This simple home is a tranquil sanctuary for two globetrotting jazz musicians
A minimalistic approach to interior design has enabled Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson to focus on the music in their life
‘We love modern design, so we chose to use concrete wall panels’
When Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson bought their first home together, they knew it would need to be tranquil. As jazz musicians, the pair are frequently out on tour, meaning that the peace of their north London hideaway is all the more appealing upon returning. ‘We were drawn to the location for its closeness to Heathrow – over the years we’ve travelled to over 55 countries,’ says Stacey.
As soon as they encountered what was to be their future home, Stacey and Jim were enamoured. ‘We knew there was so much potential for us here,’ says Stacey. ‘Because of our hectic lifestyles, one of the things we were looking to create was this haven. The garden, with its mature trees and playing foxes really contributes to this – we feel surrounded by mother nature.’ From the outset, Jim particularly loved the generous proportions of the rooms. ‘The spaces just feel great to be in,’ he says.
Living with the house in its original configuration until 2018, Stacey and Jim decided to invest in some architectural changes that would maximise enjoyment of their home. Enlisting the help of Charlie Avara of design and build firm, All Done Design, they extended their bedroom into an enclosed balcony space and knocked walls down on the ground floor to create a large open-plan sitting room and dining area. Floors were levelled and a loft room was created. ‘We didn’t need four bedrooms so we sacrificed one to make our bedroom larger and combine it with a bathroom overlooking the garden,’ explains Stacey. ‘Charlie’s approach is to tailor the service to your needs. She facilitated everything, like sourcing finishes and was really open minded. We’d travel around and take
‘The structural changes we made to the property mean that we now use the whole house from top to bottom – there’s no space we haven’t utilised’
photos of things we saw out in the world and the team would listen to all our ideas and work out how to incorporate them.’
Stacey says the fairly minimal decor is prompted in part by the couple’s careers. ‘When you’re trained as a musician, you’re encouraged to bring as little with you as possible while on tour, so we’re really good at packing but we also have a very streamlined interior at home,’ says Stacey. Jim agrees, saying, ‘We like a visually quiet living space’. The pair chose a neutral backdrop of wall colours, which is enlivened with accent colours in the furnishings and sumptuous textures of fleece and velvet.
Above all, this is a sociable house. ‘We often have friends over and love sitting in the garden with the fire pit and the guitar,’ says Stacey. One can’t help but envy the neighbours who might overhear a world class jazz recital on any given evening.