GRAND AMBITION

A WHITE BASE AND ELEGANT DETAILING CREATE A BACKDROP FOR SUBTLE POPS OF COLOUR IN THIS TIMELESS VICTORIAN HOME

Chelsea and Rob’s home is proof that you can make a real impact using colour – without going crazy with the paintbrush. Over a canvas of white walls and dark oak floorboards, the couple used artwork, objects and feature cabinetry to add character to their home, a 19th century semi in west London. “I love white walls,” says Chelsea, an interior designer. “They make a room look crisp and fresh, and you can add colour through art and objects without worrying about things clashing.”

When the couple first inspected the property, shortly after the birth of their son Forest, now two, the palette was more squalid than sophisticated.

“The house contained seven bedsits and was in dire need of work,” explains Chelsea. “The flooring consisted of patches of random bits of carpet, there were a lot of old murals on the walls and there was a little swamp in the overgrown garden, with a sign saying, ‘Beware of the crocodile’.” But the location was lovely, so the couple – who set up a property and design business four years ago, called Vada Collective – decided to take up the challenge.

The renovation was a family affair, with Chelsea dreaming up the spacial layout and architect Rob creating the 3D design. “Chelsea will set the design challenge and I will find the technical solution for it,” says Rob. Her father, an amateur joiner from the Isle Of Man, created the cabinetry. “We had to literally strip the house back to its bare bones, including replacing all the windows and floors,” says Chelsea. The couple had hoped to uncover at least a few charming original details, but unfortunately, there were slim pickings. “After stripping layers and layers of paint off, we found one original marble fireplace, but that was the only thing

that was salvageable,” says Chelsea. “The other features had either been ripped out or badly covered over in the ’70s and ’80s.”

The couple chose to reintroduce traditional detailing and large Georgian-style doors throughout to help bring the home back to its former glory. Chelsea’s father made the new doors, their fielded panelling echoing 19th-century proportions. He also made a wall of statement bookshelves in the living area that has been painted a soft teal. A spacious open-plan family zone on the ground floor of the home flows through to the kitchen and dining areas. The elegant kitchen, with its marble island and antique mirror, was inspired by Parisian architecture. “I love the way French interiors can be both classical and minimal,” says Chelsea. Lined in walnut, the cupboards are stealthy storage for toys and paraphernalia. At the back, floor-to-ceiling glazed doors resemble a translucent wall. “We wanted the glass doors to be a feature,” says Chelsea. “They frame the garden and draw the outside in, and are especially spectacular at night with subtle outdoor lighting.” The artworks scattered through their home are a reminder of Rob’s childhood. During the ’90s, his mother ran a gallery in London and Zurich that promoted young artists and he has inherited her keen eye, with works by Brian Nissen, Sarah Haffner and Arrigo Wittler filling the walls. Discussion-point oils and drawings populate the three-storey house, spilling into bedrooms and bathrooms. Even two-year-old Forest slumbers beneath an abstract work by Edward Bell.

The couple, whose business involves transforming lacklustre properties for re-sale, are very proud to have created their ideal family home. “Of all the places we have done up over the years, we definitely put a lot more of our hearts into this one,” says Chelsea.

the house “EVEN THOUGH HAS A LOT OF PARISIAN DETAIL, WE DID TRY AND KEEP possible IT AS CONTEMPORARY AS TO SUIT MODERN FAMILY LIVING” ~ CHELSEA

LIVING AREA

“If you define rooms with traditional features it makes everything timeless,” muses Chelsea of the restored cornices and new panelled doors throughout the living areas (top left).

BATHROOM

A former kitchen is now a bathroom (top right), complete with a glazed wall that echoes the doors at the back of the ground-floor extension and a monochrome palette highlighted by pops of brass and gold. “The marble-look porcelain tiles make it feel spacious and also are so easy to maintain,” says Chelsea. Try Porcelanosa bathroom tiles from Earp Brothers to mimic the look.

STAIRCASE

A sisal runner adds underfoot comfort to the staircase (right) in this three-storey home. For similar, try the ‘Flatweave Steel’ sisal runner from The Natural Floorcovering Centres. >

MAIN BEDROOM

Chelsea designed the bedroom with pared-back furnishings and subdued colours to add to the relaxed feel of the space (below). “We wanted to create a bedroom where you could think you were anywhere in the world,” she says. A four-poster bed (for similar, try the ‘Pencil’ four-poster bed from Hudson Furniture) and an antique bath (below & opposite) conjure up five-star hotel vibes.

“I’VE ALWAYS WANTED luxurious A BATH IN THE BEDROOM. IT’S BUT ALSO PRACTICAL” ~ CHELSEA

MAIN BEDROOM

Soft pink curtains accentuate the height of the bay windows (above) – replicate the look with ‘Cotton Lustre Velvet’ curtains in Dusty Blush from West Elm. A freestanding antique bath is a favourite place for Chelsea and Rob to bathe the kids. The ‘160 Cesano’ acrylic bathtub in Black from Prodigg Bathrooms offers a similar look. >

DRESSING ROOM

An extra bedroom was turned into a dressing room for the couple (below). Cupboards finished in a moody charcoal provide a bold contrast to the walls of the main bedroom (try Dulux Domino for a similar paint colour), while a velvet lounge makes for sumptuous seating. “This sofa is an old piece I found on Golborne Road, Notting Hill,” says Chelsea. “It immediately caught my eye. The shape is perfect; we use this sofa more than the one in the living room.”

ELEGANT TOUCH Rob, an architect, and Chelsea, an interior designer (pictured opposite), combined their talents to turn a run-down, three-storey semi into a stunning family home to share with their two children, Vada and Forest. On the ground floor, they added a contemporary extension to accommodate an open-plan kitchen and dining area (above & opposite). “I am a believer that kitchens can look beautiful but be practical at the same time,” says Chelsea of the room she and Rob designed. Starring arabescato marble and detailed cabinetry, the elegant kitchen was made by Chelsea’s father, who is an accomplished amateur joiner. He also created the glass-topped dining table in the dining area, which is surrounded by blush pink velvet chairs Chelsea found on Ebay. For similar, try the ‘Bella’ chairs from Canningvale. A wall of glass doors leads to the courtyard garden and creates a seamless indoor-outdoor feel when open or closed (above).

LIVING AREA A large bay window fills this family home’s living area with natural light. Homeowner Chelsea (pictured above with daughter Vada) and Rob designed the decorative marble surfboard themselves. For similar seating, try the ‘Clouds’ sofa by Camerich. The living zone is also home to a beautiful piano, a family heirloom (opposite). “The piano was my mother’s and I used to play on it every morning before school,” says Chelsea. “I’m very rusty, but have promised myself I will play more again. Forest, my son, also loves it.” FLOOR PLAN

LIVING AREA A monochrome palette, framed art photographs by Isabelle van Zeijl and an antique chandelier (for similar, try the ‘Royal Empress’ basket chandelier in Gold from Designer Chandelier) create a sophisticated salon feel (below). The low marble table was a collaboration between Chelsea and Rob. “There was an old marble workshop in a street near us and they were closing down,” explains Chelsea. “We bought all the marble fireplaces for the house from them and also two large marble slabs from a quarry that no longer exists. They were so striking we decided they needed to be pieces of art in themselves. The surfboard (previous page) and coffee table came out of one of those pieces.”

CONTACT Interior designer Vada Collective, vadacollective.com. SOFA Get the look with the ‘Diablo’ 3-seater sofa in Emerald Green velvet, Vavoom.