This one in the Surrey area to the south west of London, known as the ‘Hamptons’ doesn’t reveal itself immediately, surrounded by a high wall and almost hidden from view.
Alighting at the bus stop that bears its name (how cool to have your own bus stop) you enter through a door in the wall right next to it, as if through a wisteria-clad portal and find yourself in another world. Instantly the traffic noise fades, soothed away by the serenity of a formal walled garden and the restrained splendour of a large Georgian house.
There is a definite, but refined, country feel to the surroundings, with views across to the parkland around Hampton Court Palace. It is only the road to one side that anchors the scene into an urban setting, hinting at the life going on outside.
The first impression of the interior of the house starts in the basement, through the tradesman’s entrance down some steps into the basement kitchen. Basements are well known for being dingy and dark; this one, although it is ‘below stairs’, has high ceilings and so feels anything but. It has been painted white throughout and is surprisingly airy and bright, making it spacious, practical and fit for modern living.
The original kitchen and other working areas – pantry, laundry, storage rooms for food, glassware and china – have always been down here. We are used to having the kitchen as the heart of our home, but historically, in large houses at least, the kitchen, as ‘engine room’ was relegated to the lowest and least visible part of the house, accessed separately via ‘the area’.
This was a space just outside the kitchen, with steps up to ground level, containing coal bunkers, wood store and cellar, so that the important ‘upstairs’ occupants would not be bothered by the coming and going of tradespeople and the machinations of essential daily life.
The pared back, pale and contemporary style of this house perfectly suits the practical nature of these rooms. In the family breakfast room, light and comfortable Eames style dining chairs are offset by a chunky oak table. They complement the simplicity of the stripped back central ceiling beam and inglenook fireplace surround.
Above the table, the focal point is a vintage Academy style industrial pendant light. The original floorboards have been painted white and together with the white walls they bring a seamless – and timeless – feel to the space.
The kitchen retains hints of its past too; hardwearing terracotta quarry tiles warm the white tones and soften the contemporary industrial look in this room. It is a kitchen equipped for modern living, with a large polished steel range oven and extractor shining out against white subway tiles – perhaps where an eighteenth century version would once have sat.
The central feature hanging on chains over the island unit is a large hanging rack, ideal for pots and pans and reminiscent of original racks that might once have been used for a similar purpose.
White painted stairs lead up to the ground floor – and the mood changes instantly, as we are lifted into another realm. There is an immediate difference in feel as the more ornate architectural features do their job, impressing modern day visitors as much as they would have the Georgian, with their restrained and tasteful embellishments.
Here there are corbels, dados, cornicing, pillars and panelling, but in a refined statement of good taste, not an over the top ‘icing’ of an already delicious cake. The ceilings are gloriously high and light floods in through the fanlight above the front door and the large Venetian style windows at the front and back of the house.
The ground floor rooms are airy and open; the large drawing room at the back of the house can be seen from the reception room next to the hall. It is not surprising that Georgian houses were designed for dancing in – a lightness of step is the feeling that overwhelms here – and it’s easy to imagine arriving at the front door and seeing straight through to the dancing room, filled with sparkling lights and music.
Today the sparkle comes from two huge chandeliers, aligned symmetrically in the two front rooms. There is an impressive carriage lamp above the black and white tiled floor of the hall floor. The black and white design is echoed through the bold colour scheme of the ground floor, in shades of dark blue and white.
It feels almost nautical. The drawing room has striped navy and white blinds, two circular mirrors on either side of a central barred mirror, repeated above the fireplace at the other end of the room and reflecting the Georgian bars of the actual windows.
The dark blue L-shaped sofa unit matches the lower part of the walls exactly, adding to the controlled simplicity. The scheme is set off – flag style – by splashes of red from an armchair and accessories and is subtly lit by a combination of recessed spotlights and mid-century Anglepoise lamps. The fittings and furnishings combine well in here, bringing a fun contemporary twentieth-century twist to an elegant Georgian drawing room.
The painted walls darken to a striking, but intimate midnight blue in this room, set off by the Philippe Starck Ghost chairs and circular stained oak table. Original floorboards are painted white in the dining room, setting off a rustic stained oak circular table, its friendly shape set off by the square room, making a welcoming entertaining space.
Again the wall lights, apart from the chandelier, are designed to give the right evening light effects, while a huge antique station clock is enjoying a glorious retirement, sitting as the focal point on the mantelpiece, more art-piece than time-piece.
Adjacent to the dining room is a very handy little side room, complete with a door to the back garden, a cloakroom and a dumb waiter (so that food could be hauled up from the kitchen in its own mini lift). There’s a large, wall mounted heated plate rack to keep things warm, cupboards for extra crockery and glasses, a sink… in fact this room is almost a second kitchen, designed to make the serving of food smooth running and invisible.
This feels very much like a contemporary update on some of the clever ideas the swan-like Georgians had, making life look serene and calm on the surface, so that the busy workings of the house, the day-to-day activities, could be hidden away (like swans’ frantically paddling feet).
Georgian houses are notoriously, but healthily, draughty. There are large and beautiful fireplaces in each room, but radiator warmth is a must – and throughout the house there are large radiators, all carefully blended into the background and wall panelling, so that they are virtually unnoticeable.
The first floor is almost entirely taken up by the master suite, comprising a large bedroom, his and hers bathrooms, a nursery and a serenely calm sitting room, complete with reclining armchairs.
The colours throughout this floor are muted, soft and soothingly neutral. The floors and window treatments are natural looking, and unlike the floor below, providing contrasts through texture rather than colour, while maintaining the same graceful and uncluttered feel. To give the scheme a slight edge, vintage mirrors, suitably cracked and worn in patches are propped above the fireplaces.
The top floor rooms would have been the servants’ quarters and so here we are back to simple lines, lower ceilings and fewer architectural features. The scheme is relaxing, calm and comfortable, soft in both colour and feel. A pale pink Graham & Green bedspread in the main bedroom is offset by yellows and reds, picked out in a fun portrait of the Queen, a yellow sofa and huge red Anglepoise lamp. These rooms may lack the grandeur of the middle floors, but this is more than made up for, as they are bathed in light and have stunning views out across the parklands.
Outside are two walled gardens, front and back. In the front mature shrubs and fruit trees line the perimeter walls facing East, with a Yorkstone path leading down to a door, beyond which is a ‘secret’ garden containing a summerhouse and formal pool.
The back garden faces west and has a Yorkstone terrace and dining area overhung by a glorious old quince tree. It is a mature and very well-kept garden, but it has the advantage of borrowing the landscape of the park beyond, so that the overall effect is large, leafy and in proportion to the house.
Georgian architecture might be all about restraint, taste and adherence to strong classical lines, but it is also about providing a welcome, living generously and allowing the personality of the people living in the house to shine through. This house manages to combine the exuberance and fun of a smart new makeover with the timeless elegance and poise of the Georgian period style.
It is a successful, blended marriage that transcends expectations and creates a unique look and feel all of its own, testament to the skill and understanding of the interior designers, the owners and the house itself.
