How a National Trust property inspired my client's Victorian house renovation
Historic properties are a fabulous source of interior design inspiration and I’m thrilled to share this Victorian House renovation project with you. Not only because the building I’m redecorating is a beautiful example of a Victorian home but also because the inspiration for its new interior design scheme has been inspired by the homeowner’s trips to Landmark Trust holiday homes and Standen House in Sussex.
The Brief
My client is an older gentleman with very traditional taste who lives alone in a small end of terrace Victorian property in Rotherfield. Remarkably, the house still retains its original cornicing, high ceilings, fireplaces, and lovely bay windows and I was keen to create new interior design schemes that would bring the house up to date and preserve its period feel.
The four rooms being renovated are the kitchen, sitting room, family bathroom and a new walk-in shower room.
The Sitting Room at Standen House - the National Trust property that inspired this Victorian house renovation. Image owned by the National Trust
Sitting Room
My client absolutely loves the nature-inspired textile and wallpaper designs of William Morris, the Victorian founder of Morris and Co, and was particularly inspired by his visits to Standen, an Arts and Crafts property managed by the National Trust in Sussex where Morris’s work is on display.
Taking inspiration from the above image of the sitting room at Standen, we have used the Morris and Co. Strawberry Thief fabric for the curtains and mixed this iconic floral design with plains and checks on the upholstered furniture.
Progress on this project has, unfortunately, been delayed due to Covid but my client and I are thrilled that work has recommenced and the new sofa has just been delivered.
The mood board created for my clients Victorian sitting room renovation
The kitchen
My clients’ kitchen connects to a conservatory and both rooms needed refurbishment. The conservatory is being completely rebuilt and the kitchen is being re-modelled in a classic shaker style with panelled doors and timber worktops. A contemporary twist is being added through the addition of a stainless-steel sink, taps and handles.
I’m also making a feature of the end wall by adding vertical tongue and groove planks which will be painted to match the kitchen cabinets and enhanced with a pegged shaker shelf.
The mood board we created for my client’s Victorian kitchen renovation
A CAD image created for my client’s Victorian house renovation
An alternative CAD view of my client’s Victorian kitchen renovation
Family Bathroom and Walk-In Shower Room
My client wanted a very traditional look in his bathroom and new walk-in shower room and once again I turned to William Morris and the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement for inspiration.
When carrying out a Victorian house renovation you have a vast array of styles, materials and colours to choose from as the industrial revolution blew the interior design world wide- open and the Victorians were the first to benefit from mass-produced furniture and accessories.
The Arts and Crafts movement was established to directly combat this trend and protect the craftmanship, ideals and traditions involved in the creation of hand-made items. It’s this attention to detail and design aesthetic that my client loves and by re-introducing features commonly found within Arts and Crafts properties, such as painted tongue and groove panelling and patterned tiling, within his home we have managed to maintain the period feel yet bring it bang-up-to-date by using contemporary colours.
Mood board created for client’s Victorian bathroom renovation
The new shower room is being created from a small rear bedroom my client is currently using as a library. To free up the space, new bookcases are being built in the sitting room and dining room and the pretty fireplace is being highlighted as a luxurious feature.
As neither bathroom is very large, contemporary versions of the Victorian metro tiles, named after the American Victorian and Edwardian train stations they first appeared in, have been chosen to add an elegant simplicity to both design schemes and allow the floor tiles to take the leading role.
Mood board created for clients Victorian inspired walk-in shower room
It has been a real pleasure to work on this Victorian house renovation and if you would like a hand creating the perfect scheme in your home, or just want a second opinion, give me a call on 07773 372 158 or send me an email via nicky@nickypercival.co.uk
I look forward to hearing from you.
Nicky.