A classic London townhouse with an understatedly sophisticated palette

A view of the entry hall from the living room. The client had collected the ceramic birds when her children were born but wasn’t sure where to place them. Laura instinctively suggested the staircase, where they now take flight up to their rooms.

Chris Snook

Skateboarding is a family passion (it’s how the father tackles the school run), so when Laura discovered that a tortoiseshell-style material that she was admiring at the annual Surface Design Show was in fact the underneath of a salvaged skate ramp, she felt compelled to find a use for it. ‘When it’s polished, it comes up with this sort of mottled patina,’ she explains. The seller, Surface Matter, introduced Laura to fabricator Shape Studio, who cut the material into a pair of slim panels, which flank the opening between the front living room and the snug. While it may sound quirky, it ties in authentically with the faux tortoiseshell inlay on the antique mirror above the fireplace, and the pair of vintage toleware lions that rest on it.

But the most heartfelt detail of all is the trio of cafe curtains hand-embroidered by the textile artist Bellamy Jean. Future heirloom pieces, the naively-drawn motifs (conceived by the artist herself) capture the essence of the family: a globe to represent the northern and southern hemispheres, horoscopes signs, a butterfly and a robin in honour of late family members and swallows for each of the family. ‘They are living artworks,’ reflects Laura. ‘It’s a snapshot telling the story of their lives. If one day they move or when the children have grown up, they can take them down and frame them. The way the light comes through makes the panels almost glow in the sunshine,’ adds the designer, who admits they are probably her favourite element of the house.

The family’s IKEA sofa was lovingly updated by layering a rug, sheepskin and a silk scarf belonging to the owner’s late mother, along with a textured lumbar cushion from Penny Morrison. The silk pendant light is by Oisoioi.

Chris Snook

Laura was also sensitive to the Edwardian-era design codes of the property. She echoed the semicircle shapes in the top panels of the handsome front door and bay windows into the curved silhouette of the freestanding fridge cabinet and the edges of the skate ramp panels. In one of the kid’s bedrooms, a handpainted pediment above a door is a playful nod to traditional London architecture. She wasn’t tempted to look to Australia for inspiration. ‘So much of an interior should be rooted in the person and also rooted in the location. The light is different [in Australia], as is how you’d move through a space,’ she explains.

The French House was the source for the antique cupboard for the living room’s alcove. “Because it’s on legs, it doesn’t feel too heavy,” explains Laura.

Chris Snook

The client had owned this wooden cabinet for years, but it once felt out of place. Within Laura’s softer scheme, it now sits comfortably.

Chris Snook

What ties the interior so effortlessly is a neutral, off-white backdrop with colourful accents across the joinery and woodwork. Laura was drawn to French paint brand Argile for its rich, nature-inspired palette. She used ‘Mousson’, a sludgy green-grey, as a thread running around the central skirting boards, up the staircase and across the bedroom doors. ‘It really complements the other finishes in the house, such as brass, copper, verdigris, and wood,’ she explains.

The kitchen layout and cabinetry was designed by Parkinson and made by Martin Moore. The wall units are painted Brun de Cassel, while the island is Jaune de Verone, both are by Argile.

Chris Snook

Laura’s mission was to leave the family with a lived-in home that could continue to be layered on over time – ‘where kids' drawings, toys and additional pieces they picked up on their holidays or at a fair wouldn't jar with what we had created,” she says. Mission accomplished.

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