Faced with a neon blue upstairs along with a downstairs, design author Kate Watson-Smyth surprisingly nevertheless saw the charm in this poorly renovated 1860 Victorian townhouse. Set in London’s charming Crouch End area, the house had been divided into two apartments when she and her husband bought it. Bogged down dividing walls, sticking to classic finishes and using an easy white palette with playful accents revived some of the unique personality the townhouse had missing.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Kate Watson-Smyth, husband Adam and sons Isaac and Noah
Location: Crouch End area of North London, U.K.
Size: 2,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Photography by House of Locations
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The ground-floor apartment had been empty for several decades, with only a broken-down kitchen and floorboards pocked with holes. Starting from scratch, Watson-Smyth knocked down the walls and pushed out the rear of the kitchen to make this dining room.
Ceiling tile: Andy Thornton; wall and flooring paint: Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball
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After the expansion was under construction, Watson-Smyth along with her husband laid planks of wood on the ground to figure out exactly how large their island may be while still allowing for lots of room to maneuver around it.
Bar stools: classic Singer sewing stools; cabinetry: Ikea; faucet: Franke; fridge: Samsung
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Watson-Smyth liked the idea of a compact, restaurant-style kitchen which had everything within easy reach. The room is big, but the cooking and cooking space is relatively tiny. “I will unload the dishwasher and put away everything without moving my toes,” she states. “Well, aside from the pans, which can be just one step apart.”
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A stainless steel countertop will create a patina with knife scratches and everyday usage, but that is a look she enjoys. To maintain the kitchen from feeling overly unpleasant, she purchased soft leather straps to the Ikea cabinetry manages. The full kitchen remodel cost about $60,000, but the Ikea cabinetry assisted them cut down on the price.
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A tin tile ceiling reflects light to the kitchen. Watson-Smyth found the dining table nearby. After an old art school dining table, it has two significant drawers underneath, which now hold placemats and napkins.
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After the family moved in, the entire upstairs was painted a glowing, jarring blue, with carpeting in each room. Their funding caught a break when their builder brought in reclaimed floorboards, set to be thrown away, from another undertaking.
A classic coffee table — created with planks from 1750 — feels right at home with one of the house’s original fireplaces, painted in a wealthy Farrow & Ball black.
Cabinets: Fired Earth; cushions: H&M Home; chaise: antique; fireplace paint Railings, Farrow & Ball
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The family’s previous home felt very dark — with just two young boys, the couple had chosen practical colours. With this home (and slightly older children), they were ready for a mild and glowing setup. Neutral colors let art and their furniture to stand out.
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A cheerful library nook behind the living room gets a burst of light by a clerestory window. Watson-Smyth thought about getting one of the panels in the library behave as a hidden door to the kitchen, but that proved to be overly tough.
Ottomans: Graham & Green; armchairs: Made.com; light fixture: John Lewis
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Rather she used bookshelf wallpaper from Young & Battaglia to make a faux wall of novels on the upstairs doorway to her youngest son’s room. Papering an area bigger than the doorway and framing it made it seem like a real bookcase.
Bannister paint: Brinjal, Farrow & Ball
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Son Noah’s area was a very small kitchen from the upstairs unit. Since his room is so modest, Watson-Smyth used bold color, stencils along with the playful bookcase door to make it fun.
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A backyard guest bedroom functions as a joint playroom . Ikea lamps include some color. Watson-Smyth had it edged in pink and found this rug remnant on the cheap.
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Many of the Victorian’s original features were eliminated through decades of remodeling, but each one the fireplaces were preserved. Watson-Smyth painted this one’s mantel bright pink to tie it in with the guest area’s other neon accents.
Accent wall paint: Downpipe, Farrow & Ball, mantel paint: Rock Candy, Dulux
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After terrible, the upstairs bathroom was transformed with white paint and artful wall tile, the same used on the pink fireplace.
Wall tile: Design Tegels; flooring tile: rubber stud tiles; faucet: Bathstore
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Despite her love of floors and walls, Watson-Smyth nevertheless brought in some color. “I can never resist color entirely, so the purple wall in the bedroom was a rest away from this [white].” Even though it’s a false wall which separates the bedroom from the closet, trim and wired sconces make it sense constructed in.
Wall covering: Persian Tulip, Zoffany; mattress frame: Ikea; sconces: Garden Trading
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The master closet sits just behind a doorway in the walls, right behind the mattress. Watson-Smyth had seen a similar notion in New York and wanted to re-create it. “The builder only kept raising his brow as I kept showing him my bits of chart paper, but in the end it worked out beautifully,” she states.
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The en suite bathroom off the master closet had been a bedroom. “I love a toilet that doesn’t resemble a toilet,” Watson-Smyth states. Keeping the fireplace and placing the bathtub in the center of the floor helped accomplish this.
Wall paint: Pelt, Farrow & Ball; sinks, bathtub: Bathstore
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There is little tiling throughout the rest of the master bathroom. Metallic backsplashes sit above his-and-her sinks. “Someone once said that the key to a happy marriage is just two basins,” states Watson-Smyth. “Seems to be working for us!”
Mirrors: Ikea