VICTORIAN ROMANCE
Shauna O’handley and Adam Glabay couldn’t resist the charms of their period home
Soft hues and a loving hand have transformed a period home in London
The desire to tackle a Victorian house renovation was what pushed Canadians Shauna O’handley and her husband, Adam Glabay, to sell their London self-build and start another project. ‘There’s a real romance to a period property and we were keen to put some shine back into an old house,’ says Shauna. ‘We wanted a calm colour scheme with rooms that flowed, yet with each having its own separate identity.’
Adam, a software engineer-turned-property developer, viewed the house first. He noted the sizeable ground floor already extended to the side and rear, with a conservatory tagged on the back. Although it was leaking and unpleasant, it was clear the extension could be rebuilt, and they could convert the loft. Shauna clocked the UPVC windows.
‘I’ve always dreamed about living in a house with sash windows,’ she says. ‘Reinstating them is what this house deserved and it restored the Victorian feel.’ The couple also put back coving in the knocked-through sitting room, reinstated the fireplace and built a Victorian-inspired staircase. ‘The staircase is now over three floors and ties the newly converted loft space into the rest of the house, making it feel as though it has always been here,’ Shauna adds.
PERFECT BALANCE
When the building work got underway, the couple put together a core palette of restful materials to anchor the interior decoration. All the joinery is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pointing and the same floral wallpaper runs up both stairwells. ‘It was hard to find a pattern that didn’t look old-fashioned but would still be sympathetic to the house,’ says Shauna. ‘This one struck the right balance and went on to inspire the blues and pinks in the rest of our home.’
In the sitting room, teal mid-century chairs are combined with a blush pink sofa – with a nod to the Victorian era in the solid cabinet – pulled together with a multicolour rug and throw. ‘Pink is more notable here with a touch of blue on the way to the blue-painted kitchen,’ says Shauna. ‘Sticking to the two colours keeps the restful sense throughout.’
CREATING FLOW
Upstairs has a similar feel – bedrooms decorated in soothing shades of blue and bluey-green – and then in the bathroom, the twin-colour scheme hits the loud button. ‘Red artwork and a turquoise blue cupboard are a clash that we really love in here,’ says Shauna. Furniture is arranged to encourage a good flow of space throughout the house. Mid-century chairs on wheels can be moved around to separate or bring together both ends of the sitting room. A steel-framed breakfast bar extends the kitchen island and makes the space feel open.
Art and mementos finish off the house, personalising rooms to connect the couple with a place, person or feeling. ‘We buy something if we have an immediate reaction to it, whether it makes us laugh or take a closer look,’ says Shauna. ‘In the hallway, I’ve hung my late mum’s scarf on a hook so she’s the first thing I see when I come home. The project was tough compared with our self-build, but we’re really pleased with the outcome. The layering of colour and our mix of new and old has created a home that we absolutely love.’