For all their charm, Victorian homes aren't always the most practical. Many follow a familiar but flawed layout: narrow rooms running one into the next, funnelling you through from front to back.
This was the challenge interior designers Jess and Ellie Pile, founders of House of Norica, faced when they were asked to redesign this four-bedroom terrace in north London. ‘The house was spacious, but its rooms hadn’t been properly considered and didn’t function as well as they should have,’ says Ellie.
On the ground floor, a narrow hallway opened into the living room, which led through an archway into a windowless middle room and then onto the kitchen. ‘The living room at the front of the house had become a thoroughfare,’ says Ellie.
What the space needed was a reason to linger and that began with a generous, wraparound bookcase and a Miami-style colour palette.
The before
‘It had very unusual decor – quite Gothic and full of stuffed animals. It was not our style at all!’
The plan
To fix the layout, the doorway into the living room was blocked off, stopping the through-traffic and freeing up a generous slice of wall for the bookcase.
'The middle room became a family hangout with a big sofa for watching films together,’ explains Ellie. ‘This meant the front room could be more grown-up, with a cosy library feel. We wanted to include a substantial bookcase because Kate and Adam have such a large collection of books.’
The curved design runs floor to ceiling, with a window set into the shelving to draw light into the adjoining hallway. ‘It wraps around the room, making it feel cocooned and comfortable,’ adds Jess.
The process
Next up came colour, and the brief was unexpected: the pastel shades of Miami Beach. ‘We used this as a springboard but wanted to translate it in a way that would work for a Victorian house,’ explains Jess.
The walls went a soft Setting Plaster pink and the woodwork was picked out in sunny Babouche, both by Farrow & Ball. Running this vibrant yellow around the openings pulls the eye through from one space to the next. ‘Painting the woodwork transformed the room,’ Jess adds.
Attention then turned to the fireplace. Brick slips went in around its previously all-black opening and white tiling was laid across the floor in front, making a feature of it.
Then the room was dressed with art and books that Kate and Adam already owned. ‘This was the final touch,’ says Jess, ‘and it instantly made the space feel unique and really personal to them.’
Get the look: the colourful family snug
Biggest challenge
‘Resolving the layout. The living room had become a thoroughfare, giving it a transient feel instead of being a place you’d want to hang out’
Biggest splurge
‘The Bear Hug sofa from Loaf. You can’t have a good living room without a comfy sofa, so it was a no-brainer’
Best bargain
The books came with Kate and Adam, so the walls were dressed for next to nothing
Design hero
‘The colours are a real standout feature for us. We would never have had the guts to go for the palette that Jess and Ellie chose, but it looks great’
Sourcebook
- Wall, ceiling and woodwork paint Farrow & Ball
- Cushions Oka and John Lewis & Partners
- Footstool Footstools & More
- Sofa Loaf
- Rug Nordic Knots
- Rocking chair vintage, try Vinterior
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