{"id":338680,"date":"2026-03-20T06:04:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/338680\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T06:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:04:36","slug":"this-quietly-confident-london-home-hides-a-surprisingly-playful-interior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/338680\/","title":{"rendered":"This Quietly Confident London Home Hides a Surprisingly Playful Interior"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018The interior of this house is calm but has elements of fun,\u2019 says Sophie Eadie of the Grade II\u2013listed, five-story Georgian townhouse in southwest London that she and Fi Crole have evolved into an elegant, timeless, and layered city sanctuary for a family with four children. The founders of Hampshire-based studio Eadie & Crole, Fi and Sophie are renowned for their signature blend of classic and contemporary style that celebrates gentle, muted colors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Kitchen: Bar stools make for a sociable island where informal meals can be enjoyed. \u2018We always prefer not to put a sink on an island unit because it can become very messy,\u2019 says Sophie. A vintage light makes a statement over the island. Cabinetry, deVOL<\/a>; in Portland, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint<\/a>. Bar stools, Neptune<\/a>. Vintage pendant, Florian Schulz.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

\u2018From the moment you walk in, it feels welcoming. It strikes a balance between formal and relaxed, so you can truly unwind and enjoy yourself. It works just as well for children, with spaces designed especially for them,\u2019 says Fi.<\/p>\n

Eadie & Crole<\/a> had previously worked on the clients\u2019 country home, and the brief for this historic house was, according to Fi, \u2018for somewhere that was going to work for the children, but the clients also enjoy entertaining, and they love beautiful things, including art.\u2019 So the design duo were enlisted to craft elegant and alluring schemes that are in keeping with the age of the property and enhance its character.<\/p>\n

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Dining room: Paneling on the walls and ceiling introduces depth. \u2018The ceiling reflects details that we found in other rooms of the house and therefore is sympathetic to the original architectural details,\u2019 says Sophie. Waste table by Piet Hein Eek<\/a>. Chairs, J.L. M\u00f8llers<\/a>. Artwork (far wall) by Harland Miller<\/a>. Wall lights, Visual Comfort & Co.<\/a><\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

The property flows seamlessly and harmoniously, with schemes exuding a quiet confidence, so it\u2019s hard to believe that, when the owners purchased it, the house comprised a series of bedsits. The tall, narrow building boasts beautifully proportioned but not oversized rooms. \u2018The rooms aren\u2019t enormous,\u2019 explains Sophie, \u2018so we had to make sure that they could function well.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Living room: Floor-to-ceiling curtains frame the elegant sash windows. ‘The clients are very keen on pelmets, which are sympathetic to the architecture,’ says Fi. Pendant, Soane Britain<\/a>. Bespoke sofa and ottoman, designed by Eadie & Crole<\/a>. Chairs, 1stDibs<\/a>. Stools, Lorfords<\/a>. Curtain fabric, Claremont<\/a>. Floral still lifes by Henrietta Abel Smith<\/a>. Walls in Sand II, Paint & Paper Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

Because it is a listed property, decisions about the fabric of the building were made in consultation with the local planning department\u2019s conservation team. \u2018They were very strict, even on the ironmongery that we used, and the way that we painted things had to be discussed,\u2019 says Sophie.<\/p>\n

Existing paneling was restored, with new paneling installed to enhance continuity throughout the house. A boarded-up staircase was opened up, and new coffering added that elicits instant character on the ceilings in the children\u2019s bedrooms<\/a>. \u2018We\u2019ve brought the house back to its original form,\u2019 explains Fi.<\/p>\n

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Family room: At the rear end of the drawing room, this calming space provides a cozy nook for watching TV. Walls in Sand II, Paint & Paper Library<\/a>. Bespoke sofa and ottoman, Eadie & Crole<\/a>. Pendant, Soane Britain<\/a>. Curtain fabric, Claremont<\/a>. Antique Roy\u00e8re wall light, sourced from antique suppliers.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

Eadie & Crole worked on the renovation with architects Dyer Grimes<\/a>. The most significant part of the project entailed digging down in the basement, where the kitchen<\/a> is located, to increase the ceiling height, as well as extending out. Roof lights in the dining area and floor-to-ceiling glazed windows ensure the space is washed with light, while horizontal paneling on the walls resonates with the home\u2019s period bones.<\/p>\n

Design expertise in your inbox \u2013 from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups.<\/p>\n

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Main bedroom: The curtained four-poster forms a retreat from the busyness of the city. Bespoke bed, designed by Eadie & Crole<\/a>. Fabric, Claremont<\/a> and Nile & York<\/a>. Walls in Dimity, Farrow & Ball<\/a>. Stool, Robin Myerscough<\/a>. Cushions, made by Eadie & Crole<\/a>; in Rose Uniacke<\/a> linen and Turnell & Gigon<\/a> trimming.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

Paneled walls<\/a> lead from the hallway through to the drawing room, with a bold green and gold stair runner providing an element of surprise. \u2018Everything was so plain, it needed something unexpected,\u2019 says Fi. The joyful hues are teased through into the sophisticated drawing room, where they feature on sumptuous velvets, silks, and pony hair. \u2018There\u2019s a magical view from the house onto the park and we wanted to somehow bring that into the house,\u2019 says Sophie.<\/p>\n

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Children’s bedroom: A cabin bed makes the perfect hideaway space. \u2018They were not the most enormous rooms, and it was a way of having a fun bed for a child. There is storage on either side and underneath,\u2019 says Sophie. Joinery by John Clarkson; in Pointing, Farrow & Ball<\/a> and Duck Egg, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint<\/a>. Cushions in Sahara, Romo<\/a>. Blind in Tusk, Galbraith & Paul<\/a>. Rug, Jennifer Manners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

Upstairs, a romantic curtained four-poster bed takes center stage in the main bedroom<\/a>, accommodated by the high ceiling. \u2018We made a four-poster in the client\u2019s previous house and they loved it, so we created a different design for them,\u2019 says Sophie.<\/p>\n

The four-poster is echoed in one of the daughter\u2019s rooms with a more contemporary design. \u2018This is a slightly more grown-up space compared to her bedroom in their country house, and we were thinking more long-term for her.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Bathroom: Originally a kitchen in one of the bedsits, this bathroom features joyful touches such as the stripes painted on the bath that tone with the eye-catching diamond floor tiles. Bold striped blind fabric draws the eye to the window. Bath, The Water Monopoly<\/a>. Ric Rac floor tiles, Bert & May<\/a>. Blind fabric, Ottoline<\/a>. Wall light, Pooky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Boz Gagovski)<\/p>\n

Eadie & Crole has succeeded in creating timeless schemes that look to the past but very definitely factor in the future.<\/p>\n

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