Design house: A contemporary family home with a designer edge

The homeowner claims, “I can tidy my home in ten minutes.” Having four children while working full-time is not a common claim to fame. Still, when you consider that she and her husband are responsible for all of them, you begin to appreciate the significance of this accomplishment. However, the house’s proprietor has made it into something more than an orderly space. A look at how to maintain a stylish household without sacrificing functionality. Because of this, many families seek her out when they need a home to remodel or a project managed. She chuckles, “I was scared I could freak people out when I was pregnant with number four, but they enjoy that I have a big family. ‘I’m very organized at home and work, and I know how to do housework for a family,’ they say.

The ground floor of the owner’s west London home features a magnificent bank of six tall cupboards, a necessity given the lack of closet space. She claims, “One of my specialties is optimizing space with storage, and making it so well-designed and practical that you can tidy up fast.” When asked about this, one parent said, “This is crucial with four kids.” The custom banquette bench, with its faux leather upholstery, is another helpful addition to the kitchen. The homeowner explains, “The major reason I put it in is that it occupies less space than chairs.” “But I really like how the kids can just go crazy on it without me worrying about any permanent damage.”

THE PROPERTY

West London Edwardian terrace with four stories. The basement has a lounge/bar area, kitchen, bathroom with shower, and guest bedroom. Living and dining areas, a kitchen and breakfast area, and a powder room can all be found on the ground floor. The main suite, two bedrooms for children, and a shared bathroom can all be located on the home floor, while the loft features two bedrooms for children and a second full bathroom.

In 2015, the family moved into this house after the owner had more than doubled its size, transforming it from a two-story disaster into a four-story showplace. She explains that they “stripped out the entire house,” meaning that they took down every chimney in the ground, built out the basement, dug out the attic, and enlarged the first floor. When we first viewed the house, it had 130 square meters of space. There are now 285 of them! Nearly a year was spent on this project. The proprietor admits, “I found it much terrifying than when I work for someone else.” “When it is your whole life and work at the same time, it is hard not to become obsessed with it.”

LIVING SPACE

The owners more than doubled the size of the property after purchasing it, transforming it from a two-story disaster to a four-story triumph. The entire house was gutted, including the removal of every chimney, the expansion of the first floor, and the construction of a loft and basement. It took over a year, but the house expanded from 130 square meters to 285 square meters.

The downstairs lounge is modern and bright, so an exquisite sofa with simple lines is a great addition. Although indigo is a vivifying color, it would be too dreary to paint an entire room that shade.

This home is a case study in stylish functionality for a modern family. There is a bank of six tall cupboards on the ground floor, which is the pièce de résistance in this west London home because storage is essential for a family. A well-organized storage system allows for lightning-fast cleanup, which is crucial in a busy home.

On the opposite wall, near the table, are six substantial built-in cabinets. To store coats, shoes, paperwork, or even food. The lower part of the room is painted dark indigo, while the upper half is decorated with textured wallpaper and a blue accent wall adds a lively accent. Sarah Lavoine, a French interior designer, is famous for using stripes to divide a room visually, and her work inspired this look. Separating a dark hue at the bottom and applying textured wallpaper above gave the same effect.

Coffee tables were custom-made to order in India. (wooden design. In). The yellow of the pendant lights was chosen to go with the yellow and blue of the coffee tables.

The photographs of Slim Aarons have a way of transporting the viewer into the middle of a narrative.

KITCHEN

The ground floor is dominated by glass, with a south-facing garden (seen at the top of the page) lighting the dining and living areas through an interior window. If you have kids, you can keep an eye on them while you cook, and if you have a garden, you can relax in the living room without having to look at the messes in the kitchen.

When it came to the kitchen, the contractor made everything to order. It’s been painted a dark grayish black and given a matte varnish finish. There’s a false impression created that these tiles are made of cement, but in reality, they’re made of porcelain. You can use the kitchen’s island as extra prep space or a place to eat breakfast. We regularly eat breakfast, coffee, midday, and evening meals at the kitchen table and bench.

The custom banquette bench, with its faux leather upholstery, is another valuable addition to the kitchen. It’s more compact than chairs and can withstand a beating from rowdy kids without a sweat. The dining bench was created to save on floor space; to draw out a chair, you need around 90 centimeters of room behind it, so a bench was erected when it was at a premium.

DINING AREA

Entertaining requires a more spacious dining table, whereas ordinary meals are taken care of at the kitchen table.

The seats were originally at the Mayfair eatery Sketch, and the current owners scored a bargain on them during a refurbishment. The Burmese teak used to construct the dining room table is 300 years old.

BASEMENT

Most homes with basements have stepped from the front of the basement. The stairs, perched in the middle of the ground floor on delicate legs with glass railings, integrate the basement into the rest of the house. So that enough light could be let in. This was essential.

First seen in the house of architect Ian Hogarth, the sunken sofa concept quickly gained popularity. The open space in this room now serves as a theater with a ceiling-mounted projector. Given the room in the basement (about 60 square meters), this is a fantastic approach to creating a makeshift partition.

Large gatherings can be held in the basement. In addition to the bar, the recessed space can be used as a dance floor.

The bookcase was supposed to rest atop the ground-floor console, but the owners scrapped that plan as soon as they decided on wallpaper.

A fresh set of legs gave the bookcase new life as a standalone object.

Large gatherings can be held in the basement. In addition to the bar, the recessed space can be used as a dance floor.

The bookcase was supposed to rest atop the ground-floor console, but the owners scrapped that plan as soon as they decided on wallpaper.

A fresh set of legs gave the bookcase new life as a standalone object.

A designated study space is ideal when you must work from home or complete necessary paperwork.

MASTER BEDROOM

The master bedroom is on the small side to make room for the additional bedrooms. However, there are plans to expand the master suite and install bunk beds in the kids’ rooms.

The master bedroom has a compact dressing table that fits neatly into a corner.

MASTER BATHROOM

The only light source in this otherwise dark bathroom is a frosted glass window on the landing. It’s not always necessary to brighten up a dim room by painting it white. Sometimes, embracing the gloom might be more effective. Darkness can be a warm and welcoming place.