STRONG STATEMENT
Thanks to Nicola and Adam Harvey’s dynamic design ideas, their once dated Victorian home is now unrecognisable
An unassuming Hertfordshire house has been reworked with a touch of gold
Nicola and Adam Harvey are design aficionados, enthused by their respective jobs in interior design and property investment. When the couple, who have two daughters, Mia, nine, and Summer, six, found a run-down Victorian home, Nicola began sketching out ideas, pushing the boundaries of conventional renovation to find ways to create visual impact. Then a hidden gem revealed itself in the roof.
‘We had a huge attic, which would have been a waste not to use,’ says Nicola. ‘But instead of converting the loft, the height sparked the idea to have a mezzanine dressing room in our bedroom, and a playroom above Summer’s room.’
Light, openness and space are the bedrock of the couple’s design approach. In the entrance hall, a ceiling-height sliding door leads to Nicola’s office and glass doors link seamlessly with the kitchen-diner/ living area. Here, a double-storey extension increased the downstairs space and helped turn the master bedroom above into a luxurious sanctuary. This is the jewel in the design. ‘I think the volume and space look dramatic and I love the bespoke staircase up to my dressing room,’ says Nicola.
Changing the upstairs layout meant few of the walls remain – the Harveys even sacrificed a bedroom. But they feel the remodelled look is better balanced, with its four en-suite bedrooms and laundry room. ‘It made much more sense to put a laundry room upstairs as this is where most of our washing is!’ says Nicola.
The couple enlisted a local designer and structural engineer to draw up the
Design advice ‘Plan in lighting – in our open-plan living space we have layers of light, including under the kitchen cabinets, to create atmosphere’
plans for them. Once approval was given, Nicola project managed the work.
Lighting was a priority. ‘Adam and I didn’t get it right in our last house, so I spent a long time planning out layers of lighting with our designer,’ says Nicola. ‘We chose wall lights for the living area, a pendant above the table, floor lamps, concealed lighting under the kitchen units and task lights – the combination works very well.’
Concrete and steel form the backbone to the couple’s home, seen in the bespoke staircases and poured concrete floor. The
Harveys have also embraced the industrial theme in the kitchen with a stainless-steel worktop, concrete cupboards and white cement Foscarini lighting. But as the project progressed, Nicola felt the scheme needed more warmth. ‘Steel and concrete are great, but the gold microcement feature walls have added the warmth that was missing,’ she says.
Elsewhere, rooms are painted white for a unified feel, with warmer colours and textures introduced in Nicola’s choice of rugs, cushions and plants. ‘We moved towards a simplistic Scandi look as the
project went on,’ says Nicola. ‘I like to keep the base white, adding colour where I want it with a few accent touches.’
Nicola and Adam’s project was finished within a year and they hosted a big family party to celebrate. ‘I love the feeling of space – it’s perfect for entertaining,’ says Nicola. ‘And I particularly love the design impact of our bedroom because it’s not what you would expect. The house is great for our clients, too, as they can come here to get ideas and see how easy it is to create an unusual design that works.’
FUTURE PLANS ‘I’m working on my office now and putting in a String shelf system for my samples and mood boards’