Houzz Tour: Pink Everything Makes Way for Layered Neutrals
A couple turn their once-dowdy century-old London home into a stylish haven accented with splashes of color
Wall-to-wall pink with mahogany woodwork is not the most restful of color palettes, but that’s the look Veronica Rodriguez and her husband, Darren Jones, were faced with when they moved into their early-20th-century Edwardian home in west London. “The theme was pink,” Rodriguez says with a laugh. “Pink walls and pink tiles all over the kitchen.”
It was 2012, and the couple had been living in an apartment close by. “We were ready for more space and a garden, but weren’t sure what we could afford in this area,” Rodriguez says. “Then we saw this place. It needed everything done to it, from the front door to the bathroom.” Fortunately, she could see a clean, crisp space filled with pale, fresh colors, and she and Jones were ready to roll up their sleeves and create their dream home.
It was 2012, and the couple had been living in an apartment close by. “We were ready for more space and a garden, but weren’t sure what we could afford in this area,” Rodriguez says. “Then we saw this place. It needed everything done to it, from the front door to the bathroom.” Fortunately, she could see a clean, crisp space filled with pale, fresh colors, and she and Jones were ready to roll up their sleeves and create their dream home.
The living room exemplifies Rodriguez’s light-touch mix of old and new. “I like combining French-style decorative pieces and clean lines,” she says of the carved chair alongside the sofa and acrylic coffee table. She’s had the carved chair for many years but re-covered it when they moved in.
Rodriguez also likes to upcycle wooden furniture, the TV table being a case in point. “I buy pine furniture from eBay and repaint it,” she says. “I love painting furniture. If you get it wrong, you can just redo it. And it’s an inexpensive way to change the look of things.”
While Rodriguez likes a crisp, clean backdrop, she’s also drawn to bright colors, and has added splashes in most rooms, including the large paintings here and in the dining area. “Being a photographer, I love paintings,” she says. “I saw these two in an auction brochure and fell for the colors. I thought to myself, ‘I’ll make them work somewhere!’ ”
Alcove table: Pagodas & Butterflies; pendant shade: Made.com; sofa: Ikea; cowhide: City Cows
Rodriguez also likes to upcycle wooden furniture, the TV table being a case in point. “I buy pine furniture from eBay and repaint it,” she says. “I love painting furniture. If you get it wrong, you can just redo it. And it’s an inexpensive way to change the look of things.”
While Rodriguez likes a crisp, clean backdrop, she’s also drawn to bright colors, and has added splashes in most rooms, including the large paintings here and in the dining area. “Being a photographer, I love paintings,” she says. “I saw these two in an auction brochure and fell for the colors. I thought to myself, ‘I’ll make them work somewhere!’ ”
Alcove table: Pagodas & Butterflies; pendant shade: Made.com; sofa: Ikea; cowhide: City Cows
The couple had the walls between the living room, dining room and kitchen taken out to open up the space. “The house is quite small,” Rodriguez says, “so we wanted to open it up as much as possible. It’s made a massive difference — and now I can watch TV while I’m washing up if I like!”
Cluster light: Made.com, hung on hooks from Heal’s
Cluster light: Made.com, hung on hooks from Heal’s
This image shows why the couple’s home is cool and calm yet has depth — it’s a master class in layering shades. Look at the grays on the alcove wall, bureau, table legs and cabinet: They’re all different but work together beautifully. “I mixed the shades for the bureau and table myself,” Rodriguez says. The bureau, originally mahogany, is Jones’ and it took time to persuade him it would look better painted. “He likes it now, though,” Rodriguez says with a laugh.
The couple like entertaining but do so infrequently, as Jones has unusual work hours, so when they can, they like to spend time at home together. For Rodriguez, the house is a haven. “I love my home and love being in it,” she says. “I come back from work and go, ahh.”
Bureau, table legs and cabinet all painted in a mix of Annie Sloan chalk paints.
The couple like entertaining but do so infrequently, as Jones has unusual work hours, so when they can, they like to spend time at home together. For Rodriguez, the house is a haven. “I love my home and love being in it,” she says. “I come back from work and go, ahh.”
Bureau, table legs and cabinet all painted in a mix of Annie Sloan chalk paints.
“The cabinet is the bottom half of a Welsh dresser I bought on eBay and painted,” Rodriguez says. The little tree is a bay. “Being Spanish, I’m used to always having plants indoors — my mum has lots,” Rodriguez says. “I stuck to orchids until recently, but I thought I’d try something different. I’m still learning — they don’t always survive!”
Table lamp: Made.com
How to Max Out on Indoor Plants
Table lamp: Made.com
How to Max Out on Indoor Plants
The engineered oak flooring in the living room was relatively new when the couple moved in, so they simply bought more of the same to extend it right through to the kitchen.
The kitchen cabinets are the originals. “They were beech, so we thought we’d just try painting them to see how they’d look,” Rodriguez says. “We took all the doors off and applied a special Super Grip primer, then the paint.”
The granite counter was also already in place. “It didn’t look great surrounded by pink tiles on the walls and floor,” Rodriguez says, “but we really like it now.”
Wall cabinet paint: Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball; base cabinet paint: Hardwick White, Farrow & Ball; Super Grip primer: Dulux; oven and microwave: Neff
The kitchen cabinets are the originals. “They were beech, so we thought we’d just try painting them to see how they’d look,” Rodriguez says. “We took all the doors off and applied a special Super Grip primer, then the paint.”
The granite counter was also already in place. “It didn’t look great surrounded by pink tiles on the walls and floor,” Rodriguez says, “but we really like it now.”
Wall cabinet paint: Skimming Stone, Farrow & Ball; base cabinet paint: Hardwick White, Farrow & Ball; Super Grip primer: Dulux; oven and microwave: Neff
The couple’s hallway is enviably uncluttered. “We have a built-in cupboard and narrow unit behind the stairs, and a basket for the shoe overflow,” Rodriguez explains. They painted the hall white to open it up. “The original front door was all glass, so we blocked some of the light when we fitted the new one and needed to brighten the space.”
The stairs were originally covered in carpet and had simple horizontal planks for a banister. “We reinstated the spindles, ripped up the carpet and painted the dark wood in a light floor paint,” Rodriguez says.
Stair paint: French Gray, Farrow & Ball; pendant light: Heal’s
The stairs were originally covered in carpet and had simple horizontal planks for a banister. “We reinstated the spindles, ripped up the carpet and painted the dark wood in a light floor paint,” Rodriguez says.
Stair paint: French Gray, Farrow & Ball; pendant light: Heal’s
Rodriguez chose dark gray for the master bedroom. “This room has three windows, so I could afford to be bold,” she says. Her upcycling skills are very much on display in here: The chest of drawers has new, mismatched knobs; the wooden mirror, originally cream, is now silver on a dark gray base; and the formerly cream chandelier has been sprayed copper.
Feature wall paint: Plummett, Farrow & Ball
Feature wall paint: Plummett, Farrow & Ball
The couple treated themselves to an elegant Victorian-style bed. “We got married just after we moved in,” Rodriguez says, “and lots of people bought us vouchers so we could buy things for the house.”
The birdcage light is one of Veronica’s creations. “I like birdcages, and put fairy lights around this one to make a bedside lamp,” she says.
Bed: John Lewis; bedding: Monsoon Home
The birdcage light is one of Veronica’s creations. “I like birdcages, and put fairy lights around this one to make a bedside lamp,” she says.
Bed: John Lewis; bedding: Monsoon Home
The turquoise dressing table adds a touch of bright color to the room, and links with the turquoise artwork, bought at auction. “The table was originally cream, but I dabbed gold in the carvings, sprayed the handles and painted the rest,” Rodriguez says.
She made the blinds herself. “I did a course in curtain making and I can just about make blinds — although these were my second attempt!”
She made the blinds herself. “I did a course in curtain making and I can just about make blinds — although these were my second attempt!”
The guest bedroom does double duty as a home office, with a work desk, which Rodriguez painted, in an alcove and a sofa bed freeing up space. The chimney wall is a rich gray-blue. “I was inspired by Abigail Ahern to try something really dark in here,” Rodriguez says. “In a spare room, it isn’t a disaster if it doesn’t work.”
This room and the master bedroom, as well as the landing in between, are carpeted in sisal. “I don’t like fluffy carpet; I think it attracts dust,” Rodriguez says. “Sisal is low-pile without looking cheap, and as the rooms are quite small, we could afford to get a nice one.”
Sisal carpet: Carpetright; desk: eBay; chair: Ikea; wall paint: Royal Navy, Valspar; mirror: TK Maxx
This room and the master bedroom, as well as the landing in between, are carpeted in sisal. “I don’t like fluffy carpet; I think it attracts dust,” Rodriguez says. “Sisal is low-pile without looking cheap, and as the rooms are quite small, we could afford to get a nice one.”
Sisal carpet: Carpetright; desk: eBay; chair: Ikea; wall paint: Royal Navy, Valspar; mirror: TK Maxx
The couple reinstated the fireplaces in both bedrooms. “They were bricked up, so we opened them and fitted fireplaces from a reclamation yard in Devon,” Rodriguez says.
The wardrobe is a children’s piece that originally had a pine finish; Rodriguez refreshed it with Annie Sloan chalk paint. “I keep a lot of fabric in there,” she says.
Mirror: TK Maxx
The wardrobe is a children’s piece that originally had a pine finish; Rodriguez refreshed it with Annie Sloan chalk paint. “I keep a lot of fabric in there,” she says.
Mirror: TK Maxx
“The bathroom had rotten pine cladding and was the next thing we did after the dampcourse. You couldn’t even have a shower in it,” Rodriguez recalls. All the plumbing had to be reconfigured, and it took Jones a month, as he had to do it while working.
The couple decided to tile right up to the ceiling. “It’s easier to clean,” Rodriguez says. “We also went for large tiles to make the room look bigger, and the floor tiles are shiny to reflect light from the window and make the space look deeper.”
Tiles: B&Q; bathtub and toilet: Victoria Plumb; vanity: Bathstore
The couple decided to tile right up to the ceiling. “It’s easier to clean,” Rodriguez says. “We also went for large tiles to make the room look bigger, and the floor tiles are shiny to reflect light from the window and make the space look deeper.”
Tiles: B&Q; bathtub and toilet: Victoria Plumb; vanity: Bathstore
The house originally had a step down to a beat-up patio, so the couple installed a deck to create a lounging area on the same level as the interior. “Decking also continues the wooden flooring from inside the house,” Rodriguez says. Not surprisingly, she adds, “I will be painting the table and chairs at some point!”
Table, chairs and umbrella: B&Q
Table, chairs and umbrella: B&Q
“Apart from the palm tree, the garden was completely bare,” Rodriguez says. So the couple have put in plenty of leafy plants and shrubs, including the climbing jasmine along the fence. “I like plants, but I’m still experimenting,” Rodriguez says, laughing.
The painted building at the end is a sizable cabin the couple bought online. “It was a flatpack and took four days to put together,” Rodriguez says. But it looks nice, with French windows and a new coat of paint. “It’s great extra storage for things like tools and Darren’s surfboard.”
Apart from small jobs — “we’re trying to sort out the grass” — the house is finished. Are they missing all the upcycling and creativity? “We did enjoy the process,” Rodriguez says, “but we have it how we want it now and we love it.”
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The painted building at the end is a sizable cabin the couple bought online. “It was a flatpack and took four days to put together,” Rodriguez says. But it looks nice, with French windows and a new coat of paint. “It’s great extra storage for things like tools and Darren’s surfboard.”
Apart from small jobs — “we’re trying to sort out the grass” — the house is finished. Are they missing all the upcycling and creativity? “We did enjoy the process,” Rodriguez says, “but we have it how we want it now and we love it.”
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Veronica Rodriguez of Veronica Rodriguez Interior Photography and her husband, Darren Jones
Location: Raynes Park area of southwest London
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
As soon as Rodriguez and Jones moved into the house in January 2012, they decamped upstairs and had the bottom floor dampcoursed, or damp-proofed, to protect it from moisture. “Luckily, we’d sold most of our furniture with our flat, so we didn’t have much to store,” Rodriguez says. “We had some preliminary work done by a builder” — the walls demolished downstairs, new electrical, a furnace installed — “but we wanted to do as much as possible ourselves.”
They originally painted all the walls in white or pale gray. “Then I got a bit braver and added darker gray,” Rodriguez says. The shelves in this moody gray alcove are scaffolding planks stained a walnut shade.
Chimney wall paint: Plummett, Farrow & Ball; wood stove: Charnwood