When it comes to decorating, the value of a gut instinct cannot be underestimated. Take this Victorian house in Peckham, for instance, whose owner and co-founder of homeware brand Late Afternoon Home Claire Haddon-Lowson, is happy to declare that in lieu of a definitive style or preference, she just ‘knows what she likes and trusts it’. This trust came in handy when decorating the house, where it has resulted in a deeply comfortable yet uplifting home filled with joyfully collected objects.
Claire had been living in a tiny flat in south west London with her husband Freddie and the two were ready for a change: more space and a neighbourhood that felt like home were high on the agenda. Further east, Peckham fit the bill. The house was built in 1890 and is a fine example of late-Victorian architecture. ‘I was drawn to the size,’ explains Claire. ‘The width compared to most semi detached houses in London was generous, and the rooms inside weren’t at all pokey’. The other obvious appeal of the house was its condition: ‘It was mostly really good, and lots of the lovely Victorian features had been really well preserved. The only spaces that needed attention were the kitchen and downstairs rooms, which saved me feeling guilty about wanting to do something with them,’ she explains.
The walls in the sitting room are painted White 05 with the ceiling in Beige 02, both by Lick. A vintage leather armchair from an antiques shop sits alongside a vintage mirror sourced from Sascal Studio.
The couple undertook some light decorative work of the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs after moving in, though major structural changes were put on hold while they could get a feel for what was needed. When the time came to address the downstairs in 2024, Claire was full of ideas, and, wanting to work with someone design-led, she turned to local architect and early honouree of House & Garden’s Rising Stars list, Jas Ballah.
‘I knew that I didn’t want it to be a square box with bifold doors at the end. I find that even though you technically get more space it’s often dead space, as it’s so difficult to use a big room like that,’ explains Claire. The duo landed on an L-shape design, which, Jas explains, provided ‘a seamless connection between the kitchen, dining and seating areas but still gave each space its own identity’.