FROM LA TO OXFORDSHIRE
Louise Roe, TV presenter and influencer extraordinaire, shares her love of brown furniture and classic English style
We take a tour of style influencer Louise Roe’s classically English home
HOME CV
WHO Louise Roe, fashion journalist and broadcaster, shares this Georgian house in Oxfordshire with her husband, TV producer Mackenzie Hunkin, and their two-year-old daughter, Honor. Having worked at vogue.com, Instyle and Elle (and Red as an intern!), Roe currently writes for The Telegraph. She and her husband lived in LA for 11 years, both working in TV. ‘I hosted the makeover show Plain Jane on MTV,’ she says, ‘and NBC’S morning show Access Hollywood. I wrote the style guide Front Roe and worked with brands on digital campaigns. We moved back because we missed England – friends and family, pubs, wellies and sarcasm!’ WHAT Originally a farmhouse, then added to in the Victorian era, the house has lots of history and original features, which the couple wanted to restore. ‘It feels like a happy house as soon as you step inside, I even got teary on my first viewing,’ Roe admits. RENOVATION ‘We got most of the work done before moving in early 2020,’ says Roe. ‘I had a clear idea and had planned it all in my head beforehand. We wanted to bring the house back to its former Georgian self. Not much structural work was needed – just the piping, electrics, and the kitchens and bathrooms were gutted. We took up carpets and found original floorboards, which we had polished and restored. We replaced ceiling roses and decorated throughout. It’s mainly been self-done, with lots of love.’ The renovation took approximately three months. ‘I really love interior design, am an avid collector and go antique-shopping with my mum. I also found vintage stuff in LA. If you love something, you’ll find a place for it,’ says Roe.
HALL
‘I love to create a warm welcome, with lamps and plants in the hallway,’ says Roe. The walls are painted in Bone by Farrow & Ball, while the floor tiles are Victorian. The lights are from Jim Lawrence. ‘I managed to find a new home for everything – the sideboard, pictures and mirror are all from LA, while the bench was a bargain find.’
DRAWING ROOM
‘The colour makes our drawing room. It’s painted in Brick by Edward Bulmer – he came to the house to give us advice, which really paid off,’ says Roe. ‘I love the colour, as it becomes warm in evening but fresh and light during the day. The big, midnight-blue sofa from Sofa Workshop is the cosiest thing to sink into, while the bureau desk, found in a shop in Petworth, is my favourite piece in house and I love working there. The room is a mix of things bought for the house and treasures collected over the years, sitting side by side. I got hold of a cocktail trolley from an antiques fair last year. The leather ottoman is from Restoration Hardware in the US, while the chairs are from an LA flea market and cost $250 for the pair. I love to layer rugs on top of each other to make a space really cosy – I chose these from OKA to echo the wall colour. I also love Pooky and India Jane for lamps, and OKA and Susan Deliss for lampshades. Books are a must – I have them everywhere.’
KITCHEN
‘For me, the kitchen is the place where people congregate and where laughter happens,’ says Roe. ‘I wanted a farmhouse kitchen effect. British Standard by Plain English was recommended to me. It made the process really easy for us – not only did it help with the layout, it sourced the hardware for us, too. I showed the designers a handle and they found it. They also recommended people they work with – the joiner made shelves to match. I love to display things – it is a way to make the kitchen pretty and balance different areas.’ The units were painted Sage Green by Little Greene and Caesarstone quartz was chosen for the worktop which, says Roe, is brilliant, as it doesn’t stain. Nothing was wasted – the leftover pieces were used to make shelves, which were suspended on brass brackets. ‘I am obsessed with the island unit, which was made to order along with the false extractor above the Aga. My husband is a great cook and I enjoy a glass of red wine at the island at weekends.’
DINING ROOM
‘The dining room was the last room we decorated – it’s long and has the original fireplace,’ says Roe. ‘We painted the walls in Oval Room Blue from Farrow & Ball, which we found in a magazine. It took us time and a lot of trawling to find the right table size. The Victorian balloon-back chairs are from Yorkshire, and the Flemish chandelier is from Gumtree. It cost just a couple of hundred pounds, which I was chuffed about. I love the rocking horse, which was a 2nd birthday gift from Honor’s godfather.’
PLAYROOM
‘The playroom was originally the breakfast room,’ says Roe. ‘I love the colour of the walls – Trumpington by Edward Bulmer – and the panelling adds texture to the room. Some artwork comes from LA, and the Alternative Flooring rug was made to fit.’
CLOAKROOM
‘I always think the cloakroom is where you can have fun,’ says Roe. ‘I chose a bold Nina Campbell wallpaper, which makes it feel like the most Californian room in the house.’ The chair is from Plain English, and the mirror is from Etsy – great for bargains.
BEDROOM
Roe chose to paint this room in Lichen from Farrow & Ball. ‘I love this colour as it is calm, elegant and indulgent all at the same time, and I love using chairs as tables and piling them high with books,’ she says.
GUEST BEDROOM
Under the eaves is one of Roe’s favourite spaces, which she calls her ‘Mary Poppins’ room. She went for a chocolate-box look in this bedroom, wallpapered from top to toe in a pretty floral design by Pierre Frey. The headboard is covered in fabric from the same collection. The lamp is from Pooky and the bamboo bedside table is from a friend.
DRESSING ROOM
‘The dressing room is purely mine and I wanted it to be fun,’ says Roe. ‘We opened up the wall to reveal an original fireplace, and painted the walls in Slaked Lime by Little Greene just before Honor was born. The wardrobes are from British Standard by Plain English – I really love pink, so I had them painted in Plain English’s Kipper high gloss. The ottoman comes from Ceraudo.’
British Standard by Plain English kitchens start from £8,000, and it makes modular cupboards for any room in the house. Visit britishstandardcupboards.co.uk