Modern Georgian

Tim and Christian’s Newcastle period pad nods to the past while celebrating the present

Tim and Christian have lavished their beautiful period property with plenty of TLC to create a home that honours its roots, yet celebrates contemporary design ideas

All things considered, Tim Nixon and Christian Leader might have been able to put up a new build with less effort than it took to refurbish this period house. But now the work is done and the couple are in residence, a sense of calm prevails – the project was more than worthwhile…

‘The flooring was a lot of work,’ says Tim, gesturing to the herringbone design in the library. ‘It was reclaimed from an old school and we took it up piece by piece, relaid it here and sanded it down. As well as looking good, it actually creates a good sound buffer between floors – and with Georgian houses like these, that’s important.’

After years of living in a Victorian property elsewhere in Newcastle, discovering and buying what they both describe as ‘a hidden secret’ in the city gave them the opportunity to create something truly personal. The pair are passionate about travel and many elements of the décor, particularly in the bedrooms and bathrooms, were inspired by their favourite hotels. They wanted to bring that level of modern luxury to a profoundly historic property. The result is experiential as much as visual.

The house is also full of things they’ve picked up on their travels. ‘We found the rocking horse in the corner of our bedroom in an antiques shop in Tuscany,’ says Tim. ‘We enjoy mixing old with new – our en suite is state of the art. We didn’t want to create a Georgian museum… It’s a modern home as much as anything.’

While there are subtle visual flourishes – including contemporary lighting designs by the likes of Marcel Wanders, as well as high-street finds that look as 21st century as can be – the pair have kept largely true to the spirit of the place by avoiding overtly pop flourishes and brash colours. The interior is plush, but sedate, and the attention to detail shows how much they love the building. ‘We laboured a lot over the colours for each space,’ explains Tim. ‘The library is described as either dark green or blue, depending on who’s looking at it, and we found a lot of different kinds of white for other rooms, deciding on Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball for the bathroom – because it’s a great background default, a slightly grey white.’ Grey, that most Georgian of non-colours, abounds. But it’s chic rather than dour. These lofty spaces can take it.

It was the ambience of the house that first drew the duo. Tim likens some of it, in a visual sense, to London’s Battersea Power Station, of all places. ‘I like that building a lot,’ he says. ‘I love the history of something that was so industrial in the middle of a city and how it’s now being repurposed. It’s iconic. Georgian façades were quite similar – unadorned and quite linear.’

You might think that such a historic property would have a certain… presence or two. But the couple have found the atmosphere nothing but upbeat and homely. ‘Everyone has said it has a really good vibe – inviting and relaxing,’ says Tim. ‘It’s funny, though, because when we were renovating our old place, there was one evening when we heard footsteps above us. We did a quick head count of the cats and realised no one else could be up there. We subsequently sold it to friends and they’ve also reported strange occurrences. But there’s been nothing here!’

While the house is huge and clutter free, as with most homes, there’s that one room that few people get to see. ‘Because Christian is a property developer, there’s an attic room full of objects to dress places that he’s finished,’ explains Tim. In contrast, nothing in the rest of the house feels ephemeral – it’s all considered. Time has been spent sourcing special, but never ostentatious pieces. ‘A lot of people wouldn’t have taken on this project – they would have been fazed by the condition we found it in,’ Tim concludes. ‘But then we are both very excited by anything to do with houses generally. We’re very lucky in that this is our hobby, but it’s also something we get paid to do, so we loved every minute of it.’