MODERN REMIX
Georgian grandeur and contemporary styling are a smart match in this ground floor apartment in Bristol
Filled with creative decorating ideas and interesting finds, this home is very different now to the characterless property Kathryn Bristow and Rob Law originally saw. ‘It was so plain, Rob actually thought there was nobody living in it, but they were just very tidy people who weren’t that interested in interiors,’ remembers Kathryn. However, the blank walls and unadorned spaces made an easy starting point for the couple to knock through rooms, add a small extension and start over in their own style.
Kathryn’s go-to look is crisp, clean monochromes: ‘The more pared-back a space is, the more relaxing I find it,’ she says. However, she has warmed up grey backdrops with reclaimed textures, a few well-judged shots of citrus colour and vintage finds. In fact, Kathryn jokes that in another life she would have made a pretty good detective. ‘I love a bit of investigating,’ she says. ‘I can spend hours online, trying to track down a particular vintage light or item of furniture. And if I can’t I find what I want, I’ve been known to make it myself.’
Kathryn used her sleuth-like skills to unearth the set of retro Bertoia dining chairs in the kitchen, while the modern chandelier above demonstrates her knack for clever improvisation – it was welded from metal piping to her design, and wired up by an electrician. As for the dining table, Kathryn had very clear picture of what she wanted, but couldn’t find it. Her solution? She sourced a reclaimed church door that was just the right size and shape and then commissioned a local forge to make a set of steel
Even with grey walls and metal structures, the mood never feels cold, thanks to myriad creative flourishes
legs for it. Similarly, the kitchen cabinets are Ikea carcasses customised with more imaginative ply doors and concrete worktops. And as the man who invented Trunki children’s luggage, Rob is no slouch either, when it comes to thinking up clever, creative ideas.
Kathryn and Rob moved here nine years ago, but spotted the apartment almost by accident. ‘We weren’t even thinking of moving because we hadn’t really finished doing up the place we were living in, which was also in Bristol,’ Kathryn says. ‘But I idly picked up the local property paper and saw a half-page ad for this flat. All it showed was the view from the back garden, but I immediately wanted to see more. I knew it would be good.’
Aside from redecorating and adding their own style, the couple also improved the bones of this Georgian home. Herringbone parquet has replaced the previous mish-mash of flooring, which included carpet and old concrete. They also knocked through from the living room to the kitchen and added a master suite in a two-storey extension. This was built into what had been an enclosed, high-walled courtyard at the back of their apartment and now houses a large bathroom, a dressing area and a mezzanine-level sleeping area above. A metal staircase with slim vertical balustrades keeps the look sharp. ‘I wanted it to feel like a grown-up space, away from the chaos of family life,’ says Kathryn.
But even with grey walls and metal structures, the mood in this home never feels cold, thanks to myriad creative flourishes in all the rooms. The acidic lime shade of the Smeg fridge is matched by the paint on the inside
of the front door. Open shelving in the kitchen is made from reclaimed timbers and, in the hallway, a message in decal lettering greets visitors as they hang up their coats. Entitled Le Mur du Couloir (the corridor wall), the paragraph carefully itemises the qualities, uses and exact colour of the wall and was inspired by the work of French design studio Be-Poles. ‘They created a set of everyday objects such as paper bags and boxes of matches and listed the “ingredients” of each in beautiful typography on the outside,’ explains Kathryn. ‘It’s my not-so-serious tribute to that clever idea.’
In this cool family-friendly environment, design is important, but never takes itself too seriously. ‘I love everything in our home, including the pricier pieces such as the sofa, but nothing is off limits,’ explains Kathryn. Which is just as well because their children love the sofa for different reasons. ‘During lockdown, it came into its own as their very own indoor soft play area,’ she smiles.