See How an Interior Designer Reimagined This End-of-Terrace Period Home in London
As with many of the best property finds dubbed by agents as having ‘plenty of potential’, this end-of-terrace, Grade II-listed Georgian house needed a complete overhaul. But owner and interior designer, Josie Lywood, was undaunted. ‘We were more than up for the challenge,’ Josie recalls, ‘even though we knew that the listing would make the renovations much more complicated.’
It all began when an estate agent approached Josie about the house. ‘He knew I was looking for somewhere that required renovation,’ she continues. ‘My husband Julian and I hadn’t considered Brentford – we were living in Richmond at the time – but as soon as we saw the house, we fell in love with it and the area.’
The couple made the move towards the end of 2020 and wasted no time in getting to work by tearing up the musty old carpets and redecorating a few of the key rooms. ‘When we first moved in, we didn’t have the budget to fully renovate,’ Josie says.
‘But after living in the house for a couple of years, we’d had time to think about how we wanted to upgrade it. So in 2022, we submitted a new listed-building consent application with plans to make the layout more family-friendly. Luckily, it was approved and we started the main building works in 2023.’
Josie carefully planned the new layout to make the best use of space. She explains: ‘We relocated the kitchen to the basement and, by removing a wall, made it a light and bright open-plan space. This enabled us to relocate the two living rooms to the ground floor – they were previously on the first floor, with the bedrooms on the top floor and in the basement.’
The more formal living room has large Wingback chairs and a heirloom grandfather clock
This major reorganisation was just the beginning. Next came an upgrade of all the plumbing and heating – there were very few radiators in the house – followed by a refurbishment of the family bathroom and then complete redecoration throughout.
A gallery wall full of quirky keepsakes, upbeat words and sayings
‘At my interior design business, we don’t have a set style, as I love creating individual schemes depending on the aesthetic of the property and requirements of the client,’ says Josie.
‘I like so many styles, in fact, that decorating my own home has been the most challenging for me by far! However, I felt that it was important to complement the beautiful Georgian features, so I chose a mix of old and new, with pops of bright colour and lots of natural materials and textures.’
Josie’s vision is most apparent in the open-plan kitchen and dining area, where vibrant yellow wooden cabinetry has been paired with black-and-white marble chequerboard flooring, aged-brass accents, and a natural oak dining table. It’s well planned but looks relaxed and effortlessly put together – the hallmark of a good interior designer.
‘It’s where we spend most of our time,’ says Josie, ‘especially in the evenings when we eat dinner together and catch up about our day. I didn’t want anything too formal, so I designed the large L-shaped bench seat to be really deep and comfy for lounging and relaxing.’
Winnie, the Boston terrier keeps a lookout on the stairs
The basement is also home to the second bathroom. ‘It’s our guest loo as well as our main shower room, so I wanted it to look inviting,’ Josie explains. ‘The previous layout was really awkward with a tiny shower right by the doorway, so I reconfigured the room to maximise the space.
Some blue-patterned floor tiles were the starting point of the design, and the rest of the scheme coordinates with them. I added coloured tiled beading to create a horizontal stripe for extra interest without incurring much cost, and finished off with a dark paint colour for the walls and ceiling to help make the whole space feel cosy.’
On the ground floor, each of the two adjoining living rooms has a different feel. One is a formal space for entertaining and the other a more casual spot for watching TV. ‘In winter, we spend a lot of time in the former, as it has a fireplace,’ notes Josie. ‘Double doors separate the rooms so we can open up the space when we have people over or close them to make things feel snug – and as Julian and I both work from home regularly, it means we can have some privacy and peace and quiet if one of us needs it.’
Upstairs, there are two bedrooms on the first floor – one for Josie and Julian and the other for daughter Artemis – while on the second floor, there are two more bedrooms and a bathroom. These upper-floor rooms have been completely redecorated, with floors sanded back and new carpets and curtains fitted, while in the main bedroom, an off-cut of marble from the kitchen has been used for the fire surround.
Much of Josie’s inspiration for her interiors has come from family travels – particularly around the UK – which might explain her eclectic British aesthetic, which melds the classic and the contemporary.
It’s a style that works beautifully within the walls of this Georgian home, which Josie has created with her family’s needs in mind. ‘This is our retreat,’ she says, ‘so the most important thing of all is that we feel comfortable and happy here.’
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