This is the beautiful home of interior designer Lucinda Sanford which she shares with her husband and two children, Matilda 3, and Clementine 4. Understandably, the interior emphasizes the typical Lucinda Sanford style, with an array of colour, pattern and texture the minute you walk in. “Interiors have been stuck in a world of neutrals and greys for far too long, developers and hotels loved the style and formulaic approach with clean lines, but the world of interiors needs more colour. I am a strong believer in colour in a home and the whole look of my home advocates the use of colour, pattern and interest”. She says.
Lucinda also shares my belief that a home should develop over time and that existing furniture should be used whenever possible, so I asked her a few more questions about the renovation and her style.
Tell Us a Little Bit About The House?
“The home is based in Fulham. We are near the design centre which is very useful, but also its an area filled with lots of families who are all running the same life! I have a lot of friends in the area and also a lot of clients! This is our family home in which our children will grow up; it’s a home for life – or until I want another project! My design aesthetic is timeless, interesting and natural and our home reflects this”.
Is There Any Interesting History or Background to the Project?
“We wanted to enhance and avoid the dark tunnel effect that is typical in Victorian terrace houses, so we changed the usual two sitting rooms on either side of the front door. We enlarged one and then turned what would have been a second sitting room to a second reception room. We also dug out the basement to be extremely deep, and dropped the floors of the kitchen and loft to give good ceiling heights. Houses are always judged on the floor space but it is volume that can make or break a space!
Many of the original features had been removed and we stripped everything else out, but we went to great lengths to install architectural detailing of the period. Although in actual fact it’s probably of a larger proportion than the original as it was a workman’s house in its first existence”.
What was the Scope of the Job?
“One of the things I love most is to re-work a floor plan. I am forever changing the spatial arrangements of a home around and magically making new space appear. As an interior designer and a master builder I believe in fully integrating the design and build from start to finish, and it is really important to understand how a property is put together. I see buildings from inside out rather than the outside in! I completely re-arranged the space in this property; we dug out the basement that follows the footprint of the house, extended the side return, and converted the loft. And then we re-arranged the internal layout. After the full renovation came the interiors part…”
Where do You go for Inspiration When Starting a New Project?
“I love to travel and look for inspiration from hotels abroad and anywhere I visit. I grew up in a house full of flowers and I always remember my mother arranging tables and flowers as she still does. Being brought up around flowers has influenced my interiors. I love using the floral look in a home; flowers are often a surprise and do not have to feel girly at all. Great pattern and variation is flattering in any room or on any furniture. Florals and patterns look different in different light as well. There is such an opportunity to create interest and charm by adding pattern and florals – a way to zone areas and often to make people smile. London at the moment is so exciting in its design, its brilliant to see places moving away from industrial looks and griege into a modern English and eclectic style. Annabels, has been an amazing source of inspiration for interiors, as I love the floral look.”
How do You Present a New Design Concept to Your Clients? What Tools do You Use?
“As soon as I get my hands on a new project, I start scribbling down new floor plans on paper . We show our clients the designs on CAD and of course present mood boards, fabrics and wallpapers etc, but talking and meeting, to create the excitement and imagination is really key!”
Did You Have Existing Items That Needed to be Incorporated into the New Design?
“In all of our projects one of the first things we do is take an inventory of the owners current furniture and items. The same here. I always want to incorporate the old items into a house, often in different locations and places but still reusing them. Homes should be about collections over time not just all bought in one go. Our house is a case in point, the playroom has old chairs I recovered in Fuschia by Colefax and Fowler that used to be in our sitting room. The old side tables in the drawing room are now altered in size and used as hall tables. The coffee table in the same room was actually a present from a client who was unable to fit it in her home”.
What Aspect of the Renovation are You Most Happy With?
“I love how I have created a magical home to be remembered by my children after they have grown. I love the way all the spaces connect but can also be separated, and I am pleased that we managed to fit everything we need in a relatively small space. As with any home I wish there were some things we could change – but some are beyond my control like the size of the garden!!”
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from Dear Designer https://deardesigner.co.uk/a-spacious-and-light-infused-victorian-terraced-house-with-accents-of-moody-blue/
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