Houzz Tour: Streamlined Family Home Keeps Its Storage Tucked Away
In this modernized London Victorian, the focus is on letting beautiful materials and soothing colors shine
Louisa Grey of House of Grey interior design was gutsy to live in her four-story Victorian house while renovation work was going on: She gave birth to her son in the middle of the six-month project. But being a designer, she wanted to make sure that every detail of the project was as she envisioned it. “I was definitely lacking in sleep,” she says with a laugh, “but there were a lot of things about the detailing that I wasn’t willing to let go of.”
Upstairs are four bedrooms and three bathrooms. This is the master bedroom. “There are lots of hidden cupboards,” Grey says. “There’s an old joke between me and my friends about all the rubbish I collect by the side of my bed, so now it’s all hidden away.”
Wall paint: Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball; rug: Berber Boutique; handcrafted wooden Mop ladder: Sebastian Cox
Wall paint: Purbeck Stone, Farrow & Ball; rug: Berber Boutique; handcrafted wooden Mop ladder: Sebastian Cox
Grey and her family spend most of their time on the bottom floor. The combination of kitchen, plenty of storage, a powder room and a laundry room, as well as heated flooring, makes it a cozy and practical space.
“We use the kitchen a lot; my partner does much of cooking. This spot is where we regroup at the end of every day,” Grey says. “We love enjoying the warmth down here, and you can easily access the garden, which is great through the summer. The light is beautiful.”
The sofas are from their old house. “We had a budget for buying new furniture, but that kind of dissolved, so we kept these,” she says. “My friend was going to throw out this table, but it works perfectly here so I was thrilled!”
Rug: Zara; induction cooktop (under cutting board): Fisher & Paykel
“We use the kitchen a lot; my partner does much of cooking. This spot is where we regroup at the end of every day,” Grey says. “We love enjoying the warmth down here, and you can easily access the garden, which is great through the summer. The light is beautiful.”
The sofas are from their old house. “We had a budget for buying new furniture, but that kind of dissolved, so we kept these,” she says. “My friend was going to throw out this table, but it works perfectly here so I was thrilled!”
Rug: Zara; induction cooktop (under cutting board): Fisher & Paykel
The lower level was damp and divided into front and back rooms, a bedroom, the lemon bathroom and a laundry room. The door to the right in this photo leads to the updated laundry room. “There’s a full wall of shelving for vases and other junk,” Grey says. “There’s space for cleaning stuff in there; it’s all hidden. I just shut the door so there’s no need to listen to the washing machine!”
The dining area is in the addition. Grey likes open-plan living, so she opened up three floors.
Spade chair: Faye Toogood
Check out another home that underwent a radical remake
The dining area is in the addition. Grey likes open-plan living, so she opened up three floors.
Spade chair: Faye Toogood
Check out another home that underwent a radical remake
“I’m really proud of the kitchen. [Kitchen designer] Jamie Blake got the aesthetic really well,” Grey says. She didn’t want just concrete and Corian surfaces, so she mixed in 300-millimeter-wide (11.8-inch) Douglas fir boards for the walls and cupboards, and color-matched the island to Elephant’s Breath paint by Farrow & Ball.
Two dishwashers, a small fridge and a large fridge are hidden away in these cupboards and the ones on the opposite wall; Grey didn’t want to see any appliances. Even the electrical outlets (except for two next to the sink) are in a cupboard next to the Aga stove.
On the Corian counter, concealed under a slim cutting board, is an induction cooktop. Together with the Aga, it’s perfect for when the couple have lots of guests. “My partner has eight brothers and sisters, so we can cater for that comfortably,” Grey says.
The exposed bulbs hang from ceramic holders and linen flex. “I wanted to do something that was simple but not plastic,” Grey says.
Total Control electric range cooker: Aga
Two dishwashers, a small fridge and a large fridge are hidden away in these cupboards and the ones on the opposite wall; Grey didn’t want to see any appliances. Even the electrical outlets (except for two next to the sink) are in a cupboard next to the Aga stove.
On the Corian counter, concealed under a slim cutting board, is an induction cooktop. Together with the Aga, it’s perfect for when the couple have lots of guests. “My partner has eight brothers and sisters, so we can cater for that comfortably,” Grey says.
The exposed bulbs hang from ceramic holders and linen flex. “I wanted to do something that was simple but not plastic,” Grey says.
Total Control electric range cooker: Aga
The tall cabinets along the left side of this photo house a refrigerator. “The doors open up and slot into either side so I can leave it open without them getting in the way,” Grey says. There’s also a cabinet for a tea and coffee station. “It’s essentially a larder cupboard with a work surface. It’s handy when we don’t have time to clean up — we just shut the door and run out of the house,” she says with a laugh. “It’s another way I keep everything out of sight.” One of the cupboards is filled with her son’s toys. “It’s plastic from floor to ceiling!”
The kitchen island sits on “enormous casters” so it can be moved around, Grey says. “I like being able to change the space. We plan to be here for 20 years. We once hosted an Easter lunch and moved it out of the way so we could have egg and spoon races in here.” The island holds two trash bins as well as a recycling bin, dishes, pans and utensils. It opens from both sides.
The garden is an ongoing project for Grey and her partner. “After 10 months of building, it’s a bit of a mud pit. We’re investing in plants and gardening.”
The kitchen island sits on “enormous casters” so it can be moved around, Grey says. “I like being able to change the space. We plan to be here for 20 years. We once hosted an Easter lunch and moved it out of the way so we could have egg and spoon races in here.” The island holds two trash bins as well as a recycling bin, dishes, pans and utensils. It opens from both sides.
The garden is an ongoing project for Grey and her partner. “After 10 months of building, it’s a bit of a mud pit. We’re investing in plants and gardening.”
There are three skylights in the new addition; the middle one opens electronically. You might have noticed there’s no vent hood over the Aga. This model vents directly into the kitchen, something Grey was able to get approval for from city officials because of the combination of the openable skylight and wide glass doors.
More hidden storage comes in the form of these cardboard stools from Story Deli in East London; they hold all kinds of toys. “One contains a train set, one has a mini shopping kit…. When you open up the boxes, it’s amazing — this becomes a really big family home and it’s easy to clean up,” Grey says. “They’re really good — you can stand on them, sit on them and stack them.”
Pendant lights: Dowsing & Reynolds; storage stools: Story Deli; skylights: Glazing Vision
More hidden storage comes in the form of these cardboard stools from Story Deli in East London; they hold all kinds of toys. “One contains a train set, one has a mini shopping kit…. When you open up the boxes, it’s amazing — this becomes a really big family home and it’s easy to clean up,” Grey says. “They’re really good — you can stand on them, sit on them and stack them.”
Pendant lights: Dowsing & Reynolds; storage stools: Story Deli; skylights: Glazing Vision
Up one floor is the street level, sparsely furnished because it’s often rented out for photo shoots. The decorative plaster work in here crumbled during the renovation, and Grey had it re-created. “It was covered in so many layers of paint that we decided to have a cornicing specialist come in.”
The decorative objects scattered throughout the house are pieces Grey has collected over time. She likes to buy random items as she moves around, although most of these are kept in the attic. “I really wanted to enjoy the space for what it is,” she says. “We didn’t want this place to feel like the old place. It’s like a cathartic restart!”
There used to be three rooms on this floor: A galley kitchen was where the bookcase is; a wall between the two windows separated the kitchen from the dining room, where the daybed now is; and the area to the left of this was the living room.
The decorative objects scattered throughout the house are pieces Grey has collected over time. She likes to buy random items as she moves around, although most of these are kept in the attic. “I really wanted to enjoy the space for what it is,” she says. “We didn’t want this place to feel like the old place. It’s like a cathartic restart!”
There used to be three rooms on this floor: A galley kitchen was where the bookcase is; a wall between the two windows separated the kitchen from the dining room, where the daybed now is; and the area to the left of this was the living room.
The daybed is made from old Hungarian sacks Grey found at an antiques fair. She worked with an upholsterer to design it so the stripes work together. It converts into a double bed, handy for when guests stay over. Grey found the bookcase in Cambridge. “My grandfather had a removal business there, so I love antique bits and pieces,” she says. “My family have good eyes for those things. I really like older pieces.”
It may be counterintuitive, but Grey recommends having white walls if you have a young child, because they’re easy to touch up. “I wanted something with a Scandi-Danish feel. It looks sparse because we spent most of the money on making the house good,” she says. “We didn’t want to have to revisit it too soon.”
The lime-washed flooring is treated with Woca oils. Grey did this level herself; the builders did the treatment on the upper floors. “You rub the oil in by hand and let the wood absorb it,” she explains. “I really wanted a soft, matte finish.”
Wall and baseboard paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball; flooring: Lawsons; rug: Berber Boutique
It may be counterintuitive, but Grey recommends having white walls if you have a young child, because they’re easy to touch up. “I wanted something with a Scandi-Danish feel. It looks sparse because we spent most of the money on making the house good,” she says. “We didn’t want to have to revisit it too soon.”
The lime-washed flooring is treated with Woca oils. Grey did this level herself; the builders did the treatment on the upper floors. “You rub the oil in by hand and let the wood absorb it,” she explains. “I really wanted a soft, matte finish.”
Wall and baseboard paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball; flooring: Lawsons; rug: Berber Boutique
Grey fitted shutters on all the front windows. “I’m not a big fan of other window treatments; I like the cleaner look of shutters,” she says. “I’d really like more shutters, but due to the cost, we’ll have to wait until a later date to do the back of the house too.”
There are fireplaces on each floor, but Grey has decided to wait until she has time to restore them. “The man who used to live here would throw a brick down the chimney to dislodge the soot,” she says. “It chipped the brickwork internally, so we have to repair the flues before we can use them.”
Table paint: Off-Black, Farrow & Ball; chairs: antique; radiator: The Sterlingham Co.
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There are fireplaces on each floor, but Grey has decided to wait until she has time to restore them. “The man who used to live here would throw a brick down the chimney to dislodge the soot,” she says. “It chipped the brickwork internally, so we have to repair the flues before we can use them.”
Table paint: Off-Black, Farrow & Ball; chairs: antique; radiator: The Sterlingham Co.
Get expert advice on the best way to dress your windows
Grey used Carrara marble and alabaster grout in the bathrooms. This bathtub exudes glamour. “I love it,” Grey says. “It’s such a good size and it’s actually acrylic, to keep water warmer for longer, because it has better insulation.”
Grey commissioned The Sterlingham Co. (which also made all the radiators) to make the shower rail. She sourced the vintage glass doorknobs on eBay. “The ones on the upper floors are Edwardian; they’re slightly smaller than the Victorian ones on the ground floor,” she says. “There were two original designs on the top floor, and we bought additional ones that would work with those.”
The house is an ongoing project for Grey, who stresses the importance of being particular with the details. “Some things that are standard aren’t necessarily right for the person living there, and this is the key to making the project work. When you’ve done a few projects, you find yourself saying, ‘No, I couldn’t actually do with that,’ ” she says.
Acrylic bathtub: Adamsez; shower rail: The Sterlingham Co.
Architect: George Evennett
Kitchen designer: Jamie Blake of Blakes London
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Grey commissioned The Sterlingham Co. (which also made all the radiators) to make the shower rail. She sourced the vintage glass doorknobs on eBay. “The ones on the upper floors are Edwardian; they’re slightly smaller than the Victorian ones on the ground floor,” she says. “There were two original designs on the top floor, and we bought additional ones that would work with those.”
The house is an ongoing project for Grey, who stresses the importance of being particular with the details. “Some things that are standard aren’t necessarily right for the person living there, and this is the key to making the project work. When you’ve done a few projects, you find yourself saying, ‘No, I couldn’t actually do with that,’ ” she says.
Acrylic bathtub: Adamsez; shower rail: The Sterlingham Co.
Architect: George Evennett
Kitchen designer: Jamie Blake of Blakes London
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Louisa Grey of House of Grey, her partner and their 18-month-old son
Location: Islington area of North London
Property: A Victorian house built in 1864
Size: 2,800 square feet (260 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
When Louisa Grey took on this project, the plaster had to be redone and a new plumbing system needed to be installed. The house was stripped to its bones and — with the addition of four steel structures — the lowest level was extended into the garden by about 10 feet. After playing with seven potential layouts and incorporating clever closed storage ideas, Grey now has a clutter-free home, despite the assortment of vintage and custom-made items she’s collected along the way.
When work started, the house hadn’t been touched for many years. “We pulled off the wallpaper and it was like going back to the 1970s,” Grey says. “It was wild! There was an avocado-, a peach- and a lemon-colored bathroom. It was like you’d stepped onto a film set.”
Sink: Catalano; mirror: vintage