New direction

By giving classic colours and furnishings a modern edge, interior designer Emilie Fournet has created a home that speaks volumes

This is a house rooted in its Georgian history, but its beauty has been illuminated with dashes of modernity. Creative colours, vintage furniture and clever architectural ideas have been brought together by interior designer Emilie Fournet to create an enduring whole. ‘If you surround yourself with art, objects and furniture that have an emotional memory, the look will transcend time,’ she says.

Initially brought in to advise on one small room, Emilie went on to transform the entire ground and first floors – and then created further living spaces in the lower ground floor. The most radical move was adding a glass box to a back wall so the kitchen and downstairs areas benefit from natural light.

‘This property has beautiful bones, from the panelling and mouldings to the shuttered windows,’ Emilie says. ‘My aim was to stay true to the period, but also bring the house into the 21st century, with a nod to key design eras along the way.’ The dramatic, dark-walled living room that lies to the left of the central hallway is, Emilie explains, ‘the most contemporary space in the house.’ She knocked through two rooms to create one double-aspect space and chose a Michel Ducaroy Togo sofa for the front half. Her rationale was practical as well as aesthetic. ‘The Togo has a nice low profile and I wanted to ensure the beautiful front window wasn’t obscured. It helps you appreciate the proportions of the room as a whole.’ In addition, the ceiling and original cornicing are actually painted in two tones of the same paint colour, Salt I and Salt II by Paint & Paper Library. ‘The lighter version is on the ceiling, which creates the illusion of it receding, accentuating the height of the room,’ Emilie explains.