See why Niamh and Brian’s renovation is a masterclass in creating a homely haven
With cosy textures and a soothing colour palette, Niamh and Brian’s renovation is a masterclass in creating a homely haven. Acting deputy editor Ellen Finch takes a tour
UNTIL you’ve done it yourself, it’s hard to overestimate just how much time, energy and love goes into a renovation project – and how good it feels when it’s finished. Whether you’re redecorating or embarking on a sizable extension project, there will be stress and tears, but there will also be laughter (once you’ve got over the aforementioned stress) and excitement. That’s why it’s called a labour of love: you put a lot of yourself in it.
That was certainly true for Niamh and her husband Brian, who took on their Victorian terrace and soon discovered the extent of the work they had to do. It’s not their forever home – Niamh says that herself – but it’s a project they took on during an important time in their life, when Niamh had stepped away from her job as a law firm partner to pursue a career in writing and styling. Doing up this house was her first creative project, and she’s rightly proud of the stylish, cosy and quirky home she’s created. I spoke to her about our shared love of older buildings and the trials and tribulations of making a home your own.
Niamh, I love your house. It’s the perfect mix of modern and cosy. Was there much to do when you moved in, or was it simply a case of a new coat of paint? Thank you! It’s been such a great project and a lovely house to work on. From our first viewing it had such a nice feel to it. The previous owners had a similar colour scheme with the dark wood accents, and it was styled quite nicely, but it needed a bit of work. We only realised the full extent of that work when we moved in. The kitchen was in need of a facelift – it was dark and the cabinetry wasn’t in the best condition – and they hadn’t done anything with the garden. The bathroom had lovely proportions and a layout that worked. The whole house had the potential to be improved and modernised, but we knew we’d keep key features, like some of the exposed brick walls.
Q It’s interesting that you’ve chosen to keep the existing layout with a separate dining room, especially when open-plan living is so popular. Why is that?
A The layout definitely doesn’t suit everyone, but I fell in love with the dining room when we viewed the house. We did think about knocking it through to make it open plan with the kitchen, but when we spoke to builders about it, it quickly became apparent that we’d need to move out during the works – and the thought of doing that so soon after moving in wasn’t appealing! If we were planning to stay here for the next 20 or 30 years, we might have decided differently, but we knew it wouldn’t be a wasted room so we kept it as it is. The kitchen is more of a breakfast room, whereas we eat in the dining room at weekends, which feels special, and host friends in there for dinner parties.
Q Let’s rewind to the very beginning. How did you decide where to start when you moved in?
A We didn’t do anything for the first year because we were so busy with our jobs and, to be honest, we were a little overwhelmed with it all. We were also getting to know this part of south-east London, and had just welcomed a very energetic Coco into the fold – it was a busy time. Once we’d moved in and the previous owners had taken all their nicely styled bits away, we realised just how much there was to do. The first thing we tackled was the storage, or the lack of it. We’ve tried to use local suppliers as much as we can, and we found an excellent carpenter who built storage in the bedrooms and the loft. After that, we replaced and updated our bathroom, which gave us our colour scheme for the rest of the house. Just under a year later, we took on the kitchen, which was the biggest job of the lot. We replaced everything – the cabinets, appliances, flooring, tiles, lighting. We didn’t venture out into the garden for two years because we weren’t sure whether we were going to extend, but eventually we tackled the front and back and updated the exterior, smoothing the pebbledash finish at the front of the house and landscaping the gardens.
Q You mentioned that the bathroom was the starting point for your scheme, and the house definitely feels unified in its colours. How would you describe your style? A Modern vintage, I think. I’m drawn to older things – since I moved to London 13 years ago, I’ve always lived in lovely period properties, and I love vintage clothes and accessories. My idea of a fun day out is scouring flea markets! I like keeping the character of older houses, but enjoy bringing in modern elements to update them. Brian and I also love to travel, so we’ve picked up a few things from different places that have a home here now, too. Q There is something about older buildings, isn’t there? Those layers of history really add something special to a home. Would you do anything differently if you had your time renovating this house again?
A My favourite room in the house is the bathroom, and we put a lot of thought into it because it’s our only one, so it needed to be special. Only having one bathroom does bring challenges, though. When we were doing up the kitchen, the builder mentioned a space under the staircase that could fit a WC, but with everything going on, we decided against it. We realised afterwards that it would have been handy, but doing more work would have meant undoing pipework and ripping up new flooring. We just did it the wrong way round. It would’ve been a useful thing to have – so we’ve learned a lesson there!
Q Earlier, you mentioned that this isn’t necessarily your forever home. It feels like such a cosy, homely space. Will you miss it when you move on?
A This house has been a very personal project – I’d even say it’s been transformative. Most of the work we undertook was done at a time when I’d stopped working as a partner in a law firm because it was proving difficult to juggle it with the fertility treatment I’d been undergoing. Overnight, I had all this extra time on my hands, and the house project gave me exactly the creative outlet I needed. Ultimately, the treatment didn’t work out for us, but our home became a labour of love unto itself, and kick-started a whole new chapter of my life. I’ll always be grateful for that, so even if we’re not here forever, this house has a special place in my heart. It’s been wonderful to work on and we’ve learned so much along the way. Eventually we may move on – maybe to take on a bigger project, or somewhere with that second bathroom – but we plan to enjoy the fruits of our labour for a while first, so we’re not in any rush at all.
Clockwise from top left ‘We treat this space in the kitchen as the breakfast room. The bench seating doubles up as storage and fits five people around the table – when Coco’s not snoozing there! The splashback tiles were a collaboration with Tile Giant and the V&A; they add interest without overhelming the room, and work well with the vintage tap.’
Table, Habitat. Dining bench, Harvey Jones. Pendant light, Made. Splashback tiles, Tile Giant. Bar trolley, Swoon. Cupboard handles, Anthropologie
Below ‘When we have people over, this is where we sit together – the table stretches to seat eight,’ says Niamh. ‘We make a point of eating here when it’s just the two of us at weekends – it feels a little more special. The storage units were left by the last owners. We repainted them and added fun shell handles.’
Table and bench, Loaf. Chairs, Cult Furniture. Rug, Made. Storage units painted in Dove
Tail, Farrow & Ball. Vintage light, The Light Keeper of Margate
Right ‘The exposed brick came about as result of lucky accident – though it didn’t feel lucky at the time,’ says Niamh. ‘We’d had the living room painted and wanted to put in this wood-burning stove. But when we removed the fireplace, all the plaster on the chimney breast came with it! After we got over the initial shock, we realised it could look really good if we touched it up and repainted it.
It’s turned out to be my favourite feature.’
Original flooring sanded and polished by Lordship Flooring. Sofa, Made. Mirror, Anthropologie. Coffee table and rug, West Elm. Pendant lights, Heal’s
Top left Door painted in Railings, Farrow & Ball
Bottom left Sideboard, Atkins & Thyme
This image and opposite ‘We persuaded the previous owners to sell us the freestanding wardrobes in our bedroom,’ says Niamh. ‘They’re hard spaces to fill and the wardrobes are so unique. We’ve tried to keep the room fairly traditional, but the bed is a little more modern and industrial. On the walls we have images of California. We spent some time living in the US after we got married and we were drawn to California and LA – the beachy scenes are nice to have up when you live in a mostly rainy England.’
Walls painted in Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball. Bed, Loaf. Pendant light, rug and bedside lamp, Made. Pink throw, Avoca. Mirror, Decorum of Shoreditch
Below ‘We used the spare room as a home office while we figured out what to do with the loft. It had already been converted and we had it down as the guest bedroom, but it didn’t feel right. It gets the most light in the house, so why wouldn’t we use it more? It works best as a home office and creative space. It’s lovely to sit and work in.’
Desk, Ikea. Chair, Cult Furniture. Desk lamp and rug, West Elm
Left ‘This is my favourite room,’ says Niamh. ‘I love having a bath and I’d always wanted a freestanding roll-top design like this. The pattern on the floor tiles is a lovely soft colour that picks up the darker tone of the bath. The overall effect is airy and spacious.’
Metro tiles and flooring, Fired Earth. Walls painted in Elephant’s Breath and Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Sink and bath, Cast Iron Bath Company. Jute basket, Design Vintage