An Original Edwardian Home Is Transformed Into A Sun-soaked, Airy Abode

An original edwardian home is transformed into a sun-soaked, airy abode that brings a family of five together

- Karen Wilson

CLASSIC BEAUTY As you step into the entrance (opposite) of this serene home in London, the eye is drawn to bespoke panelling. “I designed it,” says Elizabeth (pictured above in the living area with Jack Russell Crackers), who lives here with her husband James and sons, Freddie, Jonah and Sacha. An antique sideboard and bowl sit beneath a David Brayne artwork while in the study beyond, the walls and ceiling are adorned with Temple wallpaper by Veere Grenney and a Jan Coutts artwork provides contrast. The plush armchair (above) is covered in ticking by Kate Forman.

Finding an abode with open spaces that flow between each other was on top of the hit list when Elizabeth, an interior consultant, and her husband James were looking for a new family home, so when they discovered an Edwardian house in south-west London in 2014 with loads of potential they were delighted and snapped it up. While the home, which they share with Freddie, now 15, Jonah, now 12, and Sacha, now seven, was dated it had good bones and 18 months later it had been transformed into a light, airy home that pays homage to its heritage while having a modern aesthetic.

Before this, the family had been living in a converted doctor’s surgery but when their eldest son went to boarding school, the house suddenly felt too big and empty for them. “We were rattling around in a tiny corner of our home and wanted less of the ‘museum’ rooms and more family spaces that flowed together,” says Elizabeth. So, they decided to look for their next project and the stately Edwardian home in a quiet neighbourhood was ideal.