Houzz Tour: Period Cottage Goes From Cluttered to Cozy
A cramped and dark 19th-century London space becomes a light, warm and personal home
The couple who own this 1880 cottage in west London were looking for a redesign of their space when they approached interior designer Natasha Powers. “They’d lived here for about six years and done some bits and pieces during that time but were ready to overhaul it,” she says.
The interior’s oatmeal color scheme and pink carpet were dated, and the rooms, cluttered with mismatched pieces, felt dark. Fresh colors, natural materials and some nifty upcycling turned the cottage into a light, bright and welcoming space, with its owners’ treasured pieces beautifully displayed.
The interior’s oatmeal color scheme and pink carpet were dated, and the rooms, cluttered with mismatched pieces, felt dark. Fresh colors, natural materials and some nifty upcycling turned the cottage into a light, bright and welcoming space, with its owners’ treasured pieces beautifully displayed.
Powers renovated much of the existing furniture. “The owners didn’t want to just throw away the furniture they had, so we used Annie Sloan paints to transform it,” she says. “We turned the dining table into an antique-looking piece with a varnished taupe finish.”
The storage on either side of the fireplace was updated too. “We brought lots of the furniture to life by repainting it,” Powers says. “It was great furniture, either pine or oak, nothing wrong with it. It just needed a fresher look.”
The storage on either side of the fireplace was updated too. “We brought lots of the furniture to life by repainting it,” Powers says. “It was great furniture, either pine or oak, nothing wrong with it. It just needed a fresher look.”
A bright, patterned pillow adds a dose of color to the living room. “The owner wanted gray and neutral tones,” Powers says. “But we added splashes of color here and there to be playful, and it really made the house.”
Tetrad Harris Tweed Lewis petite sofa in Bracken/Tan: John Lewis; walls paint: Shadow White, Farrow & Ball
Tetrad Harris Tweed Lewis petite sofa in Bracken/Tan: John Lewis; walls paint: Shadow White, Farrow & Ball
The owners were also happy to invest in some quality new pieces and finishes. There’s a new wool carpet, linen curtains and a new sofa and armchair downstairs. “They work with the property, which is an old cottage, and make the space look warm,” Powers says. The tweed pattern on the armchair is a nod to the husband’s Scottish roots.
Tetrad Harris Tweed Flynn armchair in Forest Check: John Lewis
Tetrad Harris Tweed Flynn armchair in Forest Check: John Lewis
A photographic family tree hangs on the wall above this sideboard. “The owners had lots of pieces we could dust off, like little photos, things with history, for which they previously hadn’t found a place,” Powers says. “These things were in cupboards or the loft. We took them all out and found beautiful ways to display them.”
The spiral staircase to the bedrooms was installed in 1950. A window above means light pours down it to the ground floor. Powers dotted houseplants through the home. “Greenery brings the space alive,” she says. “It’s actually a very bright cottage, and plants add a nice freshness.”
Previously there was a curtain hanging at the entrance to the kitchen; Powers took it down and installed a decorative valance instead. “The curtain used to hide the kitchen,” she says, “but it looks so good, there’s no need now.”
Raglan fabric on valance: Tinsmiths
Raglan fabric on valance: Tinsmiths
The owners had redone the kitchen when they bought the cottage six years ago. “There was no need to replace it again,” Powers says. “I just added some color and shelving.”
To add warmth to the white kitchen, Powers used Annie Sloan paint in the niches.
The owners bought the textiles hanging in the glass-fronted cupboards in Cyprus. “It’s lovely old lacy cotton, which makes a nice touch,” Powers says.
Niche paint: Duck Egg Blue mixed with Louis Blue, Annie Sloan
The owners bought the textiles hanging in the glass-fronted cupboards in Cyprus. “It’s lovely old lacy cotton, which makes a nice touch,” Powers says.
Niche paint: Duck Egg Blue mixed with Louis Blue, Annie Sloan
Powers removed the curtains at the kitchen window, replacing them with a simple valance with a single fold. “They don’t need a window treatment here for privacy and I didn’t want to block the light,” she says. “This looks like a Roman blind.” It’s made in the same fabric as the valance over the kitchen entrance, to link the spaces.
Powers added two shelves to the kitchen to break up the white and provide space for the owners to display their treasures.
The original bathroom, which was carpeted, was gutted. “The owners wanted a bath and a shower,” Powers says. “We had to plan the space carefully to get it all in.”
She chose a small tub and then painted its underside and feet. “It was an inexpensive acrylic bath, and we spent time painting and distressing it to create a cast-iron effect,” she says.
Premier Grosvenor 1500 small double-ended roll-top bath: Victorian Plumbing; Imperial Drift vanity: UK Bathroom Store
She chose a small tub and then painted its underside and feet. “It was an inexpensive acrylic bath, and we spent time painting and distressing it to create a cast-iron effect,” she says.
Premier Grosvenor 1500 small double-ended roll-top bath: Victorian Plumbing; Imperial Drift vanity: UK Bathroom Store
The master bedroom has a natural, minimal scheme. “We didn’t get carried away with frills and girlie things in here,” Powers says. “It’s quite a modest room, to take into account the husband’s taste.”
The wardrobe is from an ecofriendly range of furniture, and Powers painted it the same color as the walls. “It looks really nice and blends in, so you don’t really notice how much storage there is.”
Wardrobe: Empatika; wall and wardrobe paint: French Grey, Little Greene; Cobweave throw in Mustard Yellow: The British Blanket Co.
The wardrobe is from an ecofriendly range of furniture, and Powers painted it the same color as the walls. “It looks really nice and blends in, so you don’t really notice how much storage there is.”
Wardrobe: Empatika; wall and wardrobe paint: French Grey, Little Greene; Cobweave throw in Mustard Yellow: The British Blanket Co.
The owners wanted a feature wall in the master bedroom. “It works well here,” Powers says. “It stretches the room and gives depth down that side. It’s a nice backdrop for the mirror and table.”
Padstow Stripe wallpaper: John Lewis
Padstow Stripe wallpaper: John Lewis
The guest bedroom is more playful. Powers found a new iron bed for the room. “You need to play with textures,” she says. “The previous bed was wooden, but it was good to break up all the timber and introduce a new material.”
She modified the cast-concrete pendant light by spray-painting its interior copper.
Urban pendant light: PR Home; wall paint: Joanna, Little Greene
11 Flexible Features to Maximize Space in Your Bedroom
She modified the cast-concrete pendant light by spray-painting its interior copper.
Urban pendant light: PR Home; wall paint: Joanna, Little Greene
11 Flexible Features to Maximize Space in Your Bedroom
The owners wanted a sink in the guest bedroom, so Powers found a pretty and decorative design. “By placing it on a chest of drawers, it creates an interesting little focal point,” she says. “The top drawer hides the pipes.”
Handmade Moroccan sink and faucet: eBay
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Handmade Moroccan sink and faucet: eBay
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
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Ealing borough of west London
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
Designer: Natasha Powers Interiors
The owners of this cottage wanted to use ecofriendly and natural materials whenever possible, in a palette of soft grays and neutrals. “She’s Russian and he’s Scottish, so we honored both those backgrounds in the design,” Powers says.
After looking at mood boards, the couple chose a warm, welcoming look, which Powers describes as modern country with a hint of Scandinavian freshness.