ONE OF A KIND
Sophisticated design touches transform a typical Victorian terraced house in London into an elegant and comfortable home for a young family
Carl Fitzgerald had been looking for a property in a part of south-west London he loved, when a friend saw a promising house come on to the market. ‘It was in a quiet spot but conveniently close to the high street,’ says Carl. With its elegant rooms, abundance of windows and original features, the Victorian terraced house surpassed his expectations, prompting him to put in a bid, which was successful.
The house had been renovated by a developer and was structurally sound, which was an important consideration for Carl. ‘Having two young daughters, Helena, eight, and Amelie, five, buying a property that needed major building work wasn’t an option,’ he says. ‘With this house, I could direct my budget towards personalising the interior, which was quite bland and unsophisticated.’
Although Carl had an idea of what he wanted, he recognised he would benefit from professional advice and a friend recommended interior designer Gemma Gordonduff from Gordon-duff & Linton.
As the space that creates the all-important first impression to visitors, the sitting room and snug had to be just right and Carl’s brief to Gemma was for a ‘calm, elegant and sophisticated’ feel. The talking
‘Treat the house as one cohesive whole so everything has continuity and flow’
point here is surely the pink portrait that sits royally atop the mantelpiece and is a quirky counterpoint to the wall colour and rich furnishings. ‘I have a few bold art pieces and Gemma fitted them perfectly into the overall scheme while allowing them to shine,’ says Carl. Equally important were the children’s bedrooms, where Carl wanted a look that was both beautiful and practical, and which suited his daughters’ individual personalities. ‘I took my lead from the girls themselves, who both loved being part of the creative process,’ says Gemma. ‘For Amelie’s room we built a den combined with bunk bed that has playful touches, such as the portholes on two sides. Helena gave me a brief of a “castle in the sky”, which inspired magical elements like a fairy-lit voile awning.’ The family room is special, too. With a modular sofa and cosy rug, it follows the lines of a conventionally sociable space but the nook at the rear of the room is what some might term a ‘man cave’. A voluptuously curved armchair and footstool are flanked by glazed light wells and overlooked by a neon ‘Las Vegas’ sign that Carl already owned. Even outdoors, style wasn’t forgotten, with a barren square patch landscaped to create a sociable dining area. ‘In summer, this is my favourite spot,’ says Carl. ‘It’s amazing how, in a small space like that, you can create such a haven.’ So how does Carl feel about the finished project? ‘I was always aware that the bones of the property were great and that it just needed help to make something interesting of it,’ he says. ‘Most important for me is that the girls absolutely love it and every time I come home it brings a smile to my face.’