A London townhouse with the perfect warm, modern interior for family life
There was a pivotal moment when interior designer Emma Shone-Sanders, freshly appointed to breathe life into this London family townhouse, knew that she was about to embark on something rather special. The construction work had been underway for several months before Emma was drafted in, and upon visiting for the first time she walked into what was still very much a building site. ‘The whole back of the house had been knocked out,’ she recalls. ‘It was exposed and open to a huge garden which backed onto a common. The owners told me they planned to install an enormous picture window and I could instantly see what an incredible view it was going to be from the minute you walked through the door. I knew it would be amazing and got so excited.’
With grand proportions, the four-storey, five-bedroom Victorian house was already pretty impressive in stature, but the owners, a couple with a toddler and a newborn, had instructed Yard Architects to work on a reconfiguration – including a new double-height extension – that would better serve the needs of a growing family.
The female client, who has a background in architecture and an eye for modern design, had initially planned to handle the furnishing herself but the scale of the project forced her to reconsider and she sought out Emma to help realise her vision. The fit was perfect. The founder of east London-based studio Design & That, which launched in 2016, Emma has already garnered a reputation for contemporary yet liveable interiors. She had initially studied architecture before taking up a MA in interior architecture at London School of Art, Architecture and Design. There are no fussy frills or elaborate detailing to be found in her work, think instead sculptural shapes, clean lines and muted tones.
‘She had a very good understanding of what she wanted,’ Emma says of her client. ‘The architects had done a fantastic job with the layout so this was more about layering in warmth and character. The key brief was very much about creating an inviting but elegant family home.’
While Emma, and indeed her client, lean into a modern aesthetic, it is not without a sensitivity to the building's age and architecture. ‘It needed to be a sympathetic restoration,’ she stresses. To that end, she reinstated authentic details such as the medallion cornicing in the formal sitting room that had been previously ripped out, and panelling on the walls to frame the clients’ artwork.
One of Emma’s key challenges was bridging the gap between the original spaces on the upper ground floor, namely the entry hall and sitting room, and the new addition which houses the kitchen and dining area. 'It's got a really nice flow so you can circle all the way around from the hallway into the kitchen and the living space. But as they are so connected, it was about making sure those areas felt cohesive in terms of the finish and the palette.' This was achieved through a masterful mix of warm whites and earthy hues alongside consistent timber herringbone flooring. Additionally, in order for the new extension not to feel ‘like a glass box’, Emma decided on an oak-stained kitchen to knock back any overly contemporary lingerings.
The house is given extra warmth with Emma's thoughtful curation of furniture. In the sitting room, the sofa is upholstered in a rich hazel cotton velvet from Rose Uniacke, while the 1930s Halabala chairs are covered in a mushroom-coloured cord from Yarn Collective. The small vintage marble was a purchase from Paris by the client. ‘She brought it back on the Eurostar in a bag. I don’t know because it is so heavy. But that’s determination for you,’ adds Emma with a laugh.
A crucial decision was to rebuild the main staircase to eliminate a hotchpotch of awkward levels snaking up the house. ‘We needed the staircase connected to the levels all the way through and we ensured it was built in a way that is faithful to the original,’ says Emma. The family room on the lower ground floor is linked to the kitchen by a secondary staircase.
The first floor is taken over by the principle suite which comprises a main bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. A bespoke extended headboard in Rose Uniacke velvet is the bedroom’s focal point. In the ensuite, dramatic marble on the vanity and mirror edging in the shower offers punch.
The kids bedrooms, on the second floor, were designed with longevity in mind. Tongue and groove softens sloping ceilings while bespoke joinery creates storage and desk areas. Likewise, their bathroom – which has zellige shower tiles laid out in stripes – is a carefully crafted balance of fun, functionality and timelessness.
Much of the success of this project, Emma believes, is down to the clients. ‘It was very collaborative. She had an amazing eye and we worked really closely.’ And equally satisfying? The vista from the picture window, which is indeed just as spectacular as she had imagined.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK1/23The walnut demi-lune console table is from Retrouvius. The oval mirror is from The Socialite Family. The flooring is tumbled marble from Mandarin Stone. The wiggle hooks are from Maude Vaughan. The pendant is from Pure White Lines.
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ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK4/23In the family room downstairs the bespoke sofa is upholstered in mohair from Yarn Collective.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK5/23The seating in the nook is upholstered in Christopher Farr’s ‘Lost
and Found’ fabric in green. The desk chair, the Beech and Paper Cord Chair by Erich Dieckmann, is from vintage seller Three Twenty. The burl wood coffee table is from vintage seller Four Quarters Home.
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ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK7/23The bar in the family room.
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ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK9/23The art is by abstract artist Harry Wade.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK10/23The bed headboard fabric is ‘Raw Umber’ by Rose Uniacke. The bed throw and valance are heavyweight linen, also by Rose Uniacke. The armchair fabric is from Christopher Farr Cloth.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK11/23The dressing room features bespoke solid oak joinery with fabric panels.
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ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK14/23In the main bathroom the vanity is a bespoke stained oak and is topped with Calacatta Arabescato marble which is also used on the basin and mirror surrounds. The brassware is Studio Ore. The wall finish is tadelakt plaster
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ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK17/23This bedroom features V-groove panelling and a bespoke desk. The lamp is from Ferm Living. The Roman blinds are made from Penny Morrison’s ticking stripe fabric. The cushion are from Collagerie and the bed throw is Zara.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK18/23The Roman blinds are made from ticking stripe fabric from Guy Goodfellow.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK19/23The bedroom has V-groove panelled joinery complemented with ironmongery by Matilda Goad.
ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK20/23The zellige wall tiles are from Otto while the herringbone marble mosaic floor tiles are from Starrel Stones. The brassware is from Aston Matthews. The Calacatta marble topped vanity is
custom-made. The towels are from Baina.
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