Georgian townhouse, Highgate

This beautiful Georgian house is in leafy Highgate, right at the top of London, with some wonderful views.  The proportions and features of Georgian houses make for some of the most impressive amongst classical building but when the current owners bought this house a great deal of its original majesty had been stripped out. The brief, therefore, was to create an interior that was sympathetic to the age of the building and to source furniture and furnishings that wouldn't look too precious or overly considered but would compliment a grand Georgian home for a modern London family.

​

The main drawing room was painted a wonderful, red/yellow: Farrow & Ball's Babouche. It needed cornicing and carefully planned mouldings to refine the walls.  We commissioned a Chinoiserie wall with hand painted butterflies and flourishes to allow it to stand alone as a piece of art. The hot yellow contrasts beautifully with the cool blue of the kitchen and the Soane wallpaper. It remains fresh and bright and lets the floor to ceiling views of the garden take hold. 

​

Also on the ground floor is the panelled sitting room: here we commissioned antique brass picture rails and chains and a large map of London. Picture rails are fantastically practical and with the detail sitting just beneath the ceiling, they draw the eye to the full height of the room. The deep green velvet sofas, natural woven rug and soft furnishings give it a country house feel. 

​

Upstairs in the master bedroom we commissioned a bespoke four poster bed and bedsides and sourced an intricate, antique rug to pull the scheme together. There is a secret door through the wardrobe that leads to the elegant master bathroom.  

​

The circular, open staircase is designed to let maximum light through from the central skylight. It transports you to the top of the house and a huge bright study with storage and library ladder designed to be in keeping with the building. The guest bedroom on this level has the most wonderful views over London. We used Tissus D'Helene fabric for the curtains, trims, tie backs and headboard and sourced an antique decorative rug. The effect is a whimsical space which feels warm and inviting