{"id":2626,"date":"2024-05-06T21:24:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T13:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2024\/05\/06\/english-translation-a-compact-victorian-gets-an-eclectic-but-cohesive-makeover\/"},"modified":"2024-05-06T21:24:12","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T13:24:12","slug":"english-translation-a-compact-victorian-gets-an-eclectic-but-cohesive-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/fr\/english-translation-a-compact-victorian-gets-an-eclectic-but-cohesive-makeover\/","title":{"rendered":"Traduction en anglais : Une maison victorienne compacte relook\u00e9e de mani\u00e8re \u00e9clectique mais coh\u00e9rente"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When it comes to architectural and interior styles, we\u2019re pretty omnivorous: we can admire a dressed-to-the-nines formal home (like this one) and, in the same breadth, applaud a rustic DIY cabin with no running water (like this one). Sometimes, though, we happen upon projects that make us want to pack up and move right in. Paul West\u2019s duplex, in a compact London Victorian, falls into this category.<\/p>\n

It helps that the space itself is blessed with good bones. \u201cThere was so much to love,\u201d says Paul about why he chose to buy it five years ago. \u201cAt first glance, lots of space, mature garden, quiet street, original character, and the large, well-proportioned rooms. The whole space felt like a perfect canvas to create a home for living in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul studied interior architecture and used to work for various design and architecture studios (he is now a strategy director at a brand experience agency), so he was particularly knowledgeable about what to keep (the molding, the generously sized windows), what to restore (the pocket shutters), what to tweak (oak floors were given a lime wash), what to add (new built-in storage), and what to throw out and rebuild (the kitchen). While he kept the footprint largely the same, there was \u201cconsiderable work undertaken on the fabric of the building, the roof, the facade, garden, kitchen, bathroom, carpentry, heating, the storage,\u201d says Paul.<\/p>\n

With the fundamentals in place, he was ready to fill it\u2014but not too much. \u201cWe have quite eclectic tastes, inspired by lots of eras and ideas,\u201d he says of his and his partner\u2019s design sensibility (she moved in not long ago). \u201cHowever, we tend to seek a few qualities: integrity, functionality, human, lasting, honest, forgiving. We like the functionality of and simplicity of modernism, the optimism and creativity of mid-century, and the honesty and timelessness of studio crafts. However, it all has to be useful or beautiful, as William Morris once said!\u201d<\/p>\n

Come take a tour of the sanctuary they\u2019ve created. (And follow Paul\u2019s Instagram account @consideredthings for more photos.)<\/p>\n

Photography courtesy of The Modern House.<\/p>\n


Above: The Victorian townhouse has three floors; Paul and his partner, Michelle Bower, live in the lower duplex, which totals 1,250 square feet. The entrance, featuring checkerboard terracotta tiles, is on the street level. The hallway leads to stairs that go up to the living room and kitchen.
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Above: A Matthew Hilton sofa and a pair of mid-century Poul Kj\u00e6rholm lounge chairs provide comfortable seating in the light-filled living room.,

Above: \u201cThe shutters are super-practical. I discovered one hidden behind a plasterboard wall by the window, and they had to be remade as a working pair,\u201d says Paul.
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Above: A round mirror from Habitat is \u201cprobably the most contemporary item in the house,\u201d says Paul, who collects ceramics. \u201cI have made a few also. Michelle sent me on a pottery course to cure my obsession, but it ended up making it worse. The pottery hunt is the highlight of any antiques market adventure, here or overseas.\u201d
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Above: Paul relaxes on his favorite piece of furniture in the home, the Spanish Chair by Borge Mogsensen. The speakers are a BBC design, from Harbeth UK; the amplifier, on top the low console, is from Jadis in France. \u201cTechnology is often too flashy, showy and doesn\u2019t integrate well with the spaces we live in,\u201d he notes.,

Above: The view from the kitchen into the living room. The wall-hung Lampe Gras lamp works as a task light in the space.
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Above: \u201cEverything is built in to the handmade cabinets\u2014including two fridges, a dishwasher, and storage. I designed the kitchen, and oversaw the build. It\u2019s a joy to use and one of our favorite features,\u201d shares Paul.
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Above: The kitchen cabinets are painted Farrow & Ball\u2019s Down Pipe. The stove is by Smeg.
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Above: A vintage baker\u2019s rack serves as open storage in the kitchen.,

Above: \u201cIt\u2019s great having open storage, especially when it\u2019s full of things you love. It also means you keep check on what you really use and enjoy, and unused things don\u2019t build up.\u201d
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Above: Downstairs, the street-facing main bedroom is kept light and bright. An oversized Rice Paper Lampshade by Hay hovers over the Flag Halyard Chair by Hans Wegner.
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Above: Paul made sure there\u2019s plenty of built-in storage. Lamps by Original BTC  sit on nightstands from Forest in London.
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Above: Paul, on his partner\u2019s contributions to the home: \u201cAnything you see that\u2019s yellow in the photos. There\u2019s certainly a love for yellow! Pure optimism. We have chosen things together, reshaped layouts, and transformed some decor from dark to light\u2014for example, the garden room is now a creative space for painting, making, drawing, and writing.\u201d,

Above: The garden room also acts as a guest room. Paul designed the platform bed, and his dad made it: \u201cA West x West collaboration!\u201d he says. \u201cWe love it. It\u2019s made of solid oak, recycled from an old school. Charlotte Perriand was my inspiration.\u201d (\u201cIf you look closely, you might spot the Remodelista book in the garden room bookcase,\u201d he adds.)
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Above: Paul commissioned the oak desk to fit the space.
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Above: When Paul first moved in, the garden, while mature, wasn\u2019t in a great state. \u201d I didn\u2019t know very much about gardening before living here but have grown to love it. It\u2019s a regular ritual to wind down and feel \u2018grounded.\u2019 The whole process is a bit trial and error, but that\u2019s part of the fun.\u201d Wisteria and jasmine frame the building.
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Above: The stone patio gives way to gravel. \u201cIt\u2019s very practical, feels good, and is easy to maintain,\u201d says Paul. <\/p>\n

For more inspiring London homes, see:<\/p>\n