Christmas bonus
Janey and Nick Sullivan reworked their home to make it more child-friendly, which is ideal during the holidays
A clever rework has created a child-friendly London terrace
When Janey and nick Sullivan’s first baby, thomas, was six months old and his buggy dominated the hall, the writing was on the wall. ‘ We knew we had outgrown our cosy flat,’ says Janey. ‘So we started to look for a new family home.’
eventually, they hit upon a pocket of family houses arranged around a communal green space in west london, where they discovered an early Victorian house with potential. ‘i fell in love with the area even before i fell for the house,’ says Janey. ‘it was a terrace arranged over four floors, with a generous garden. best of all, we were able to move in straight away. the previous owners had turned the floor that leads out to the garden into one big open-plan kitchen-diner and there was a narrow wooden eighties conservatory that became our dining room.’
by the time thomas, now 16, and siblings Susie, 14, and harry, 12, approached their teenage years, the conservatory was threatening to fall apart. at that point, the Sullivans were forced to discuss plans for a total revamp, but it took a year for them to agree about how to rework the house. ‘nick pointed out how many houses with layouts similar to ours had a large formal sitting room that was never used and suggested ours become a den for the kids. i wasn’t keen, but soon saw it was the best idea for the next stage of family life.’
the couple’s architect suggested opening up the whole of the floor leading to the garden, but Janey resisted. ‘in return for giving up the formal sitting room, i insisted on a separate snug for us,’ she says. ‘although small compared to the children’s area, it has turned out to be an elegant, cosy haven, sectioned off by glass folding doors leading to the kitchen.’
Janey has a passion for rare textiles, inherited from her father who was a frequent visitor to asia. these form the backbone of her home’s aesthetic, with one piece used to cover a canvas above the dining table. Janey’s favourite room is the snug, which skilfully blends velvet textures in rich jewel hues. ‘my mother was a painter, so colour is in my Dna and i am not afraid to use vivid hues,’ she says. ‘Despite what people say about small rooms, i find rich colours gel well in a compact space.’
at christmas time, the Sullivans’ house is popular with their children’s friends. ‘there is room for two trees – one for the children in their den and the other for grown-ups in the snug,’ says Janey. ‘the house has proved to be perfect for entertaining two generations.’