New life has been breathed into this Victorian Portobello home thanks to a revamp that’s full of personality
The period home was in need of an update, and so its owner turned to Interiors by Caroline, who worked with pieces they already owned as the starting point.
A beautiful Victorian building, this house was in good condition when she first saw it, Caroline Flannery of Interiors By Caroline says. “The original architectural mouldings, fireplaces and flooring were still intact, albeit in need of a little attention. The windows needed to be replaced, the lighting needed upgrading, there was very little storage and the entire house needed to be repainted.”
Having worked with the home’s new owner on his previous home, Caroline was confident that she understood his style. “My client wanted his home to feel inviting, warm, sociable, and very comfortable. I was very familiar with his personal style, which is quite eclectic, he likes colour and art and wanted his home to feel urban whilst also respecting the integrity and beauty of the original architecture.”
An important basis for this project was using as much of the owner’s furniture from his previous home as possible. As the two homes were quite different – one a suburban seventies semi-d and the other a Victorian villa – this was at times challenging, but Caroline felt it was worth the effort.
“I am very conscious of sustainability in my approach to interior design projects,” she says, “and tend to start with what can we reuse. This keeps the cost down for my client and for the planet and the end result is always more interesting and original than purchasing everything new. As most of the big money items from his previous home were of a very high quality, such as the bespoke sofa and reclaimed wood dining table, they worked beautifully and did not require any modifications.”
Most of the remaining furniture items were sourced locally at auction or salvage. To address the lack of storage in the bedrooms, Caroline designed built-in wardrobes which were made by a joiner. The floorboards were also treated to bring them back to their former glory.
The existing furniture was also a factor when choosing the colour palette for the new home. “For example,” Caroline explains, “the bespoke sofa from his previous home is upholstered in a vintage mid-blue linen, so we selected a warm inky tone for the walls which works beautifully both in the morning light and is also wonderfully subdued in the evening time when the room will be used most.”
All the paint colours in the home are muted and soft in tone, specifically selected to work with how the light changes throughout the day. “They are from heritage palettes, in keeping with the period of the house, but feel contemporary due to contrast created by using a clean white for the wood and plasterwork.”
Caroline also took inspiration from the home’s exterior. “The first thing I noticed were the Victorian encaustic paving tiles outside, so the first colour I selected was a vibrant rowen berry red for the front door to complement these glorious creations.”
This blend of old and new combines to create a home that is unique and charming. “Everywhere you look there is something which sparks the imagination,” Caroline says.
“From a beautiful piece of art, a handcrafted ornamental object to a creak in the floorboard or a glimpse of the trees rustling outside. There is a sense of understated quiet luxury and ease – a space where you just want to simply be. This is how a home should feel.”
Photography: Shauna Lally
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