The inside story
A mock Tudor house with a moody modern interior
Living room
The velvet corner sofa was made bespoke to fit this space, in a dark blue velvet that warms and softens the monochrome room.
BUY THE KEY PIECES Scott velvet corner sofa in Navy, £1,799, Made, would also work. Try Tabak round coffee table, £199, Swoon. Blue vases, from £25 each, Oka
Having relocated to the UK from South Africa five years ago, it took a couple of years of house-hunting before Sylvie and Ed Petersen found this large Tudor-style house in leafy Surrey. ‘We wanted a country location and a house with a comfortable, family friendly vibe,’ says Sylvie. ‘And with three teenagers, it needed to be big enough for us all to have bedrooms with en-suites, but without the house then feeling too big for Ed and I when the children head off to university.’
Set close to the centre of the village of Cobham in Surrey, the house had everything the family needed in terms of size and location, but the interior was more of a challenge. Tudor-style with timber panelling in many of the rooms, the decor was dilapidated and dated, with the house requiring all new plumbing and electrics and stripping back completely before they could start redecorating. ‘So much needed doing to it, we didn’t know where to begin,’ says Sylvie. ‘At one point we considered pulling the house down and rebuilding it.’ The couple called on interior designer Kim Stephen (kimstephen.com) to oversee the renovation.
One of the key structural changes – and the one that has made the biggest impact – was taking out a wall in the hallway and replacing it with a wall of Crittall windows and doors, which were positioned between the entrance hall and the main living room. ‘They help to demarcate the space and give privacy to the living room, while the glass allows a clear view through to the front door and helps fill the space with natural light.’
Upstairs, half-timbered walls and uneven ceilings posed another challenge. ‘The ceiling lines in the bedrooms were a struggle – with odd angles and walls meeting ceilings at different points. This meant that using wallpaper was ruled out.’ The work took eight months and the couple are thrilled with the results:
‘The house is spacious but never feels overly large,’ says Sylvie. ‘The main living areas are all in close proximity to one another, but with breakaway areas that are great for study or relaxation. It’s a lovely family-friendly space.’
Kitchen-diner
A marble-topped island unit, with an overhanging section to turn it into a breakfast bar, is the hub of the kitchen-diner.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Bespoke kitchen, from £18,000, Martin Moore. Hicks pendant lights, £610 each, Luxdeco. Try Lucia bar stools, £119 each, Cult Furniture
Living room
‘The Crittall windows and doors between this space and the hallway have opened up the ground floor. Light flows through it now, which makes such a difference.’
BUY THE KEY PIECES Try Curvilinear mid-century chandelier, £349, West Elm
Hallway (below)
The front door opens onto the elegant entrance hall with timber floor and dramatic charcoal grey wallpaper. A long-drop chandelier highlights the newly added sweeping staircase.
BUY THE KEY PIECES Paige five-arm ceiling light, £150, John Lewis & Partners, would also work here
Home office
The study has the same dark grey wallpaper as the rest of the ground floor for continuity. Floor-toceiling grey curtains in a plush fabric give this room a smarter look.
“The main living areas are all in close proximity to one another, but with breakaway areas that are great for study or relaxation. It’s a lovely, family friendly space”
Seating area
Linen-look wallpaper in charcoal grey brings warmth and texture. ‘The darker colours, textures and clever layering create a cocooning feeling of comfort in this space.’
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Textures Vegetales wallpaper, £166.60 a roll, Élitis at Jane Clayton. Geotile cushion covers, £110 each, Niki Jones. Crescent light, from £485,
Lee Broom. Merton brass table lamp, £375; Jet side table, £225, both Oka
Guest bathroom
This room is all about full-on glamour, with its sleek black and gold vanity and impactful monochrome colour scheme.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Schumacher Deconstructed Stripe wallpaper, £271 a roll, TM Interiors. Single Thames vanity basin suite, from £3,950, Drummonds
“So much needed doing to it, we didn’t know where to start. At one point, we considered pulling the house down and rebuilding it”
Dining area
A rug beneath the table visually separates the space from the kitchen opposite. The bold velvet stripe on the upholstered chairs make them the hero of the room, breaking up the solid colour.
BUY THE KEY PIECES Heather dining chairs, from £99 each, Cult Furniture, are similar
Main en suite
A bespoke his-and-hers vanity unit runs the length of the room, providing plenty of storage to keep surfaces clutter-free.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Hudson Reed wall-hung double vanity, £709, Victorian Plumbing, is similar; painted in Light Blue modern emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Astro Riva wall lights, from £114.28 each, Ocean Lighting. Eichholtz Vivienne mirrors, £505 each, Houseology. Calacatta vein honed marble tiles, from £60sq m, Mandarin Stone
Main en suite
Classic dark-wood shutters give the pale bathroom scheme warmth and drama, and work with the traditional exterior of the property.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Wooden shutters, from around £200 for a 90sq cm shutter, Plantation Shutters
Main bedroom
Upstairs, the mood is more tranquil thanks to softer shades. The wall colour was taken to just below ceiling height to create even lines and disguise wonky walls and ceilings.
BUY THE KEY PIECES
Walls in Light Blue modern emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball. Try Cedar Dark Blue rug, £322, Benuta