a woodburner was installed before their first winter.
‘The whole house needed replastering, so we started with my eldest daughter’s bedroom as she was only little at the time. Then, we moved onto the hall, stairs and landing. Stripping seemingly endless layers of wallpaper, which had been there for decades, seemed to take forever,’ she recalls.
Over the next two years, the renovation continued, with Andrea carrying out almost all of the decorating herself. Recently, the couple created a quirky and spacious attic bedroom, adding insulation and contemporary cladding with ply, as well as opening up the doorway to give the room an open-plan feel.
Andrea admits that she’s obsessed with interiors books, and the inspiration for her colour scheme originated from a book that illustrated houses in Greece. ‘I loved the painted floors, doors and skirting, so I used that as my inspiration, but changed the colours slightly to work in our greyer, British light. Although since then I’ve changed the floor and skirting
colour, the scheme has remained pretty true to those initial ideas.’
Despite the fact that Andrea’s design inspiration is constantly changing, her own style rules are relatively simple.
‘I actually have five colours as my base palette for the whole house, and all five are in the hallway and stairs, which sets the tone from the moment you step inside the house.’
To avoid the scheme becoming monotonous, Andrea used the shades in unexpected ways throughout the other rooms in the house. For example, Farrow & Ball’s Downpipe Grey has been painted on the floor in the entrance, the walls in the kitchen, and the furniture in the bedroom. ‘Using a constant colour palette adds a calmness to an interior space,’ she says. Shades of white on the walls create a flowing backdrop and allow the greys to spring out with full dramatic effect.
‘I start by considering how I want the space to “feel” – it could be cosy or grown-up for instance. It’s a bit like painting a picture – you put down your base and then add layers with furniture and decoration.’
Andrea further achieved the dramatically different feel in each room by carefully choosing the tone of grey she used. ‘Ironically, I don’t feel as if I live in a grey house, as the greys I’ve chosen are bluegreys and green-greys, mixed with yellowbased whites,’ she says. ‘I emphasised
‘I only have five colours as my base palette for the whole
house, and all five are in the hallway and stairs, which sets the tone from the moment you step inside the house,’
SAYS ANDREA
these underlying hues by selecting my furniture and accessories to match in coordinating shades of mustard, brighter blues and stronger greens.’
Andrea also stresses the importance of trying your colours in the actual room you’ll be using them in, as paint can look different depending on the light.
Generally, Andrea prefers sourcing furniture and accessories from small shops where she’s more likely to find something unusual, but she also cites online interiors stores Graham & Green, John Lewis and Anthropologie as her current favourites. Closer to home, Baileys Home and Garden in Ross-On-Wye is one of her main sources of inspiration for furniture and accessories. ‘I love their design aesthetic,’ she adds. ‘I also love art and ceramics, so will always look in galleries and craft shops, as I prefer to buy a handmade mug than something mass-produced. My favourite is the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London and most of the art in the house is from there.’
Andrea believes in choosing designs and interiors for yourself, and nobody else.
‘Your home should reflect the people who live in it. Too many people worry about what others might think. I always consider comfort and practicality – there’s nothing worse than being in a house where you’re worried about putting anything down or squashing the cushions,’ she says.
One thing is certain: Andrea has put her own stamp on the house she spent so long admiring from afar. ‘The exterior spoke to me before I even got inside, so it was obviously meant to be.’ But she’s also retained some of the character of the original house. She says: ‘The Victorians used strong colour for dramatic effect
– so our home has come full circle.’