'When we were looking for a new home, we viewed several two-up two-downs that had completely open layouts,' recalls Heather Brazier, an interior designer and founder of her eponymous studio in east London.
'But since Covid, I've found that I prefer having divided spaces and a separate living room. This house had good bones and was pretty much a white box, so it was perfect for channelling my creativity. No wall has remained white since!'
Heather and her fiancé Callum bought the classic Victorian terrace in Walthamstow two years ago, moving there from Finsbury Park in north London. 'My vision was to create the cosy haven I've dreamed of since I was a child,' Heather explains. 'As this is our first home together – and the first project where I've been my own client and had complete creative control – I wanted to make a bold decision for every room.'
And bold it certainly is. The playful interiors are characterised by pattern and colour, with influences ranging from travel to movies.
'The films from my childhood have inspired the warm feeling I've created here,’ Heather says. ‘But aside from that, I get my ideas from being out and about, reading and nature. I’m a big history nerd too – I’m obsessed with Arts and Crafts design and the Victorian era, when so many influences came to the UK from around the world, including chinoiserie and botanical prints.’
Once they’d moved in, Heather and Callum wasted no time getting stuck in, building much-needed storage throughout and reinstating Victorian character with panelling and architraves.
'We were on a tight budget,’ remembers Heather, ‘so I really had to think about the "star" pieces that would have impact. For me, it’s all about the sofa in the living room and the wallpapers, particularly in the hallway as it’s the first space you see and connects the rooms of the house.’
With a welcoming scheme that mixes traditional with modern, the living room was the first space to be completed. Soft ochre walls are a gentle contrast to red gloss woodwork, while a green sofa, bamboo coffee table and Berber rug bring a layered, eclectic feel.
Next, the couple tackled the kitchen. 'The extension was already here, as was the shell of the room, so we just added detailing and fixtures,’ Heather says. ‘We changed the bright white walls for a peachy Mediterranean colour. Again, we’ve gone for a mix of design styles, with a traditional antique dresser, a G Plan dining table and chairs, and kitsch knick-knacks collected from our travels around the world.’
In the office, previously ‘a sad little room that had been used as a dumping ground’, the couple built a bench seat in the bay window and added half-height tongue-and-groove panelling. Shelving and storage for utilities were also installed, with café curtains adding texture and softness.
Then they tackled the main bedroom. 'We drenched the walls and woodwork to make it feel cocooning. It had zero storage and we couldn't afford bespoke joinery, so my dad and Callum constructed a shell with Ikea Pax wardrobe units and built around it to make it look custom-made,' explains Heather.
In the spare bedroom she set out to create a visual feast. 'We call it the “Mary Poppins” room,' she adds. 'I wanted it to be more traditional than the rest of the house and to feel special when my niece and nephew stay. We added picture rails and Colefax and Fowler wallpaper. I sourced the dressing table from eBay and invested in new bedding and throws to refresh everything without blowing the budget.'
The couple finished their renovation with the upstairs bathroom: 'It was incredibly dated so had to be gutted, but luckily the layout worked well so we were able to work with that. I decided to go full-on kitsch! Palm Springs was the inspiration, with palm-tree tiles and Slim Aarons prints on the walls. It's total escapism.'
When it comes to sourcing a characterful mix of finds, Heather uses her little black book of auction websites – which she trawls every week – as well as visiting antiques fairs at weekends. ‘You can’t beat going down a good rabbit hole on eBay,’ she laughs, ‘and I love shopping on our travels. I have a real thing for decorative plates at the moment. For furniture and textiles, I try to support small British designers. My favourites are Susan Deliss for fabrics and The House Upstairs for upholstery.’
And Heather's favourite part of the house? ‘The hallway, partly because of the wallpaper. We live just a mile from the childhood home of William Morris, so I knew I wanted to pay homage in some way. Then I came across the collaboration between Morris & Co and interior designer Ben Pentreath that reimagined the classic designs in a reinvigorated colour palette. This pattern gives me joy every day.’
Her advice to anyone about to embark on the renovation of their first home would be to ‘release the inner child! Be playful and always ask: how do I want to feel when I come home?’
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