Interior design

Emily Todhunter has turned a disused carriage house into a multi-purpose space

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The designer is one half of the tremendously successful duo Todhunter earle, an interior design practice that has built an enviable reputation for its ability to combine timeless classicism with modern flair. Projects range from smart London town houses and country houses to Alpine chalets and villas on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia.

emily was asked by the owners of a pretty house in Berkshire to convert their carriage house, which had been empty for some time, and to create a space that could serve several purposes, principally as a family room in which university-aged children could come home and watch a film with friends (the sofa seats 10) and as a place to relax with the papers.

however, the room is also intended as somewhere to have fun, hence the audio-visual elements, bar and disco balls. Another important consideration was a connection to the garden, so the colour palette was designed so that the room doesn’t jar after an afternoon in the potting shed.

In order to turn the room from an outbuilding to something more sophisticated, emily commissioned R. W. Armstrong (01256 850177; www.rwarmstrong.co.uk) to install panelling. The lighting—critical to ensure the room could be used in a variety of ways—was designed by Sally Storey of John Cullen (020– 7371 9000; www.johncullenlighting.com). The (heated) timber floors are by Schotten and hansen (020–8752 0978; http://schotten-hansen.com) and the fabric wall panel—which improves the room’s acoustics— has been covered in a matte velvet by Claremont (020–7581 9575; www. claremontfurnishing.com).

The result is an extremely tasteful balance between classic english country with a hint of fun and glitz. Arabella Youens Todhunter Earle (020–7349 9999; http://todhunterearle.com)