'We bought a house mid-development, so completed ... - Tricia Welch

‘We bought a housemid-development,so completed thedesign to our taste’realhomesVictorian townhousedevelopment projectEmma Kirkham and her husband Seth were looking fora house during the property boom and found one they couldput their own stamp on as part of the purchase agreementWORDS TRICIA WELSH PHOTOGRAPHS NIKKI CRISPBEFOREAWAITING BEFOREPIC . The Kirkhams’house had potentialand was alreadybeing updatedFACT FILETHE OWNERSEmma Kirkham, a former PRnow studying to becominga barrister, and her husbandSeth, who works in financeTHE PROPERTYA six-bedroom Victoriantownhouse built in thelate 1800sTHE LOCATIONFulham, west LondonWHAT THEY SPENTThe couple bought theirhome for £1.8m in 2006. Asa developer had previouslystarted to renovate thehouse, they negotiated thecost of having the workfinished to their specificationswithin the sale priceAbove Now fullyrestored for modernliving, the Victorianterraced townhousewas halfway throughits transformationwhen it was offeredfor sale on a buyer’sspecification dealEmma and Seth had bothbought and sold severalproperties individually beforesetting out to look for theirdream home together.Having settled on Fulham, as near aspossible to the King’s Road, Chelsea,the couple narrowed their search tothe Peterborough Estate, essentiallya number of streets all built by thesame company, Nichols Lion, inthe late 1800s. These properties hadoriginally been built for Harrods andother department store workers in andaround the Knightsbridge andKensington area.Finding a house proved much harderthan the couple had first imagined,however. ‘The property market wasbooming when we were looking to buy,with many purchasers all chasing afterthe same house. We were outbid onseveral properties before we clinchedthis one,’ explains Emma.‘We eventually bought our housefrom a developer who had already‘This open-plan arrangement works perfectly when thereare just the two of us or for entertaining friends and family’undertaken most of the structural workrequired to extend the property,including the installation of several newbathrooms, and was just about totackle the kitchen. We were luckyenough to be able to strike a dealwhereby we could have a say in therest of the work and he and his teamwould complete it to our specification.’The couple were able to choose thedesign and style of all the fittings andalso to work with a decorator on thefinishing touches. This was all includedin the purchase price. Work creatingthe kitchen-diner had already beenstarted, forming an open-plan space atthe rear of the house with folding doorsleading out to a small, walled garden.‘The space was fantastic,’ saysEmma. ‘With the main building workdone, it meant we could concentrateon all the fun things, like choosing thekitchen and the wall colours.’The kitchen proved to be the mostambitious part of the project for Emmaand Seth, as they had a major input interms of the design. ‘The back of the▼Above One end ofthe new open-planspace is a chill-outzone. The sofa andfootstools werebought from Heal’s,the rug is fromWovenGround andthe dining table isfrom Lombok22 April 2010 Real HomesReal Homes April 2010 23

ealhomesDESIGN IDEADon’t leave your existingrooms in the middle of thehouse in the dark when you extend.Look at your floor plans and work outhow to add new window openings andhow to bring in borrowed light fromadjoining rooms – perhaps throughenlarged doorways, or by removingwalls and creating a more open-planlayout, such as this kitchen-diner,which features floor-to-ceilingglazing and rooflights ina side extensionComplementingthe kitchen design,the barstools, fromGallery Interiors,and stainless-steelaccessories andappliances, frominternational firmKüppersbusch,complete the lookThe light oak floor andnew oak staircasewere installed beforethe couple moved in.The mirror andchandelier were theirchoice, both boughtfrom John LewisA floor panel of toughened,tinted safety glass is a modernaddition to the fabric of the150-year-old building, bringinglight down into the floor below‘We divided the space into three zones, with a dining area,a chill-out lounge at one end and the kitchen at the other’Above The openplankitchen-dinerhas views onto thegarden and patiothrough foldingslidingglass doors,from Sunfold, fittedwith electric blinds,from CameronBroom. The kitchenunits were orderedfrom Italy by thelocal firm thatsupplied and fittedthem, Just Kitchensof Chelseahouse had originally been divided intotwo rooms, but when the developerbought it, he removed the central walland extended the space, leaving onelarge open-plan space.‘We knew we wanted somethingstate-of-the-art in terms of styling andpracticality. We also planned to sourceour kitchen locally, so we visited all theshowrooms in the local area. In theend, we found a style, actually fromItaly, through a local specialist. Wechose units in dark wood with glosswhitetops for a dramatic contrast.‘In terms of the room, we decided todivide the space into three zones, witha dining area, a chill-out lounge at oneend and the kitchen at the other. All theunits and appliances were sited in anL-shape, within arm’s reach of a long,rectangular central island, where thebulk of the cooking is done.‘This open-plan arrangement worksperfectly when there are just the twoof us or for entertaining friends andfamily. Whoever is cooking can still beinvolved in what’s happening at thedining or lounge area, making it a reallysociable space. We both felt this wasimportant when designing the space.’One of the main appeals of thehouse originally was the fact that manyof the original features had beenretained. The couple were then able toinject a contemporary look in terms offurniture and furnishings, which blendsthe old and new in a stylish way. All thewooden sash windows, doors andVictorian cornicing, for example, havebeen fully restored, with the rooms nowredecorated in modern, neutral tones.The drawing room was originally tworooms and the developer had knockedthese into one by the time Emma andSeth came to purchase the house.Fortunately, though, the two Victoriancast-iron fireplaces had been retainedlending a grandeur to the overall feel.‘We also loved the fact that a lovely,classic oak floor had been recently laidand we brought this right up to datewith polished white plaster walls, whichinvolves a special layering techniquethat gives a lacquer-like effect. Weoriginally saw this treatment ona previous house we had viewed andthe owners had explained that it waspractical as well as stunning to look at,offering really good insulation and easycleaning,’ Emma explains.Their inspiration for the style of thehouse, Emma says, comes from theirlove of contemporary art, with theirimagination being fuelled by a summerspent in New York. ‘We spent a lot oftime visiting modern galleries while wewere there, such as The Guggenheim,MoMA and Metropolitan. This definitely▼Polished plasterwas applied to theinterior wallsthroughout by thedeveloper, tocreate a shinylacquer-like effect24 April 2010 Real Homes

Twin cast-iron fireplaceswith original tiles are amongthe many Victorian featuresretained when the housewas renovated from top tobottom. The glass coffeetable is from HarrodsDESIGN IDEAGive your walls the look ofpolished marble, stone or anynumber of other interesting effectsusing polished plaster.Also known asVenetian plaster, marmorino or stucco, itis traditionally made from lime and marbledust, with optional fine aggregates such assilica sand added for creating textures.Major brands include Armourcoat(www.armourcoat.com) and applyingit is a highly skilled job, but thereare courses available (trywww.polishedplastercompany.co.uk)realhomesAbove Twotraditional-stylearmchairs, sourcedvia Gallery Interiorson London’s OldBrompton Road, sitin the drawing roomarea. The paintingcame from theChelsea Art Fairinfluenced our design choices in termsof colour schemes for paint and fabrics,which are probably more ambitiousthan they might otherwise have been.’On the upper floors, the bathroomshad already been refitted with newsuites, contemporary white designsfrom The Bath Store, and marble andtravertine tiles. The couple then hada feature wall of black tiles in a flockeddesign installed in their en suitebathroom. The bedrooms, meanwhile,were finished with neutral walls andfloors, and plenty of storage built in.‘We brought very little furniture fromour previous flat,’ says Emma, ‘so wehad the luxury of buying most of theitems from new. We quickly discoveredthat we both have very strong opinionson style, but luckily it all seems to workreally well together.’In the main living space to the frontof the house, Emma and Seth zonedthe area with a pair of modern, slouchysofas at one end, piled up withcushions, followed by a reading areafeaturing a pair of matching countryhouse-style armchairs, a coffee tableand stools at the other, with statementmodern pieces elsewhere. Furniture forthe room is a combination of modernand traditional, but the colour palettethroughout the downstairs – aubergine,lighter purple, cream and black – givesan overall, unified effect.Seth and Emma also invested inoriginal art for their new house. ‘OurNew York trip had inspired us to buypaintings by modern, living artists andthis is a real feature throughout thehouse,’ she says. ‘Again, in keepingwith our desire to keep it local, we’ve‘One of the main appeals when buying this house was thefact that many of the original features had been retained’sourced from nearby London galleriesand from the annual Chelsea Arts Fair;but in addition to original works, we’vealso bought posters from New Yorkgalleries and online. Our one guidingprincipal is that we have to really likesomething before we buy it.’Once the work was finished, thecouple moved in. They’d been living inthe house for about a year before theyencountered a major problem. ‘Wewere well and truly settled when wediscovered some major cracks hadstarted to appear in our mainbathroom,’ says Emma. ‘When we hadit checked out, we discovered that thebuilder employed by the propertydeveloper hadn’t reinforced the floorsufficiently when he’d originally takendown the walls.’ As a result, the couplehad to have all the fittings – includingthe bath, shower and WC, and all thetiles, removed, stripping the room back,while the floor was reinforced.‘It was a bit of a nightmare, becausewe had to get another builder in toeffectively redo the original job,’ recallsEmma, ‘but it was essential – the bathcould have easily come crashing downthrough the ceiling at any time.’▼Above The twoaubergine sofasin the living roomwere bought fromCameron Broom;the white rug isfrom John Lewis.The ornate timberframedwindowsare an originalfeature restored bythe developer26 April 2010 Real HomesReal Homes April 2010 27

ealhomesDESIGN IDEAA roll-top bath set in themiddle of a bathroom is theultimate luxury, provided you havethe space. Don’t be put off havingfeatures like this by your builder, justbecause it makes the plumbing a littlemore complicated – some will offerdesign advice based on what is easiestfor them. Design what is best foryou and then get your plumber,designer and builder to makeit work in the mostpractical wayA his-and-hersshower cubicle andtwin washbasins, too,all from The BathStore, make the ensuite a practical andluxurious spacePLANSGround floorChill-outzoneDiningareaFirst floorBedroomBedroom/studyWCEn suite‘We wanted to keep the house personaland, hopefully, we have achieved just that’Apart from this setback, the coupleare absolutely thrilled with their dreamhouse. There are just a few thingsEmma says she would change if shewere buying again.‘For example, Seth wanted to layshiny white tiles in the kitchen, whichI thought would be too slippery, soI vetoed his choice. Instead, we endedup with a composite material – itdoesn’t look as nice and the tiles area devil to clean. I also regret buying thepale carpets we chose for some of thespare bedrooms, because they aresimply impractical. However, I reallylove the stair runner in ‘Chanel’ beigewith black edging, which I sourcedfrom a local carpet supplier, as it ismore practical than you would expect.’What Emma likes best about thehouse is that it was very much a jointproject for the couple and, although itfeatures a lot of design-inspired choicesin terms of furniture, fabrics and fittings,it feels like a home, not a showcase.‘We both felt that the key was tokeep it personal and, hopefully, we’veachieved just that.’A colour scheme of brown and beigein the master bedroom includes a bedfrom Feather & Black, as is the pinkbucket-seat chair, an oatmeal carpetfrom M&C Carpets, plus cushions anda throw from John Lewis and curtainsand blinds from Gallery InteriorsFramed postersthroughout thehouse weresourced from theAllposters.co.ukwebsite. The bedwas purchased atDreams and thecurtains andcushions are fromJohn LewisAbove The couple chose black flock tiles,from Porcelanosa, for their new en suitebathroom, creating a stylish backdrop for thewhite freestanding bath, from The Bath StoreBelow The Japanese-style screen in oneof the spare bedrooms is a floor-to-ceilingfitted wardrobe, built to order by The ClosetCompany. The tailor’s dummy is from NextLivingroomKitchenareaHallA spacious Victoriantownhouse has beenupdated andtransformed intoa contemporaryhome, with an openplankitchen-diner andchill-out space on theground floor, luxuriousbathroom facilitiesand all-new décorcombining attractiveoriginal features witha stylish modern lookSecondfloorMasterbedroomBedroomBedroomStorage(intoeaves)Bathroom28 April 2010 Real HomesFor stockist information, see page 151Real Homes April 2010 29