When two designers live, work, eat and sleep together, you’d expect things could get a little intense. If you throw ‘doing up a large Victorian house’ into the mix,
the pot might just boil over. But not for Gemma Ruse and Xavier Sheriff, who seem to operate with a zen-like calm, while channelling creativity and productivity. The couple have been together since art school days at Central Saint Martins. Six years later, they founded their display agency, Studiox AG, creating groundbreaking retail installations for clients around the globe, such as Christian Louboutin, Anya Hindmarch, Liberty and Selfridges. When it came to renovating their own house, not surprisingly, it felt a bit like work at times. ‘The challenge was that we’re both designers with strong aesthetics and quite fussy, too, so while I led the project, we agreed Xavier would have the power of veto if he really disliked something,’ Gemma says. ‘There were no real fallings-out. He tended to come round if I was passionate about a decision – or I simply showed him just my chosen version,’ she smiles.
Gemma is creative director and Xavier managing director of the company, which now, 11 years in, employs 25 people. ‘The studio set-up plays to our strengths and was reflected in the renovation with Xavier more involved on the technical side,’ says Gemma, who had a clear vision, influenced by the property’s tall ceilings and air of faded grandeur, right from the start. ‘I wanted it to look authentic, a juxtaposition of the old and the new, rather than a fake Victorian house,’ she says. ‘It was about mixing clean modern lines with the patina of age and creating a home that felt calm, cohesive and contemporary, while respecting what had been there before.’
Missing period pieces, such as fireplaces in the living room and the couple’s bedroom, were found on ebay and reclaimed radiators were installed. ‘All the interventions we made were deliberate contemporary contrasts, like the oversized doors, concrete kitchen and the Japanese-style courtyard that sits in it,’ she says. Previously, Gemma and Xavier had been living in a maisonette nearby and building up their business, when they embarked on a lifestyle change that saw them getting married, buying the house and having a baby… all at the same time. ‘We managed to move in for six months to get a feel for the space, find an architect and get planning permission, then move out just before the building work started and I gave birth!’ Gemma laughs.
The couple had viewed similar houses in the area, lured by their 2,500 square footage. ‘We saw many homes that gave us inspiration for layouts and ideas for when we finally bought this one,’ she adds. ‘We were looking for a project, but I don’t think we fully appreciated what we had taken on,’ she says of the house, which came with 1970s decor and strip lighting. ‘I think we estimated about half the time and half the cost of what it ended up taking.’
Architects Fraher & Findlay were brought in, for their impressive portfolio and commitment to being on site every week to project manage – ‘essential for us’. The firm worked on refurbishing and extending the property while honouring the couple’s creative personalities, and it has ended up with number of beautiful threads running through it, from Japanese style to art deco and Kelly Wearstler-influenced patterns. ‘I feel we’ve added to its heritage and we’re saying it’s our forever home,’ says Gemma, ‘for now at least.’ Who would want to leave this beautiful house?
studioxag.com; Architects, fraherandfindlay.com; Joinery, obliquefurniture.co.uk; Garden design, miriaharris.com