Vintage Finds & Rich Colors Usher a Historic Home Into a New Era of Collected, Contemporary Style
Project by: Caroline Iredale and Deborah Moor Slightly Quirky Ltd.
Location: Chiswick, London
Caroline and Deborah’s client needed help making their classic property feel like a vibrant and modern space that felt like their own. With some gorgeous colors and occasionally unexpected furniture choices, they created a home that is as welcoming as it is interesting.
From Caroline & Deborah: This stunning Grade II listed four store home was brimming with period features such as marble fireplaces, detailed coving and tall sash windows. There were a lot of beautiful, vintage pieces of furniture which the client had inherited from family members, that were important to them, yet, didn’t represent their taste or style. They didn’t want to feel like they were living in their parents’ house. Some rooms felt dark, despite the large windows, and they wanted to bring more life into the reception spaces especially their front sitting room, they rarely even used. They also had an extensive art collection which they wanted to display and enjoy in spaces which complemented and enhanced the work.
We decided to inject light and colour to the property to create a vibrant, sophisticated family house; the scheme is complementary to the style of the house, yet modern and fresh. The use of strong, bold colours brought the dark sitting room to life and this was accented with bold contrasting bright colours and patterned velvet cushions.
We love blending the old with the new and this worked particularly well in this property: we re-covered the old furniture, which was good quality and beautifully designed, they were given a new lease of life in vibrant, modern fabrics. We mixed the period features with more contemporary materials including glass and plastics. The bedside tables in the master bedroom in black plastic are an unexpected choice , yet work so well in the room and offer a practical solution. We also sourced a selection of interesting table lamps throughout the house and not to mention some quirky accessories too.
Resource List
Hall:
Tom Dixon: ‘Melt’ pendant light
Sitting room:
Floss: ‘IC’ table lamp
Rockett St George: ‘Brass and Smoke Glass’ table lamp
Attic: Bird in glass dome
GP and J Baker: ‘Barcelona’ velvet patterned cushions
Reading room:
Sofa.com: ‘Isla’ sofa
Atkin and Thyme: ‘Calvin Armchair’ in blue velvet and linen
Master bedroom:
Rockett St George: ‘Copper Barefoot’ bedside lamps
GP and J Baker: ‘Barcelona’ velvet used to reupholster vintage chair
Swoon Editions: ‘Daley’ tallboy
Kartell: ‘Componibili’ storage unit/ bedside tables in black
Thanks, Caroline & Deborah of Slightly Quirky Ltd.!
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our
Professional Project Submission Form