BEAUTIFUL DREAMER
This villa dazzles thanks to a talented owner and daring combinations, writes DONNA FLEMING
Creative is how George, the owner of this Herne Bay home, describes her interior design style. She likes marble, chandeliers and colour — plenty of bright, bold colour.
She uses vibrant shades wherever she can, from rugs, drapes and cushions through to art and wallpaper.
Furnishings are a mix of antiques and modern and she throws in eye-catching decor pieces — there’s a life-sized PVC Moooi model horse with a lamp sprouting from its head in her hallway.
When you’ve got such eclectic tastes, you need a house that can carry them off. The grand Jervois Road villa George and her husband bought four years ago has proved to be the perfect place.
But she points out that once her furnishings are gone, other than the vivid designer wallpapers, the de´ cor is basically crisp white with black highlights.
As well as decorating throughout and replacing carpets and curtains, George also put dazzling Schonbek crystal chandeliers in many of the rooms.
Two bathrooms were given complete makeovers and are now the epitome of elegance, with marble floors, showers and benchtops, and custom-built cabinetry.
She resisted the temptation to replace the sleek white kitchen with heritage-style cabinetry. “It was just too good to rip out, and actually, it has been great. There is so much storage space.”
Along with lots of drawers and cupboards there’s a large walk-in pantry. There’s also a generous marble-topped L-shaped island where visitors tend to congregate.
The kitchen is part of an openplan area that includes a dining and living space that opens out to an Italianate-style courtyard at the front of the house.
George is also a keen gardener, and has used a combination of formal box hedging and topiary, along with cottage-style planting to go with the paving and water feature.
“When it comes to gardening I love structure but I also love chaos,” she says.
There’s another living area on this floor that is painted a dusky pink and contains the piece de resistance of the house — a ceiling covered in wallpaper that looks like a Renaissance painting.
“Most people like to put their wallpaper on the walls, but I like to do things a little differently,” says George. “I love it.”
She went for a bold black and white striped wallpaper in the study, umbrella patterns under a dado rail in the hall, and panels of gelato-coloured Christian Lacroix designer wallpaper in the powder room that are so pretty “you just want to lick them!”
As well as a guest bedroom with en suite, the master bedroom is also on this upper level. It has a stylish black and white en suite, and a walkthrough wardrobe tucked between embroidered silk drapes.
Down the wider than normal staircase, there are three more bedrooms on the lower level, including one with a marble en suite and a walk-in wardrobe. More striking wallpapers have been used to good effect.
There’s also a full marble bathroom and another cloakroom down here, along with the ultimate in luxury — a huge dressing room the Kardashians would kill for.
A large media room has proved popular with the family’s teenagers, and a huge laundry with kitchen facilities has been useful when they entertain on the terrace in the back garden that overlooks the swimming and spa pools.
There are lots of cupboards on the lower level, along with additional storage space in the internal-access double garage.
The family love the location of the home close to the shops and eateries in Jervois Road and Ponsonby, and the fact it’s a short walk to Herne Bay Beach and also Cox’s Bay.
They’d like to stay in the area, but now the makeover of the home is complete, George has the urge to work her magic on another house.
“It’s a beautiful home,” she says. “I love the character and the space and it is also very warm. But I need a new challenge.”
Real estate agent Martin Dobson of Kellands sold the villa to the family four years ago and is delighted to be marketing it again.
“It’s a one of a kind,” he says. “It’s a lovely big family home with great spaces in a prime location. It has been beautifully maintained and presented and it’s a pleasure to be selling it.” Sale: Tender closes November 14
Contact: Martin Dobson, Kellands, 021 376 952; Caroline Daniel, 021 922 223